Reina Sofia Museum Shop: all you need to know to enjoy it

Surely among the plans you are going to do in Madrid is to visit the Reina Sofia Museum, where you will find the great works of contemporary art. But there is also one of the most important and unique stores in the capital. Far from remaining as an establishment to buy souvenirs or gifts from the visit to the museum, this boutique wants to be a reference and a place to go to get exclusive pieces and designs.

Of course, in the Reina Sofia store you can find gifts such as postcards, but also more original objects such as lamps, prints or decorative items. Whatever you decide to buy, rest assured that the inspiration behind each object is a painting or a painter and that it has been created by current designers, so you'll be taking home something unique to remember your visit.

During your visit to the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid you will find two stores. One is in the Sabatini building, just to the left as you enter (in front of the room where you buy tickets), and the other is on the 1st floor of the Nouvel, specifically in the lobby next to the elevators before entering the exhibition hall.

Beyond the location of the two stores, there is little difference between them, as they both sell practically the same thing.

However, if you want to wait until the end of your visit to make your purchases, it is better to go to the store in the Sabatini building, since it is normal to leave the museum there. In addition, as it has a larger space, it usually has more products. On the other hand, it is located at the entrance of the museum and not inside, so you can access it without the museum entrance.

However, the store in the Nouvel building, being in the middle of the tour of the Reina Sofia, is usually quieter and there are not so many visitors shopping right at the end.

Be careful, if you are on a tight schedule, don't delay too long looking at the shelves; it is better to wait until you have finished seeing the entire collection and then make your purchases.

The Reina Sofia Museum is pure art, but its store is not short. Why? Because the aim has always been to turn it into a reference point for design and contemporary art. Therefore, in it you will not only find souvenirs such as mugs or T-shirts, but also unique objects of current designers.

Among the shelves of the Reina Sofia store you will not only find postcards of the most famous paintings of the museum, but also unique pieces of jewelry, prints or items to decorate your home. Of course, everything is inspired in some way by the collections exhibited there.

Exclusive designs

If you want to decorate your home with unique and artistic objects, you can not miss your visit to the Reina Sofia Museum. There you will find a large collection of utensils for your kitchen and home, such as salt shakers, whose practicality is joined by a tribute to an artist like Frida Kahlo or Picasso.

All these items are design and will make that, even if you can not take one of the paintings on display, you can incorporate a small work of art to your home decor.

Gifts for everyone

Art is part of culture, so if you want to take home a souvenir that shows that you have been in Madrid and specifically in the Reina Sofia, you will be spoilt for choice in their store. In addition, there is a variety of gifts for all ages.

Because the museum knows no age, if you have traveled to Madrid with children, surely they are eager to visit the Reina Sofia, sometimes a little boring for them, ending with a game as a souvenir that makes them at the same time appreciate the art they have seen.

Do not think that being a store in a museum you can only find the typical souvenirs, on the contrary! If you are looking for something more original as a gift, my advice is to take a good look at the designer jewelry section, you are sure to find something unique in this great art boutique.

In fact, all the jewelry on sale is signed by current artists who have looked at what others like Calder or Dalí did before. As you can imagine, the manufacturing materials are of high quality, so you are sure to succeed with your gift.

A souvenir of the great artists

As is logical, the objects that sell best are those that are inspired by the best paintings in the Reina Sofia Museum, as is the case of Picasso's Guernica. Of course, if you like other painters such as Dalí or Chillida, you will also be spoilt for choice.

All these authors, and the artistic styles they represent, are part of the general and permanent section of the store, so it is difficult to run out of stock.

If you feel like having a recreation of Guernica in puzzle format or even in a cushion, you can do it and take home an object that recreates one of the most famous works of art in history.

Unique creations from the temporary collections

Don't think that visiting the store once is enough; just as you should visit the Reina Sofía several times to see the temporary exhibitions, the same should be done in its boutiques. Why? Because with each new exhibition they launch collections of exclusive products inspired by it.

This is undoubtedly one of the great successes of the Reina Sofia store, which has a team of designers to develop the different pieces that, continuously or temporarily, they put on sale.

The best thing is that the store in the Sabatini building can be entered even if you are not going to go to the museum, so if you know that there is an exhibition of an artist that catches your attention or you like, you can see what designs they have created for the occasion.

After all, the Reina Sofia boutique wants to be much more than a souvenir store of a museum, thus becoming a reference to buy books or exclusive pieces related to art.

I'm not going to fool you, the most striking objects in the Reina Sofia Museum store usually have a high price, such as the abstract masks (approximately 200€). Still, don't worry, there are cheaper things, such as postcards (from 0.50€) or design pieces that cost about 10€ (such as mugs).

The most positive thing about the store is that the price range (between 1€ and 500€ approximately) allows anyone to take at least a souvenir of the Reina Sofia and all the art it contains. Please note that the price shown is the price you will pay, as there is no discount applicable for having purchased the museum ticket.

The Reina Sofia store has almost the same opening hours as the museum, although it closes a little earlier.

On Mondays and the days between Wednesday and Saturday it opens from 10 am until 8:45 pm, almost an hour before the general closing time (at 10 pm). On Sunday it is only open until lunchtime, at 14:30h, although the one in the Nouvel building extends the opening by 45 minutes, until 14:45h. Be careful, on Tuesday the museum is closed and the store is the same.

Haven't you had time to buy something? My advice is to check in advance the opening hours of the store, especially on which holidays the museum is closed.

If you still run out of time or there is something you would have liked to buy but there wasn't, you are in luck, because the store has an online version always available to buy a souvenir of the Reina Sofia wherever you are.

Don't feel like buying anything in the Reina Sofia store? No problem, although I assure you that there will be something that catches your eye. In any case, I do recommend you at least enter the space in the Sabatini building. Why? Because it is a very beautiful place thanks to the large windows that flood it with light.

The wonderful light that enters the store will make the pieces and designs sold there even more irresistible; especially on sunny days and just before closing, at dusk, there is a lighting that brings out the colors of each object.

Let's not forget that most of the products are inspired by works such as those of Miró, full of color, so the store becomes almost like another room in the museum that is worth visiting.

Even if there is no light, I consider that you lose nothing by taking a walk around the store. After all, they are great designers and artists who sign (and inspire) each of the pieces that are for sale. You're sure to like the lamps or the prints that reinvent famous paintings - they're all art!

As soon as you set foot in the Reina Sofia Museum store you'll want to take everything; that's the thing about all the designs that have a modern feel but at the same time are inspired by great contemporary classics.

So that you can make a good purchase and leave with a bag full of original souvenirs and not just simple souvenirs, I would like to share some tips with you:

• It is best to buy in the Sabatini building store; not only is it the largest and has the most things, but it is located just outside the museum, so you can buy once you have seen all the collections. This way, you can get a specific object inspired by your favorite painting or artist in the museum.
• If you want to buy a large decorative item, such as a lamp, I recommend taking a look at the physical store but order online; it will arrive quickly and easily at home and you will not have to carry the package during your trip.
• Don't just go for the "typical" stuff: Guernica-related products are the best sellers, but my advice is to take something more original, such as a design created as a result of a temporary exhibition or a book about art that is only sold there. Think that they are unique and you won't be able to find them anywhere else, while a Picasso postcard is.
• If for some reason you prefer to do your shopping before starting your visit to the museum, remember that you cannot bring bags or backpacks, so you will have to leave everything in one of the lockers at the entrance of the Reina Sofia.

Remember, your visit to the Reina Sofia is not over until you take a tour of the store. Let me know what you have bought!