The Madrid Railway Museum (Museo del Ferrocarril) is housed in the old Delicias station, in the south of the city. We visited on a Saturday at the end of September, right at opening time, as part of a long walk that ended at Puerta del Sol after crossing Retiro Park. We spent a good hour among steam locomotives, electric trains, a Talgo and a room full of clocks, and then kept walking.
Here is what we saw, how much it costs, the opening hours and how to get there on foot or by metro.
The museum at a glance
| Address | Paseo de las Delicias, 61 (Arganzuela, Madrid) |
|---|---|
| General ticket | €7 |
| Reduced ticket | €4 (children aged 4 to 12, over-65s and students, among others) |
| Free entry | Children under 4 and people with disabilities, among other cases |
| Opening hours, October to May | Monday to Friday, 9:30 to 15:00. Saturdays and public holidays, 10:00 to 19:00. Sundays, 10:00 to 15:00 |
| Opening hours, June to September | Every day, 10:00 to 15:00 |
| Time needed | We spent just over an hour. If you love trains, allow two |
| Metro and commuter trains | Delicias (metro line 3 and Cercanías lines C1 and C10) |
Prices and opening hours checked on the museum's official website in September 2026. Closed on 25 December, 1 January and 6 January.
An 1880 station turned into a museum
Delicias station opened in 1880 with a large iron and glass train shed designed by the French engineer Émile Cachelièvre. It stopped receiving passenger trains in 1971 and reopened as a museum in 1984. Today it is run by the Spanish Railways Foundation (Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles).
The best part is that the trains are still where they always were: on the tracks, next to the platforms and under the same roof. They are not objects in glass cases. You walk along the platform as if you were about to board one of them.
What to see at the Madrid Railway Museum
Steam locomotives
This is the most spectacular part. As soon as you enter the shed, the steam locomotives appear: some painted green with brass chimneys and trim, others black with huge red wheels.
One of the most curious is "El Alagón", built in France in 1863. According to its sign, it was the only one of its series to reach RENFE, Spain's national railway, and it spent its last years right here, at the Delicias depot, cleaning the boilers of other locomotives. It was retired in April 1966 and kept for the museum.
There is a cutaway locomotive, with its outer plating opened up and the inside painted in colours, which explains how a steam engine worked better than any sign could. And on several of them you can climb a ladder and look into the driver's cab, with its pressure gauges, valves and levers.
Electric and diesel locomotives
Further along the platform the era changes: green electric locomotives with the RENFE lettering, a very long diesel numbered 4020 and wooden passenger carriages. It is a good place to see how trains in Spain changed in less than a century.
Talgo, TAF and railcars
The museum keeps a Talgo II, the first Talgo to run in commercial service, and a 1952 TAF (Fiat railcar), silver with a green stripe. You can step inside the Talgo: the interior has been set up as an exhibition room.
A truck that ran on rails
One of the most surprising exhibits is not a train at all: it is a Fargo Power Wagon truck with its wheels adapted to run on rails. It sits on a stretch of track next to the passenger building.
Clock room and model trains
The side building has two rooms worth stopping for. The clock room brings together station clocks, wall clocks and pocket watches: on the railway, punctuality was a serious matter. And in the model railway area there are scale models of trains, some of them running.
The garden and the miniature train
On the way out, the garden has a track circuit for a miniature train. The days and times it runs vary, so check the museum's website before you go if you want a ride.
How to get to the Madrid Railway Museum
- Metro from the city centre: line 3 runs straight from Sol to Delicias, with no changes.
- On foot from Atocha: walk south along Paseo de las Delicias. We did it the other way round, from the museum to Atocha, in about 20 minutes.
- Cercanías commuter trains: Delicias station (lines C1 and C10).
- EMT city buses: lines 8, 19, 45, 47, 59, 85 and 86.
From the museum to Retiro Park, on foot
If you want to turn the visit into a proper walk, just follow Paseo de las Delicias north from the museum. We left a little after 11:45 and by 12:03 we were at the Atocha roundabout, at the foot of the Cuesta de Moyano book stalls. From there it's a short walk into Retiro Park, and you can carry on through the park all the way to Puerta del Sol.
The museum is also close to the southern end of the flat Madrid Río walking route, along the Manzanares river, if you'd rather combine it with a riverside walk.
Tips for your visit
- Go at opening time. There are few people around and you can photograph the locomotives with nobody in front of them.
- Bring water if you're walking: Paseo de las Delicias is a pavement walk and the sun is strong in summer.
- Check the calendar: on the second weekend of every month (except July and August) the station hosts the Mercado de Motores, a vintage and design market, and it gets much busier.
- Photos: you can take photos for personal use.
- With children: the reduced ticket is for children aged 4 to 12, and under-4s go free. The cabs with ladders and the model trains are their favourites.
Map of the Madrid Railway Museum
Frequently asked questions
How much is a ticket to the Madrid Railway Museum?
A general ticket costs €7 and a reduced ticket €4 (children aged 4 to 12, over-65s and students, among others). Children under 4 go free.
What are the Madrid Railway Museum's opening hours?
From June to September it opens every day from 10:00 to 15:00. From October to May, Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 15:00, Saturdays and public holidays from 10:00 to 19:00, and Sundays from 10:00 to 15:00.
What is the nearest metro station?
Delicias, on line 3. There is also a Cercanías commuter train station at Delicias, on lines C1 and C10.
How long does it take to see the museum?
A relaxed visit takes between one and two hours. We spent just over an hour, plus a stroll around the garden.
Can you take photos inside?
Yes, for personal use. For photos or filming for commercial purposes you need permission from the museum.
The Railway Museum is one of those places locals walk past for years and never visit. Arriving on foot gives it extra meaning: you start the morning walking and finish it under an iron station built in 1880.
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