Studying in Spain – Journal 13: Museo de América
The Museum of the Americas, or “Museo de América” in Spanish, is a national museum in Madrid that has archaeological and ethnographic items from the Americas. The museum was built in the year 1941 and the items it has previously belonged to the Museum of Natural Sciences. The museum has a collection of over 25000 items dating from the prehistoric times to present.
The Museum of the Americas is located near the Complutense University of Madrid and the Polytechnic University of Madrid, two of the most important university in Madrid. The closest metro stations to the Museum of the Americas are Islas Filipinas and Moncloa. Islas Filipinas is on metro line 7 and Moncloa is on metro line 3 and 6.
The Museum of the Americas is open from 09:30 to 15:00 on Tuesday to Saturday, and from 10:00 to 15:00 on Sunday and public holidays. A ticket for an adult cost 3€, and the museum offers free entry to students under 25 years old with a student ID.
Victory Arch, Museum of the Americas and Río Manzanares
On the way from metro station Moncloa to the Museum of the Americas is the Victory arch of Madrid, or also known as Moncloa Gate. The arch was built to commemorate the victory of Franco in the Spanish Civil War in the Battle of University City, and the architects were Modesto Lopez Otero and Pascual Bravo Sanfeliu.
Although the Victory arch is located in the middle of the highways, but is is right on the way from the metro station to the museum. Stopping for a moment and take a look at the triumphal arch built between the year 1950 to 1956 would take less than 10 minutes.
The Museum of the Americas isn’t close to the other famous museums like the Golden Triangle of Madrid, and is only available for morning and early afternoon visits. But they have a collection of items discovered over the land of America that makes paying it a visit worthwhile.
The history between Spain and America is interesting to learn about, and the best way to get a learn about what a period of history is by visiting a museum about it.
The Museum of the Americas is close to the Complutense University, and it is also nice to take a walk around the university. There are quite some grounds to walk around for a few hours after visiting the museum.
Río Manzanares, the river that crosses through Madrid, is also relatively close. On the river bank you would see people jogging, taking a walk or riding bicycles. The weather in Madrid is usually quite dry, so taking a walk besides a river is quite a nice way to end the day.
