It’s hard to picture, but the fabulous Reina Sofia National Art Museum in Madrid was once a general hospital. Constructed by 18^th-century architect Francesco Sabatini under the direction of Charles III, the structure ranks as one of the world’s largest contemporary art museums, housing a breathtaking permanent collection that includes Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Nonell, Anglada Camarasa, Solana and María Blanchard. Picasso’s “Guernica,” widely regarded as one of the artist’s masterpieces, is one of the works on permanent display.

Enlarged in 2005 with new exhibition spaces, the museum spans three separate buildings with a humanities library and two auditoriums that seat 200 and 500, respectively. Works by new and emerging artists can be enjoyed in the Espacio UNO area on the ground floor of the main building.

Temporary exhibitions are displayed in the museum’s Velázquez Palace and Crystal Palace, including “Dorothea Tanning Behind the Door, Another Invisible Door,” on view until Jan. 7, 2019. Regarded as one of the most important and multitalented artists of the 20^th century, Tanning tells highly personal stories through her paintings, drawings and also through the costumes and set designs she’s produced for ballets. Her often fantastical creations are arranged in a series of themed spaces, each of which examines a different artistic period in her career.