The Museo Nacional del Prado will be reducing the maximum size of groups visiting the Museum from 30 to 20 participants. This measure will take effect immediately, although the size of groups already booked until 1 June will be maintained. Furthermore, from now on these visits will be concentrated during off-peak hours, between 4 pm and 6 pm, which is the time when visitor arrivals slow down before the free entry period. The maximum group size for temporary exhibitions will remain at 15, although this may be reduced, and the maximum for school groups will remain at 30.
These two measures will directly improve visitor experience by reducing the movement of people in the galleries. It is estimated that every day, 1,609 people visit the Museum as part of groups. According to Marina Chinchilla, the Prado’s deputy director: “Reducing the maximum number is not only beneficial in general, it is first and foremost an advantage for group members themselves, who will now be offered an experience that brings them closer to the works.”
The Museum, which already offers time slots for individual visitors, will implement stricter controls (without sacrificing any flexibility) at the moment of entry. These slots will be set at 15-minute sequences and thanks to the support of Telefónica as a Benefactor of the Museum, the "Digital Door" website will offer information about the number of places still available for each slot, meaning that once again it is the visitor who will benefit from this new feature.
More information and new thematic routes
Furthermore, as announced by the Museum’s director Miguel Falomir, the Prado will be placing more emphasis on promoting routes around the Museum that offer a different, thematic vision of the works on display. These routes encompass diverse and enriching themes and issues, including “The Female Perspective (I, II and III)”, “A Botanical Stroll through the Museo Nacional del Prado”, and “Reflections on the Cosmos in the Museo Nacional del Prado”, featuring paintings, galleries and spaces that are less frequently visited by the public.
With the aim of ensuring access and enjoyment for all sectors of the public, the Museum will be adding QR codes to the labels of its most important works, offering explanations and content in Easy Read format.
