Great news from Spain, via the New York Times: The Prado in Madrid announced today that it is planning to increase its hours and will remain open seven days a week.
The museum, which has a general entry fee of about $14, will remain open even on Good Friday (when it has traditionally been closed), and it will be closed only three days a year: January 1, May 1 and December 25.) Prado officials said the decision was part of a plan to make more money from entry fees, with a goal of eventually generating 60 percent of its operating budget through such fees and other income to help offset reductions in government support as European economies sputter.
The expanded hours begin November 8 for galleries housing a special exhibition, “The Hermitage in the Prado,” and January 16 for the museum’s permanent collection, which includes such iconic works as Velazquez's Las Meninas (right).