Museum of the Americas, National museum of pre-Columbian and colonial art in Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain
Museum of the Americas is a national museum in Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, focused on pre-Columbian and colonial art from the Americas. The collection holds more than 25,000 objects organized into five thematic areas that explore knowledge, society, religion, everyday life, and communication across the continent.
The museum opened on July 13, 1944, following a government decree in 1941 that established its mission. Architect Luis Moya Blanco completed the building by 1954, blending historical and neocolonial styles to reflect centuries of exchange between Spain and the Americas.
The collection includes the Codex Tro-Cortesiano, one of only four surviving Maya manuscripts in the world. This screenfold book made from bark paper contains calendar calculations and religious imagery that offer a window into pre-Hispanic civilizations.
The museum sits on Avenida Reyes Católicos 6 and opens Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 to 15:00. On Thursdays the hours extend until 19:00, allowing visitors to explore the galleries in the late afternoon as well.
The building itself was designed to represent different periods of contact between Spain and the Americas through architectural elements. This approach turns a visit into a journey not only through objects but also through construction styles that tell their own story.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
