In May 2025, the Prado National Museum reached its visitor peak with 339,062 admissions, making it the busiest time of the year. The highest daily visitor count was also recorded in May, when 17,484 people visited the iconic art gallery on May 3. Although there are still three days left until the end of the year, the figures already confirm a new record number of visitors to the museum premises, according to official data from several institutional sources, detailed by the media.
The National Prado Museum has exceeded its own attendance mark for the third consecutive year in 2025, registering 3,479,838 visitors so far this year, according to media reports. This number represents 22,781 more people than the total in 2024 and represents a new historical high for the museum, according to the institution.
Although the data provided has not yet officially closed, the art gallery has already announced that this figure exceeds all previous records. According to the museum and media reports, the month of December was the least crowded time, with 230,158 people counted.
Asked about the continued increase in visitor numbers, sources at the Prado Museum said in July that 1,847,710 visits had already been recorded in the first half of 2025. This figure represents an increase of 3.43% compared to the same period in 2024, when 1,786,419 entries were received, the institution said in statements reported by the media.
The annual rate of increase in visitor numbers has shown a steady upward trend over the last few years. According to the media, this upward momentum has been recorded gradually over the last three years, allowing the Prado to consolidate its status as a national and international reference in terms of museums and cultural dissemination.
The total of almost 3.5 million visits in 2025 represents the interest of both the local public and visitors from abroad and abroad, as can be seen from the museum’s balance sheets and trade press coverage.
The monthly differences in the flow of visitors show the preference for visiting the Prado spaces at certain times of the year. The preliminary data reflects that spring – with May at the peak – concentrates the largest influx, in contrast to the winter season, which has significantly smaller numbers, according to media sources.
The published data underlines the impact of the museum’s planned activities and exhibitions, which usually contribute to an increase in public traffic on certain dates, such as May 3rd. The flow of visitors on this day was the highest in the annual series at 17,484 people, said spokespersons for the institution and reported journalistic information.
In the first half of 2025, the year-over-year percentage increase resulted in more than 61,000 additional visits. This development was highlighted by the museum management, which, according to the media, attributes part of these results to the diverse cultural offer throughout the year and the ongoing recovery of the tourism sector.
The National Prado Museum, based in Madrid, acts as a magnet for audiences of all ages and geographical origins. The sustained influx of visitors over the past three years increased pressure on infrastructure and services, an element that the institution had to manage with schedule adjustments and logistical improvements, museum sources told the media.
Until the figures are officially finalized, internal forecasts assume that the final data will reflect an even larger difference from the preliminary estimates, given the traditional behavior of the influx in the last days of the year, museum officials reported in dialogue with the media.
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