IKONO Madrid

The basics

IKONO Madrid is one of six IKONO interactive museums in Europe, all offering a lighthearted way to break up a day of city touring. The 12 rooms include highlights like a ball pit, lantern-lit bamboo forest, black-light jungle path, and Cubist-themed play space. Since the museum is centrally located, it’s easy to combine a stop there with a city tour or a visit to nearby attractions such as the Prado Museum and the Reina Sofía Museum.

Things to know before you go

• IKONO Madrid is a whimsical break for visitors of all ages, including families with kids.
• It takes less than an hour to cover the 12 interactive spaces, leaving you plenty of time to tour other sights in the city.
• The exhibits offer unusual backdrops for fun photos, so charge your phone or camera before visiting.
• The museum is not accessible for wheelchairs or strollers.

How to get there

The museum is located directly opposite the Reina Sofia Museum, steps from the Estación Del Arte station along metro line 1 and up the street from the Estación Madrid – Puerta de Atocha rail, bus, and metro hub. You can easily walk to IKONO from city highlights like the Prado Museum and Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum.

When to get there

IKONO Madrid is open daily from morning to night, making it easy to stop in before or after sightseeing for an hour of art and fun. The indoor space is air-conditioned, so pop in during the hottest midday hours to cool off as you explore. Otherwise, visit late in the evening when the daytime crowds have left.

Madrid’s “Golden Triangle of Art”

IKONO Madrid sits at the center of the city’s “Golden Triangle of Art,” where three of the most prominent art museums are located. Across from IKONO Madrid, the Reina Sofia (officially the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía) is Spain’s national museum for 20th-century art, including Picasso’s famed Guernica. Farther along Paseo del Prado, the Prado Museum is home to a vast collection of masterpieces from the 12th to the 19th centuries, while the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum holds more than 1,000 works, including paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens.