The ¨big three¨ of Madrid´s art museums - the Prado, the Reina Sofia, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza - stand among the greatest in the world.

Great as they are, these museums represent just the tip of Madrid museum experience.

Dozens of other museums, some of which focus on a particular artist or a particular aspect of culture, also offer fascinating opportunities.

The Museum of the Americas, for example, displays priceless pre-Columbian artifacts brought back by the conquistadors of Latin America, while the Museo Arqueológico Nacional includes a faithful reproduction of the paleolithic cave paintings at Altamira -- right down to the the textures and contours of the stones on which the paintings are placed.

Here is a partial list of some of our favorites:

Museo Nacional Del Prado
Paseo del Prado
28014 Madrid
Tel. 913 302 800. and 913 302 900.
Fax 913 302 856.
museo.nacional@prado.mcu.es
On everyone´s list of the five great art museums in the world. Great depth in Velazquez, El Greco and Goya, but also many works by Dutch artists (then ruled by the Spanish kings) and Italians (which also had much of its territory ruled from Spain at the times these paintings were done).

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Santa Isabel, 52
28012 Madrid
Tel: 91 467 50 62 and 91 468 30 02
Fax: 91 467 31 63
Worth visiting, if nothing else, to see Picasso´s famous Guernica, brought to Spain after the end of Franco´s dictatorship. Spanish artists other than Picasso with strong representations here include Salvador Dali and Miro. Also associated with Reina Sofia are the Palacio de Velazquez and the Palacio de Cristal in the Retiro park.

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
Showcasing one of the great private collections of modern times, the Thyssen was won for Madrid after being fought over by cities throughout the world. Deep in modern arts.

Museo de América
Avenida Reyes Católicos, 6
28014 - Madrid
Teléfono: 91-549 26 41 and 91-543 94 37
Fax: 91-544 67 42
This museum somehow manages to sweep into its displays Polynesia and scenes from everyday Spanish life, but what makes it worth visiting are the priceless pre-Columbian artifacts brought back to Spain during Spain´s colonization of much of the Americas.

Museo Arqueológico Nacional
Serrano 13
28001 Madrid
Teléfono: 91 577 79 12 Fax: 91 431 68 40
In addition to the Altamira reproduction, this museum includes the priceless Dama de Elche statue, along with Roman and Celto-Iberian art.

Museo Romántico
Calle de San Mateo, 13
28004 Madrid
Teléfono: 91-448 10 71 and 91-448 10 45
Fax: 91-594 28 93
Quirky but engaging, this museum focuses on romanticism.

Museo Sorolla
Paseo del General Martínez Campos, 37
28010 Madrid
Teléfono: 91-310 15 84 and 91-310 17 31
Fax: 91-308 59 25
E-mail: sorolla@museo.mec.es
Once the home and gardens of the painter Sorolla, this small museum presents a wide range of his work. The Andalucian inspired gardens, designed by the painter, are themselves interesting.