Here’s a fun fact – teachers can enter most museums and galleries in Spain for free! I taught for more than 20 years before I found this out, so I’m sharing with any fellow teachers out there, so they can take advantage of free entry from now on — just take some proof of your profession.
Don’t feel sad if you’re not a teacher though – you can visit most bits of the wonderful CaixaForum for free, and special exhibitions only cost 4€. There are some new exhibitions upcoming at the end of May, beginning of June that I’m looking forward to, one featuring contemporary children’s book illustration, and another on music in antiquity. Right now there’s one on Adolf Loos, the Viennese architect, which you can catch until June 24.
I love this space so much. The building is gorgeous, with its living wall and architectural fields of matte aluminium and fountains framing the half-traditional brick, half -modernistic rusty pierced-copper clad building. The inside features a monumental white stairwell, a cafe on the top floor with views seen through the pierced metal cladding and a shop on the first floor that is packed with desirable items.
This centre is a good alternative to the nearby, more touristy Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museums – it’s beautiful, cool, cheap and well-placed over the road from Madrid’s botanical garden. It’s also quite small, so if you don’t have much time it’s the perfect size.
