For the third consecutive year, the Madrid City Council and the Casa de México Foundation in Spain have collaborated on the installation of three municipal altars at different locations throughout the capital to celebrate the Day of the Dead.
Although the most famous Day of the Dead altar in Madrid is probably the one at the Casa de México headquarters, there are four others in total that can be visited for free, each offering a different way to reconnect with those who are no longer with us “through joy, affection, and remembrance,” as the foundation explains.
Where are the Day of the Dead altars that can be visited in Madrid?
Crystal Palace in Arganzuela
According to the Casa de México Foundation, the Day of the Dead altar set up in the Greenhouse of the Palacio de Cristal in Arganzuela “is dedicated to distinguished Spanish botanists and draws inspiration from the Mesoamerican conception of the universe to create a space where memory, nature, and connection come together.”
This Day of the Dead altar is the work of the Señoritos Creativos studio and will remain open to the public free of charge until November 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday. It is located at Paseo de la Chopera, 10 (Arganzuela).
Montaña de los Gatos in El Retiro
The interior of the Montaña de los Gatos, in El Retiro Park, houses another of the capital’s municipal Day of the Dead altars. The tunnel that runs through the mountain leads visitors (symbolically) to Mictlán, the underworld of Mexica and Nahua mythology.
This altar will also be open to visitors until November 2 and is free to the public Monday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Specifically, it is located at Paseo de Fernán Núñez, 30 (Retiro).
CentroCentro Operations Courtyard at Cibeles
Silver and white are the dominant colors at the altar in the Patio de Operaciones at CentroCentro, created by Guillermo González. This installation, located in the Cibeles Palace, will also be open to visitors through November 2, Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Plaza de Cibeles, 1 (Retiro).
Fernán Gómez Theater
The Fernán Gómez Theater and Cultural Center has also set up its own Day of the Dead altar for the seventh consecutive year. This time, the altar aims to serve as a place of “poetic encounter between the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead and the memory of the Generation of ’27” (which celebrates its centennial next year), including the Sinsombrero group, whose members include Maruja Mallo, María Zambrano, and Rosa Chacel.
No prior registration is required to visit the Day of the Dead altar at the Fernán Gómez Theater. Although admission is free, the theater recommends that group visits take place preferably on weekdays and before 6:00 p.m. In any case, the altar will be open for visits until November 8, Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Plaza de Colón, 4 (Salamanca).
Casa de México Foundation
We’ll end with the best-known one: the altar at the Casa de México Foundation, dedicated to Mexican singer Agustín Lara (known as “el flaco de oro”) and inspired by the cemeteries of the state of Michoacán. This is the ninth edition of the foundation’s now-traditional Day of the Dead altar in Madrid.
This one can be visited until November 8 at Calle de Alberto Aguilera, 20 (Chamberí). Although reserved tickets are already sold out, it can also be visited for free during open-access hours without a prior reservation, as long as capacity has not been reached. The open-access hours are:
- Monday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
- Tuesday through Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
- Saturdays and Sundays: 10:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
You can also participate in guided tours lasting approximately 20 minutes without a reservation by joining the line set aside for visitors without reservations (though, again, this depends on capacity). The schedule for guided tours is:
- Tuesday through Friday: 2:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Saturdays: 1:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Sundays: 1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.