Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid, Madrid: what to see and when to go

The Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid is an 8-hectare botanical garden in central Madrid, next to the Prado Museum. Founded in 1755, it features outdoor terraces, greenhouses for different climates, and a vast collection of plants and trees. The garden is known for its scientific research, education, and historic plant collections.

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Founded in 1755 and moved to its current site in 1774
Holds about 90,000 living plants and 1,500 trees
Home to Spain’s largest herbarium with over a million specimens
Features historic terraces, greenhouses, and a Japanese garden
Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021

What is Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid?

Visitors to the Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid find a large, landscaped space divided into several outdoor terraces and greenhouses. The garden holds around 90,000 living plants and 1,500 trees. Its areas include formal beds edged with boxwood, a Japanese garden, and collections of ornamental, medicinal, and native plants. Greenhouses allow for the display of tropical, temperate, and desert species not suited to Madrid’s climate. Fountains, a pond, and historic pavilions add to the setting.

The history of Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid

The garden began in 1755 under King Ferdinand VI, first located by the Manzanares River. In 1774, King Charles III moved it to its present site on the Paseo del Prado, with a design by Francesco Sabatini and Juan de Villanueva. The layout grouped plants by scientific order, following Linnaean principles. The garden’s mission included teaching botany, supporting plant-collecting expeditions, and classifying new species, especially from Spain’s overseas territories. Major additions came from expeditions such as Alessandro Malaspina’s in 1794.

What there is to see

The garden is arranged in seven outdoor sections and five greenhouses. The main terraces feature themed beds for ornamental, medicinal, and native plants, with fountains and formal hedges. The oldest greenhouse, from the 1800s, displays tropical plants and mosses. A newer greenhouse is divided into rooms for tropical, temperate, and desert plants. The garden’s collections are maintained by the Spanish National Research Council.

When to go

The Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid is open to the public and serves as a center for botanical research and education. It houses Spain’s largest herbarium, with over a million preserved specimens from around the world, some dating to the 18th century. The garden publishes scientific journals and hosts exhibitions, making it a resource for scientists, students, and visitors interested in plant diversity.

Parts and collections

The garden’s plantings include a wide range of species from Spain and other regions, with dedicated areas for different plant groups. Collections are organized by use (ornamental, medicinal, aromatic), origin (native, exotic), and scientific classification. The greenhouses support plants from climates not found in Madrid, such as tropical and desert species.

Why Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid matters

Recognized as a Historic Garden in Spain since 1942, the Royal Botanic Garden is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has played a key role in Spanish botanical science, supporting expeditions and research. Its herbarium and archives hold important historical records, including materials from early plant explorers and artists.

Questions people ask about Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid

Where is the Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid located?

It is in central Madrid, Spain, next to the Prado Museum, with its entrance at Plaza de Murillo.

What can visitors see at the garden?

Visitors find outdoor terraces with themed plant beds, greenhouses for tropical and desert species, fountains, a pond, and historic pavilions. The garden displays a wide variety of living plants and trees.

What is the history of the garden?

The garden was founded in 1755 and moved to its present location in 1774. It has served as a center for botanical research, education, and plant collecting, with a focus on scientific classification.

Why is the garden important?

It is a major center for plant research, houses Spain’s largest herbarium, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden has contributed to the study and conservation of plants for centuries.

What makes the herbarium special?

The herbarium contains over a million preserved plant specimens, some collected during 18th and 19th-century expeditions. It is the largest in Spain and supports scientific study and documentation.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. Opening times, prices and bloom dates change: check with the place before you travel. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Sim's Park, Coonoor: Thangaraj Kumaravel, CC BY 2.0, source

Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute: No machine-readable author provided. Shyamal assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY 2.5, source

Baldha Garden: Muntasir du, Public domain, source

Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, source

Parc de Cervantes: Canaan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Jardí Botànic de Barcelona: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Botanical Garden of Valencia: Joanbanjo, Public domain, source

Alhambra: Jebulon, CC0, source

Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid