Free museum days and free evenings, November 2026

Madrid

• Museo Reina Sofía Mon, Wed to Sat 7 to 9 pm; Sun 12.30 to 2.30 pm
  Free in the last two hours of the day (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 7 to 9 pm) and on Sunday from 12.30 to 2.30 pm. Closed on Tuesdays. Condition: you still need a free ticket, which you can book online, and free-hours visits are for individuals only. The page also lists Monday 9 November as a closing day and says such days may change.
  Source: museoreinasofia.es · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Mon 12 to 4 pm; Sat 9 to 11 pm
  Every Monday (2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 Nov) the collection is free from 12 to 4 pm, thanks to a sponsor (Mastercard). On those Mondays the ticket office is closed and entry is without a ticket until the museum is full. On Saturdays from 9 to 11 pm the temporary exhibitions are free, thanks to another sponsor (Uber). Condition: both offers are sponsor-funded, and the page gives no end date.
  Source: museothyssen.org · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Museo Arqueológico Nacional Sat from 2 pm; Sun morning; Sun 1 Nov also 3 to 8 pm
  Free on non-holiday Saturdays from 2 pm (it closes at 8 pm) and on Sunday mornings (open 9.30 am to 3 pm). On Sunday 1 November, All Saints, it also opens from 3 to 8 pm with free entry. Closed on Mondays. The page states no booking requirement for these free hours.
  Source: man.es · man.es/horarios · checked 26 Oct 2026

Barcelona

• Museu Picasso Thu 4 to 7 pm; Sun 1 Nov all day
  Free on Thursdays from 4 to 7 pm (5, 12, 19 and 26 Nov) and on the first Sunday of the month (1 Nov). Closed on Mondays. Condition: prior reservation is required; free tickets open four days before the visit, from 10 am.
  Source: museupicassobcn.cat · checked 26 Oct 2026
• MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya) Sat from 3 pm; Sun 1 Nov all day
  Free every Saturday from 3 pm (winter hours run to 6 pm) and all day on the first Sunday of the month (1 Nov; open 10 am to 3 pm). Closed on Mondays except holidays. Condition: the museum says to reserve free admission online in advance, to control capacity.
  Source: museunacional.cat · checked 26 Oct 2026
• MACBA Thu to Sat from 6 pm; Sun 1 Nov all day
  Free on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6 pm (it closes at 7.30 pm on Thursday and Friday, 8 pm on Saturday) and all day on the first Sunday (1 Nov, 10 am to 3 pm). Closed on Tuesdays. The page does not say whether a free ticket must be booked; its FAQ recommends buying tickets in advance. A city of Barcelona article gives a different Saturday window; we follow MACBA's own page.
  Source: macba.cat · checked 26 Oct 2026
• CCCB Sun 3 to 8 pm
  The exhibitions are free every Sunday from 3 to 8 pm (1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 Nov). Condition: capacity is limited, so reserve online in advance. Open Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays.
  Source: cccb.org · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Museu d'Història de Barcelona Sun from 3 pm; Sun 1 Nov all day
  Free on Sundays from 3 pm and all day on the first Sunday of the month (1 Nov). The city's museum guide says this applies at all its sites except Park Güell. Check the hours of the site you want on the museum page.
  Source: barcelona.cat/museuhistoria · city guide, 9 Apr 2026 · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Museu Marítim de Barcelona Sun from 3 pm
  Free every Sunday from 3 pm at the Drassanes. This comes from the City of Barcelona's museum guide dated 9 April 2026, not from the museum's own page, so check the hours before you go.
  Source: barcelona.cat/museusbarcelona · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Museu del Disseny de Barcelona Sun 3 to 8 pm; Sun 1 Nov all day
  Free every Sunday from 3 to 8 pm and all day on the first Sunday of the month (1 Nov). This comes from the City of Barcelona's museum guide dated 9 April 2026, not from the museum's own page.
  Source: barcelona.cat/museusbarcelona · checked 26 Oct 2026

Lisbon

• MAAT First Sun, 10 am to 1 pm (1 Nov)
  Free on the first Sunday of each month, from 10 am to 1 pm (1 Nov). Condition: valid only for residents in Portugal. Open Wednesday to Monday, 10 am to 7 pm; closed on Tuesdays.
  Source: maat.pt · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and Modern Art Centre Sun from 2 pm
  The ticket page lists free entry on Sundays from 2 pm, for everyone, to the museum and the Modern Art Centre (1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 Nov). Open until 6 pm, closed on Tuesdays. Separately, under-30s with the free Cartão Gulbenkian get free entry to the exhibitions on Saturdays from 6 to 9 pm.
  Source: gulbenkian.pt · gulbenkian.pt/hours · checked 26 Oct 2026

Paris

• Louvre Fri 6 Nov, after 6 pm
  Free for everyone on the first Friday of the month after 6 pm (6 Nov; not in July or August). Condition: the page recommends booking a time slot, including for free visitors. It also lists free entry all year for under-18s and for under-26s from the European Economic Area, with ID. Its note that reservations are required from 17 October to 1 November does not cover 6 November.
  Source: louvre.fr · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Musée de l'Orangerie Sun 1 Nov
  Free for all on the first Sunday of the month (1 Nov; next date 6 Dec), collections and exhibitions. Condition: online time-slot booking is mandatory, except for Carte Blanche holders.
  Source: musee-orangerie.fr · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Musée Rodin Sun 1 Nov
  Free on the first Sunday of each month from October to March (1 Nov). Condition: no advance booking is needed; anyone claiming a free category such as youth or teachers must show proof at the entrance.
  Source: musee-rodin.fr · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac Sun 1 Nov
  Free admission on the first Sunday of each month (1 Nov). Condition: timed tickets are required for all visitors, free ones included.
  Source: quaibranly.fr · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Musée Carnavalet Every day it is open; Tue to Sun 10 am to 6 pm
  The permanent collections are free of charge and need no booking. Closed on Mondays. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
  Source: carnavalet.paris.fr · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Petit Palais Permanent collection, always
  Paris Musées states that access to the permanent collections of the City of Paris museums has been free for everyone since December 2001, Petit Palais included. Temporary exhibitions are paid. Check the opening days on the museum page.
  Source: parismusees.paris.fr · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris Permanent collection, always
  Same rule on the Paris Musées price page: the permanent collections are free for everyone. Temporary exhibitions are paid. Check the opening days on the museum page.
  Source: parismusees.paris.fr · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Musée Cernuschi Permanent collection, always
  The Asian arts museum of the City of Paris is on the same list: permanent collections free for everyone, temporary exhibitions paid. Check the opening days on the museum page.
  Source: parismusees.paris.fr · checked 26 Oct 2026

Rome

• Musei Capitolini and the other Roma Capitale civic museums Sun 1 Nov; residents any day
  The Sistema Musei di Roma Capitale gives a free ticket to everyone on the first Sunday of each month (1 Nov), except at the Ara Pacis exhibition space, the new Museo di Roma first-floor space, the new Villa Caffarelli space, L'Ara si rivela, Circo Maximo Experience and the Planetarium. Since February 2026 residents of Rome and its metropolitan city also enter free, showing their ID card at the cashier. The page mentions no booking for free entry.
  Source: museiincomuneroma.it · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Vatican Museums Last Sun, 9 am to 2 pm (29 Nov)
  Free on the last Sunday of the month, 9 am to 2 pm with last entry at 12.30 pm (29 Nov). Guided tours can be booked. The museums are closed on Sunday 1 November, so the free Sunday this month is the 29th. The only official online ticket site is tickets.museivaticani.va.
  Source: museivaticani.va · museivaticani.va/tickets · checked 26 Oct 2026

Milan

• Castello Sforzesco, Museo del Novecento, GAM, Archaeological Museum, Natural History Museum and Civic Aquarium (6 museums) First Sun (1 Nov); 2nd Tue (10 Nov) under 25
  The City of Milan lists these as its paid civic museums, and says all civic museums are free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month (1 Nov). Visitors up to 25 years old also enter free on the second Tuesday of the month (10 Nov). The page was updated on 29 July 2026.
  Source: comune.milano.it · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Casa Museo Boschi Di Stefano, Palazzo Moriggia, MUDEC permanent collection and Palazzo Morando (4 museums) Free entry
  The same City of Milan page lists these civic venues as free to enter, with no day restriction. Only the MUDEC permanent collection is free; its temporary exhibitions are not mentioned. Check opening days on each museum page.
  Source: comune.milano.it · checked 26 Oct 2026

Berlin

• Futurium Free entry; Thu until 8 pm
  Entrance is free of charge. Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 6 pm, Thursday 10 am to 8 pm; closed on Tuesdays. Workshops, guided tours and some events are charged. Groups of more than 15 people must register, free of charge.
  Source: futurium.de · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Topographie des Terrors Free admission, daily 10 am to 8 pm
  The documentation centre shows free admission and opening hours of daily 10 am to 8 pm, with the outdoor areas open until nightfall (8 pm at the latest).
  Source: topographie.de · checked 26 Oct 2026

Amsterdam

• Amsterdam City Archives (Stadsarchief) Free exhibitions
  I amsterdam, the city's official site (updated 16 Oct 2026), says the City Archives do not charge for entry and that its exhibitions in the underground vault of the De Bazel building are free. Opening hours were not read, so check the archive's page.
  Source: iamsterdam.com · checked 26 Oct 2026
• OSCAM (Open Space Contemporary Art Museum) Free exhibitions
  Same I amsterdam page: the exhibitions and programmes at OSCAM in Zuidoost are free to explore. Opening hours were not read, so check the museum's page.
  Source: iamsterdam.com · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Rijksmuseum Gardens Gardens free, always
  The gardens are freely accessible. The museum itself is not free: the Rijksmuseum's own page says admission is free up to 19 years of age. It is open daily 9 am to 5 pm.
  Source: iamsterdam.com · rijksmuseum.nl · checked 26 Oct 2026

London

• National Gallery Free; Fri until 9 pm
  General admission is free; donations are welcome. Open daily 10 am to 6 pm and until 9 pm on Fridays (6, 13, 20 and 27 Nov), when its Friday Lates run. You can book a free ticket for fast-track entry; walk-up entry is also available. Exhibitions such as Renoir and Love are ticketed.
  Source: nationalgallery.org.uk · checked 26 Oct 2026
• V&A South Kensington Free; Fri until 10 pm; Friday Late 27 Nov
  Admission is free. Open daily 10 am to 5.45 pm and on Fridays until 10 pm, though some galleries close after 5.45 pm. The Friday Late is free and drop-in on the last Friday of the month (27 Nov). Special exhibitions may charge.
  Source: vam.ac.uk · vam.ac.uk/friday-late · checked 26 Oct 2026
• V&A East Museum Free; Thu and Sat until 10 pm
  Admission is free. Open daily 10 am to 6 pm and on Thursdays and Saturdays until 10 pm. The page warns there may be a queue to get in.
  Source: vam.ac.uk · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Tate Modern Free; Fri and Sat until 9 pm
  Free admission. Open Sunday to Thursday 10 am to 6 pm and Friday and Saturday 10 am to 9 pm. The big exhibitions, such as Frida: The Making of an Icon, are free only for members.
  Source: tate.org.uk · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Tate Britain Free; daily 10 am to 6 pm
  Free admission, open every day from 10 am to 6 pm. Paid exhibitions are listed separately on the Tate page.
  Source: tate.org.uk · checked 26 Oct 2026
• Natural History Museum Free; daily 10 am to 5.50 pm
  The galleries are free to explore. Open daily 10 am to 5.50 pm, last entry 5.30 pm. At busy times you may have to queue; a free entry ticket can be booked to guarantee entry. Exhibitions and events are ticketed.
  Source: nhm.ac.uk · checked 26 Oct 2026
• National Maritime Museum Free; daily 10 am to 5 pm
  Free entry, open daily 10 am to 5 pm, last entry 4.15 pm. Booking is recommended. The Royal Observatory and the Cutty Sark on the same page are paid.
  Source: rmg.co.uk · checked 26 Oct 2026

Left out: not confirmed

We left these out because we could not confirm a rule for November 2026 on a page we could read. The links go to the official page to check yourself.

• Museo del Prado (Madrid) museodelprado.es The museum's site refused our request (403), so we could not read its free-hours rule ourselves.
• British Museum, Science Museum, National Portrait Gallery, IWM London britishmuseum.org Their sites refused our request (403), so we could not confirm hours or conditions. Check their pages.
• Musée d'Orsay (Paris) musee-orsay.fr The museum's site refused our request (403), so its first-Sunday rule is not confirmed here.
• Italian state museums: Colosseum, Galleria Borghese, GNAM, Castel Sant'Angelo (Rome); Pinacoteca di Brera (Milan) pinacotecabrera.org The Ministry of Culture and most state museum sites did not connect from our server. Brera's page announces only the 4 October date, not 1 November.
• Museu de Lisboa and national museums (Acesso 52) museusemonumentos.pt The Museu de Lisboa page shows no readable text to a plain request. The official Acesso 52 pages (52 free days a year for residents in Portugal) are dated 2024, with no 2026 page we could read.
• Berlin Museum Sunday (free first Sunday) berlin.de It ended: berlin.de says 1 December 2024 was the last one and no further dates are planned. The Staatliche Museen page still describes it, but we followed berlin.de.
• Amsterdam: free days or evenings at the big museums iamsterdam.com We found no free day or free evening for November 2026 on the official pages we read, so Amsterdam has only the always-free places above.

Going alone: short tips

1. Book the free slot first. Several free hours need a reservation: Museu Picasso opens its free tickets four days ahead at 10 am, the CCCB and the Orangerie ask you to reserve, and the Reina Sofía asks for a free ticket.
2. Use Sunday 1 November. It is a first Sunday: Paris (Orangerie, Rodin, quai Branly), Barcelona, Rome and Milan all have free entry that day. Check closures first; the Vatican Museums are shut that Sunday.
3. Pick one wing, not the whole museum. Free windows can be two hours long, like the Reina Sofía in the evening. One floor or one collection beats rushing.
4. Evenings suit one person. London keeps the National Gallery open until 9 pm on Fridays and V&A South Kensington until 10 pm, both free to enter.
5. Fix a meeting point if you want company. Choose a named spot, not "near the entrance". Meet-ups for people on their own are listed on Come Alone (comealone.app).

More ideas

See free things to do alone today, third places and Christmas markets tonight.

Questions

Where do the rules come from?

Each entry links to the museum's own page or to the city's page. We read them with a plain request on 26 October 2026. Pages that blocked us were left out, and news sites and guides were not used as proof. Two Barcelona museums come from the city's museum guide, and that is marked.

Are these rules fixed for the whole month?

They are the rules published on the day we checked. Museums can change hours, close for events or add booking. Re-check the linked page before you go.

Why is Berlin's free Museum Sunday missing?

It ended. berlin.de says 1 December 2024 was the last one and no further dates are planned.