Activities for the Tercentenary of La Granja de San Ildefonso

During this year 2024, different activities will be organized as part of the celebration of the Tercentenary of La Granja de San Ildefonso. All tickets will be free of charge with a maximum of 2 per buyer.

Guided Visits in the Gardens

1 - "The Secret of the Fountains": Hydraulic System

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: April 19 and 26 and May 3
• Time: 11:00h
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 2h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 30 pax per session
• Activity - Guided Visit in the Gardens
  • Tour of the hydraulic system of the springs
  • Visit to the booth with historical manipulation instruments
  • Visit to the back of the fountain of the Baths of Diana
  • Historical and technical explanation of the hydraulic system and the operating instruments

2 - "The Gardens of La Granja": historical recovery

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: May 28 and October 11
• Time: 11:00h
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 2h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 30 pax per session
• Activity - Guided Visit in the Gardens
  • Tour of La Granja gardens
  • Historical and technical explanation by two greatgarden specialists; the current head of the garden department and the former head (now retired)

3 - A walk with the caretaker and the elderly gardener: "Day to day life of the gardens"

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: September 27
• Time: 11:00h
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 2h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 30 pax per session
• Activity - Guided Visit in the Gardens
  • Visit to the garden management facilities. Tour of the gardens including reserved lots
  • Explanation: The day-to-day life of the gardens from the point of view of the senior gardener (fauna) and the senior gardener (flora)

4 - Fish farm

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Every Thursday from June 13th to September 26th
• Time: 18:00h
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 2h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 30 pax per session
• Activity - Guided Visit in the Gardens
  • Visit to the fish farm and outside installations
  • importance of the first fish farm built in Spain. Its use to repopulate the rivers of the current Sierra de Guadarrama National Park with trout. Relevance of the naturalist Mariano de la Paz Graells father of ichthyology and author of the project of this fish farm

Guided Visits at the Palace

1 - Attics of the Palace and its Clock Tower

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Saturdays from May 18 to October 12 (included)
• Time: 10:30 a.m.
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 15 pax per session
• Activity: Guided Visit in Palace
  • The palace nucleus in 1724
  • The king's drawings
  • Life in the palace beyond the royal chambers
  • The passage of time in the palace: the seasons (from the terrace) and the tower clock
  • Tour of areas of the palace that are usually closed to public visitation

2 - Tapestries: "The Apocalypse of Philip II"

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Sundays from May 19 to October 13 (included)
• Time: 12:00 h
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 15 pax per session
• Activity - Guided Visit in the Palace
  • Detailed visit to the tapestry museum and especially to the series that is not visited by the public

Explanatory visits: "Palace Jewels"

1 - Painting

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Friday May 17
• Time: 11:00 a.m.
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 20 pax per session
• Activity - Explanatory visits: "Palace Jewels"
  • Tour of the painting collections of Philip V and Isabella of Farnese on display on the main floor
  • Enhancement of the collection of paintings on display and the conservation of PN
  • Explanation of the latest museographic adjustments

2 - Tapestries

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Friday May 24
• Time: 11:00 a.m.
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 20 pax per session
• Activity - Explanatory visits: "Palace Jewels"
  • Tour of the tapestry museum rooms open to the public
  • Enhancing the value of the tapestry collection and conservation of NP

3 - Palace

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Friday May 31
• Time: 11:00 a.m.
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 20 pax per session
• Activity - Explanatory visits: "Palace Jewels"
  • Tour of the museum rooms, historical and artistic tour

4 - In the Watchmaker's workshop

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Tuesday June 4
• Time: 11:00 a.m.
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 15 pax per session
• Activity - Explanatory visits: "Palace Jewels"
  • A brief tour of the clock collection on the main floor
  • Visit to the delegation's watchmaking workshop
  • Enhancing the value of the watch collection and the conservation work of PN

5 - Furniture

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Friday June 7
• Time: 11:00 a.m.
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 20 pax per session
• Activity - Explanatory visits: "Palace Jewels"
  • A tour of the main floor furniture collection
  • Enhancing the value of the furniture on display and of NP conservation work

6 - Sculpture

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Friday June 14
• Time: 11:00 a.m.
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 20 pax per session
• Activity - Explanatory visits: "Palace Jewels"
  • Tour of the collection of casts on the first floor
  • The sculpture collections of hilip V and Isabella of Farnese for the decorative project of La Granja
  • Enhancement of the collection of sculpture casts and of PN's conservation work

7 - Porcelain

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Friday June 21
• Time: 11:00 a.m.
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 20 pax per session
• Activity - Explanatory visits: "Palace Jewels"
  • A tour of the porcelain collection on the main floor

8 - Watches

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Friday June 28
• Time: 11:00 a.m.
• Admission fee: free
• Maximum 2 tickets per purchase
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: 20 pax per session
• Activity - Explanatory visits: "Palace Jewels"
  • Tour of the collection of clocks exhibited in the museum's halls
  • Enhancing the value of the watch collection and conservation of NPs

Sunset at the Palace

Important: To be purchased at the ticket office on the day of the event during free admission hours.

• Venue: La Granja de San Ildefonso
• Date: Wednesdays from May 15 to October 9 (included)
• Time: 17:00 h
• Admission fee: free (purchasable only in box office)
• Duration: 1h 30' maximum
• Capacity: no limit
• Activity - Sunset at the Palace
  • Usual route through the main floor with the shutters open emphasizing the union palace/gardens. The main balcony of the bedroom would be opened allowing to look out
  • Exceptional enjoyment of the garden from the palace usually impossible for conservation reasons.

Important: It can only be purchased at the box office on the day of the event during the free opening hours.