Prado Museum Shop: all you need to know to enjoy it

Considered the most important exhibition and art space in the city, the Museo Nacional del Prado is on every list of recommendations in Madrid, and is a must-see. To do so, you have two options: book your ticket to the Prado Museum or book a guided tour of the Prado Museum.

Whether you choose one or the other option, be sure to visit the souvenir store located inside the Prado. Below, I explain everything that may be of interest in this visit.

Once you have used your ticket to the Prado Museum, keep in mind that the store is located in the Jerónimos Building, one of the latest and most ambitious extensions made to the museum, which was completed in 2007.

This extension connects with the old building by architect Alberto Villanueva subway, taking advantage of the unevenness of the terrain. You can get there in two ways:

• With the traditional route, which contemplates access to the Museum through the main entrance called Puerta Velázquez. This way the store is almost at the end of the route.
• You can also reach the Prado store by entering through the Puerta de los Jerónimos, which will take you directly to the new building, leaving the impressive main entrance for the end of the tour. On this route the store will be directly in the arrival hall.

The Prado Museum Store was not conceived as a traditional souvenir store to buy stationery. On the contrary, all the objects exhibited and sold in this space are cultural objects, which means that they are inspired or based on the best paintings exhibited inside the museum -those that you can see up close with your Prado Museum ticket- to create mostly everyday objects.

On the other hand, this space was created as an economic resource and additional help for the institution's own expenses. When you shop at the store, you not only get a souvenir, but you also contribute to the important work of conservation and dissemination of art to be carried out as it is today.

Unlike other stores, the Museo del Prado has the distinction of having a wide collection of unique products that you can hardly get in any other place in Madrid or the world. Therefore, when deciding on something to buy, opt for any object that particularly appeals to you and will help you remember your vacation in Madrid, as well as your ticket to the Prado Museum.

To give you an idea of what to expect in the Prado's facilities, the products in its store can be grouped into the following broad categories.

• Books: You'll find everything from original Prado Museum editions to exhibition bibliographies, catalogs and thematic bibliographies.
• Prints: A collection of prints of famous works in different sizes and materials.
• Household objects: Decorative items ranging from magnets to giant murals with the most famous works of the museum.
• Stationery: Everything you can imagine, from notebooks, notepads, diaries, calendars, bookmarks, etc.
• Textiles: T-shirts, fashion accessories such as key chains or scarves and even bags with art themes and famous works.
• Gifts for children: accessories such as backpacks, games and even books for children.

If you dare after buying your ticket to the Prado Museum to visit the store, as I said, it is highly recommended. Keep in mind that due to the varied nature of the objects that are sold in this space, prices can range from inexpensive to expensive.

Although prices may be a little more expensive than in other areas of Madrid, remember that you are contributing to the maintenance and growth of the place. Below, I share with you the range of prices divided by categories.

• Books: Very varied prices with products from 1 € to more than 100 €.
• Prints: From 15 € and up.
• Household items: Very varied prices with prices from 3 to 300 €.
• Stationery: One of the sections with the greatest diversity of products and affordable prices. None of its products usually exceeds 25 € on average.
• Textile and fashion accessories: From 5 € to 250 € in the most elaborate pieces.
• Gifts for children: Almost all products are below 15 € - 20 €.

A visit to the Prado Museum is an essential plan to see and do in Madrid. Therefore, take note of the opening hours:

Regular hours

• Monday to Saturday: from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.
• Sundays and holidays: from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Two things to keep in mind: access to the Museum can be made up to 30 minutes before closing time and the rooms can be vacated 10 minutes before closing time.

Reduced opening hours

• From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the following dates: January 6, for the Three Wise Men holiday; December 24, for the Christmas holiday; and December 31, for the New Year's Eve celebration.

I recommend that with your ticket to the Prado Museum you also take the opportunity to take a look at the architecture. Since its foundation in 1819, the museum has contemplated a constant but modest growth plan, until the extensions proposed after the turn of the century, which included the integration of the Jerónimos Building complex in the so-called Moneo Plan.

TheMoneo Expansion Plan contemplated the total restoration of the old Jerónimos Cloister building, to include four new temporary exhibition halls, a sculpture hall, a new auditorium, a restoration area and a large and beautiful lobby.

From this lobby you can access the restaurant, the ticket offices and, of course, the Prado store. In addition, a large art storage room and many other areas were also included.

After using your ticket for the Prado Museum in Madrid and after your visit, you may feel like something to eat. Although there are many good restaurants in the surrounding area, the museum itself has a café with a terrace near the Prado Shop, in the Jerónimo Building itself.

The menu includes a selection of coffees, salads, tabbouleh, local cheeses, smoked ham and much more. The terrace is strategically located so you can enjoy the views while sheltering from the sun if you visit Madrid in summer and is a great alternative to cool off.

Itinerant artists are constantly strolling through this area, exhibiting their talent to anyone who is willing to listen to them. Do not hesitate to visit the Museo Nacional del Prado during your visit.

The Prado became the first major museum in Europe to create its own portal to sell its products through the popular ecommerce Amazon Spain. Since then, the official store of the Prado on Amazon is a great alternative that allows users to buy from the comfort of their homes.

In my opinion, it is a novel and very practical resource, because if you visit the Museum in Madrid and see a product or a reproduction of an important painting but you can not buy it because of the price or the inconvenience of the transfer, it is more comfortable and intelligent to buy it directly in the virtual version and receive it directly at home.

A clear example is the life-size reproductions of works such as The Garden of Earthly Delights by El Bosco or Las Meninas by Velázquez.