Museo Nacional de Antropología

This compact anthropology museum houses Spain's most diverse collection of global artifacts, from Polynesian masks to pre-Columbian gold work. The star attraction is a naturally mummified Guanche from the Canary Islands, complete with visible tattoos and deformed skull binding. You'll also find intricate Philippine textiles, African sculptures, and detailed Oceanic ceremonial objects that major museums would highly value.

The experience feels more like exploring a Victorian collector's private study than a modern museum. Displays are dense and sometimes poorly lit, but that intimacy works in the museum's favor. You can get close to 2,000-year-old artifacts, and the hushed atmosphere lets you contemplate what you're seeing. The building's marble staircases and period rooms add to the old-world charm, though some exhibitions feel frozen in the 1980s.

Entry costs €3 (free on Sundays after 2pm), making this Madrid's best museum bargain. Most visitors rush through in 45 minutes, but you'll miss the detail in the Philippine collection if you hurry. Skip the ground floor unless you're obsessed with Spanish folk costumes. The second-floor anthropological displays are where the real treasures live, particularly the pre-Columbian room that many people walk past.