In the shadow of Madrid's most famous museums is this cultural center that really doesn't compete…read morewith the likes of the Prado and the Reina Sofia. Of all the local museums, it has the most striking exterior with its dramatic rusted steel top and vertical plant wall. Jamie and I were hoping the interior would match the exterior. Instead it felt more like a quiet community center granted with a very cool staircase (Photo 5). Looking closer at the exhibition posters (Photo 2), we realized they rotate over time. That meant only one exhibition was on display when we stopped by, and frankly, it wasn't that interesting to us. It covered a journey through the life of an Assyrian ruler. His name was Asurbanipal, and he ruled Assyria between 669 and 631 BC. Yeah, we didn't know who that was either. They "animated" ancient stone tablets with the colors the archeologists think were used at the time (Video). The one exhibition was pretty much the 6€ admission fee. You won't be surprised to know we didn't stay very long. RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/AQO8KDtbTY

Not sure whether to call this a museum or a gallery because it's not an official museum. For now…read morewe'll just say gallery. And man what a nice one it is! They hold several exhibitions at a time and though relatively small they are impactful. I saw the tattoo exhibit and it was very nicely curated. I learned a lot and it was great to see how tattoo culture is different all across the world. The caixa forum building is stunning! The staircase is a centerpiece in itself and the design is architecturally stunning. I was left with a really great impression of this place!

If you're into natural history or architecture, visit this free museum. Open an hour or two before…read moremost museums on Sunday, I went right at 9am and had the entire museum mostly to myself. It's free, but make sure you have a passport or form of I.D. (My U.S. driver's license worked.) You'll need it at security. After security, go upstairs through the grand staircase to the actual museum. There's an exhibit about the history of the museum, displays in the hallways, and clean restrooms. The main character is the great hall with its wooden floors, glass ceiling, and spiral staircase going up two levels. Each level has fossils, rocks, gems, and more. Kids will love the T-Rex skull on the second floor. Adults (and some kids) will love the architecture. With an open room and painted glass ceiling, it's stunning- a photographer's dream. This place was built a long time ago to support Spain's mining industry and vintage comes through.

A beautiful and interesting museum off the beaten track. If you're in town for more than a few days…read moreor have kids who are starting to roll their eyes at art museums, this is a great change of pace. It's free, but you will have to show a passport or national ID to get in. My kids and I made a trip here but were turned away for not having an appropriate ID. We went back a few days later, and it was worth the second trip. The collection was amazing. Curation is not a strong point of the museum, which is essentially a great hall with hundreds of glass cases housing minerals and fossils, but the architecture of the building and several of the more interesting pieces make up for it.

Being back in puerta del sol feels like home. Here's the deal- sol is like the central hub. From…read moresol, any direction you go, you'll find what you need! The metro station is sol connects to three lines making it one of the most accessible stops. The plaza area itself is always overrun with tourist and scammers, so beware and watch those pockets. But, the magic of sol is in the side streets that connect to it. Go north and you're in gran via or chueca. Take a step towards the irish pubs and grab a pint! Go north west in search of some churros at san gines. Sol is the connecting point to many notable places to visit! While I don't consider it a stop in itself, it is a great meeting point among groups to start your journey!

Nice pass though walk. Stop by and see the cool shops and…read moresculptures. Lots to see along this walk

The Conde Duque has been converted from an old military building to house a library, exhibitions,…read moreconcerts and conferences. It is currently undergoing some renovation work - so parts of it are a building site - but there is still plenty to see. There is a display of contemporary Spanish art and several gallery spaces with changing exhibitions. I loved the exquisite carvings of Alonso Cano. There was no information in English unfortunately.

My favorite part at Conde Duque is the library. As a…read morestudent I was looking for a quite, convenient, beautiful designed place in the center of Madrid and this perfectly fit to my needs. The library, which focuses on Music and art, offers a nice space with many young people around and free wifi. In order to get you Free Wifi you have to register at the entrance (its free) and you will get a member card which will serve you while here. The only problem I found was that the library is closed from Saturday 14:00 till Monday. So if you look for a weekend library, this is not the perfect place.

Of the three museums that make up Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art, this is the one people tend to…read moreforget. Indeed this was the third big museum Jamie W and I visited since we didn't have enough time until our 4th day in Madrid. The museum's unpronounceable name doesn't help much. It also houses a broad collection of art that isn't as easy to categorize as the Prado (classical Spanish masters) and the Reina Sofía (contemporary 20th-century art). The museum spans eight centuries of Western art across four floors from 13th-century medieval works on the top floor to 20th-century pop art at the bottom. Richard Estes' Telephone Booths (Photo 8) and Charles Bell's Thunder Smash (Photo 9) are personal favorites of mine. In between are works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, as well as Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, German Expressionism, and Early Avant-Garde movements. The most familiar paintings are on the middle and main floors where works by Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Dalí, Degas, Manet and Hopper are spotlighted. Unlike the other two museums, this one started as a private collection amassed by two generations of one wealthy Hungarian-German family, which explains why it covers multiple genres not covered by the other two. Admission is 14€ or alternatively 32,8€ for the entire Golden Triangle of Art. RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/P0_zGgWaQT

After visiting the Guernica museum (Reina Sofia), I made my way to Thyssen and thoroughly enjoyed…read moremyself. They cost roughly the same for entry but, I don't know, I felt like Thyssen was more my vibe. Super chill, a beautiful building filled with beautiful things. O'Keefe, Toulouse, Lichtenstein, Rothko - our friends are all here. Of the three museums in this literary Huertas 'hood, I highly recommend time at the Thyssen.