Alcobendas, a town just north of Madrid, has almost no historic centre, so its handful of sights reward a targeted half day rather than a wander. The MUNCYT science museum is free, the Museo Bonsái Luis Vallejo charges 5 euros, and the Parque Forestal Princesa Leonor opened on 15 September 2026. The museums are on metro line 10, with a change at Tres Olivos and a 3-euro combined ticket. The best-placed stop is Marqués de la Valdavia, 645 metres from the MUNCYT and 96 metres from the Parque de Cataluña.
Is Alcobendas worth a trip from Madrid? For a half day, yes, if the plan suits you: Alcobendas has a free science museum, the MUNCYT, a 5-euro bonsai museum beside a Japanese garden, ten open-air sculptures by artists such as Jaume Plensa and Sol LeWitt, and a new 26-hectare forest park best reached by Cercanías. It has no historic centre, and both museums close on Mondays.
- Free: MUNCYT, parks and the sculpture trail.
- Paid: bonsai museum, 5 euros; planetarium, 3 euros.
- Avoid: Mondays, and the bonsai museum in July and August.
- Metro: line 10, change at Tres Olivos.
Which metro stop for which sight?
Line 10 runs through Alcobendas with three useful stops, and picking the right one saves a long walk. The distances below are walking routes measured on the street network.
| Sight | Nearest stop | Walk |
|---|---|---|
| Parque de Cataluña | Marqués de la Valdavia (L10) | 96 m |
| MUNCYT science museum | Marqués de la Valdavia (L10) | 645 m |
| Centro de Arte Alcobendas | Marqués de la Valdavia (L10) | 778 m |
| Museo Bonsái Luis Vallejo | La Moraleja (L10) | 820 m |
| Teatro Auditorio | Manuel de Falla (L10) | 637 m |
| Parque Forestal Princesa Leonor | Valdelasfuentes (Cercanías C-4) | 1,377 m |
From central Madrid, ride line 10 to Tres Olivos and change to the northern branch. The combined ticket to zone B1 is 3 euros; the guide to Madrid metro ticket prices explains when a pass beats single tickets.
What is open in Alcobendas on a Monday?
The two museums most visitors come for, the MUNCYT and the bonsai museum, both close every Monday. On a Sunday afternoon only the MUNCYT is open, until 18:00, because the bonsai museum shuts at 14:00.
If Monday is your only day, the Centro de Arte Alcobendas galleries open 11:00-21:00, and Est_ArtSpace, an urban-art space at calle La Granja 4, opens 10:00-19:00. Tuesday to Saturday is the easy window: the MUNCYT opens at 10:00, and on Saturdays the bonsai museum adds an afternoon slot from 16:00 to 18:00.
Is the bonsai museum worth 5 euros?
The Museo Bonsái Luis Vallejo is a museum devoted entirely to bonsai trees. Entry is 5 euros, or 3 euros for children aged 5 to 15, seniors and disabled visitors, and it opens 10:00-14:00 Tuesday to Thursday and Sundays, plus 16:00-18:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays.
Two closures catch visitors out: the museum shuts for all of July and August, and on 24, 25, 30 and 31 December and 1 and 6 January. It sits beside the Jardín de la Vega on Avenida Olímpica, whose Japanese garden and greenhouse open seasonally on their own timetable, so check with the town hall before planning around them.
Is the MUNCYT science museum free?
The MUNCYT Alcobendas, Spain’s national science and technology museum, has free entry to all its exhibitions and a 3-euro planetarium; session times and age limits are in our MUNCYT Alcobendas guide. Closing time is 17:00 on weekdays and 18:00 at weekends.
Art lovers should follow Arte en la Ciudad, a public-sculpture programme the town began in 2003. It has ten permanent works, among them Jaume Plensa’s El corazón de los árboles (2009), Manolo Valdés’s Reina Mariana and Sol LeWitt’s Curved Wall, and the Centro de Arte publishes a map and a cycling route. For Madrid’s own free collections, see the free museums in Madrid.
Are the slides at the new forest park open?
The Parque Forestal Princesa Leonor opened in September 2026 on a former landfill: 26 hectares, more than 3,000 trees, nine Mediterranean habitats and a 2.5 km step-free path with gradients under 6 percent. From the top you see the Guadarrama mountains and the Madrid skyline. The Peque Bosque playground, about 700 square metres, is the biggest in town.
One thing parents should know: in early October 2026 the town sealed off the playground’s two main slides after several children were cut and bruised, and no reopening date has been given. The nearest station is Cercanías Valdelasfuentes, 1,377 metres away; from Manuel de Falla metro it is 1,703 metres. For other big play areas, Madrid with kids, what is free lists the city’s options.
Where to shop, see a film or catch a show?
La Moraleja Green, at Avenida de Europa 13, is the town’s shopping centre, with a Cinesa Luxe cinema. Parking is free for 2 hours on weekdays, 3 hours with a cinema ticket, and all weekend from Friday at 16:00. The bigger mall nearby, Plaza Norte 2, is actually in San Sebastián de los Reyes; see our Plaza Norte 2 guide.
The Teatro Auditorio Ciudad de Alcobendas, at calle Blas de Otero 4, sells tickets at its box office Tuesday to Friday from 18:00 to 20:00 and an hour before each show; babies need a ticket even without a seat. On Sundays from 11:00 to 13:30, families with children up to 12 can join the free Patrulla Peque Parques workshops in a town park, no booking needed.
Can you combine it with San Sebastián de los Reyes?
Next-door San Sebastián de los Reyes shares a Cercanías station with Alcobendas and has a traditional old centre; things to do in San Sebastián de los Reyes covers it.
In December, add Christmas in Alcobendas, with its ice rink and Christmas train, and if the weather turns, what to do in Madrid on a rainy day has indoor back-ups.
Each plan has its own guide: Alcobendas with kids, the Monday street market, Alcobendas swimming pools, bars in Alcobendas, La Moraleja Green and how to get to Alcobendas.
Questions about visiting Alcobendas
Is Alcobendas worth visiting from Madrid?
It is worth half a day if you like science, bonsai or public sculpture. The MUNCYT science museum is free, the Luis Vallejo bonsai museum costs 5 euros, and ten permanent sculptures sit in its streets and parks. It has no historic old town, so do not expect a Toledo-style day trip.
How do I get to Alcobendas from central Madrid?
Take metro line 10 north and change at Tres Olivos. Marqués de la Valdavia is the stop for the town centre and the MUNCYT, and La Moraleja for the bonsai museum. The combined metro ticket to zone B1 costs 3 euros. Cercanías line C-4 also stops at Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes and Valdelasfuentes.
What is open in Alcobendas on a Monday?
The MUNCYT and the bonsai museum are both closed on Mondays. The galleries of the Centro de Arte Alcobendas open from 11:00 to 21:00 and Est_ArtSpace from 10:00 to 19:00, and the parks and sculpture trail are open-air.
When is the Alcobendas bonsai museum closed?
Every Monday, all of July and August, on 24, 25, 30 and 31 December and on 1 and 6 January. Otherwise it opens 10:00 to 14:00, with an extra 16:00 to 18:00 slot on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. Entry is 5 euros, or 3 euros for children aged 5 to 15 and seniors.
Go midweek, start at the bonsai museum, finish at the MUNCYT.