Are you looking for the best museums in Rome, Italy, that you must visit on your next trip?
The Italian peninsula is a stunning destination with a wealth of historical sites, cultural activities, and tourist hotspots. Italy’s museums are among its most interesting attractions because of the variety of subjects that they cover, from art and history to science and technology to the natural world.
Several world-renowned museums in Italy showcase everything from ancient artifacts and archaeological finds to modern and contemporary works of art.
Italy’s museums provide a fascinating look into the country’s long and illustrious history and artistic and cultural traditions. They offer tourists an insight into the intellectual and creative achievements that the nation has made for the rest of the world.
The landscape of museums in Italy is extensive and varied, and the country is home to several institutions recognized on a global scale. Many of the best museums in Italy are in the capital, Rome.
Rome is home to a few of the most prestigious museums in the country. It offers visitors a wide range of museums to choose from, many of which are among the best in the world and collectively pull in millions of tourists annually.
ALSO READ: • 11 Best Free Museums in Italy • 13 Best Car Museums in Italy To Visit
Check out this overview of some of Rome’s most impressive museums.
10 Best Museums in Rome, Italy
Let’s jump into our list of the top 10 best museums in Rome, Italy.
1. MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts
Rome, Italy, is home to the MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts. Temporary exhibitions change throughout the year, but the MAXXI always has a permanent collection that features works by Italian and international artists like Francesco Vezzoli, Anish Kapoor, and William Kentridge.
The MAXXI museum displays various contemporary artworks, including paintings, sculptures, installations, and multimedia pieces.
It was designed by the award-winning architect Zaha Hadid in 2010 and opened to the public that year. Modern and contemporary art from Italy, especially from the 1960s to the present day, makes up the bulk of the museum’s collection concentration.
Because of its forward-thinking design, emphasis on modern and contemporary art, and exciting exhibitions, MAXXI has quickly become one of Rome’s most revered cultural institutions.
Location: Via Guido Reni, 4a, 00196 Roma RM, Italy Opening Hours: 11:00 am - 7:00 pm daily, closed on Mondays Ticket Prices: Regular ticket rates cost €12, €9 for family, and free for children up to 13 years of age
2. National Roman Museum
The National Roman Museum, or Museo Nazionale Romano in Italian, is a collection of four museums in Rome, Italy, that focus on ancient Rome’s art, history, and culture.
The museums are spread across four locations: the Baths of Diocletian, the Crypta Balbi, the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, and the Palace Altemps. Ancient items, including sculptures, mosaics, frescoes, jewelry, coins, and inscriptions, can be found in the museum’s collection.
Frescoes from the Villa of Livia, the Portonaccio sarcophagus, the Barberini ivory, and the iconic Discus Thrower (Discobolus) sculpture are just a few of the highlights of the museum’s collection. The collections provide an in-depth study of the development of Roman art and culture from pre-Roman times until the end of the imperial era.
Seeing the museums is a must on any trip to Rome because of the wealth of information on Roman history, culture, and religion they contain.
Locations: Baths of Diocletian Viale Enrico de Nicola, 78, 00185 Roma RM, Italy Crypta Balbi Via delle Botteghe Oscure, 31, 00186 Roma RM, Italy Palazzo Massimo alle Terme Largo di Villa Peretti, 2, 00185 Roma RM, Italy Palace Altemps Piazza di Sant'Apollinare, 46, 00186 Roma RM, Italy Opening Hours: 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, closed on Mondays Ticket Prices: Combined ticket plus Rome map costs €12, €8 for EU citizens from 18 to 25 years old, and free for children under 18 years of age
3. Vatican Museums
Inside the confines of the Vatican City in Rome, Italy, is a collection of museums known collectively as the Vatican Museums.
The museums house one of the world’s largest and most important collections of art, from antiquity to today.
The museum’s Renaissance and Baroque collections are its claim to fame, with works by such artists as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Botticelli. The collection’s masterpiece is Michelangelo’s ceiling fresco in the Sistine Chapel.
Although receiving millions of visitors annually, the Vatican Museums’ extensive collection makes it impossible to see everything in one sitting. The Pio Clementino Museum, the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, and the Gallery of Maps are only a few of the institutions’ many exhibit halls.
It is recommended that visitors allocate at least half a day to the Vatican Museums to take in the scope and significance of the collection completely.
Location: 00120 Vatican City Opening Hours: 8:30 am - 6:30 pm, Monday - Thursday / 8:30 am - 10:30 pm, Friday & Saturday) / closed on Sundays Ticket Prices: Full entry tickets cost €17; €8 for pilgrims without online booking and €13 with "Skip the Line" booking via Vatican Museums official website
4. Capitoline Museums
Capitoline Museums, or the Musei Capitolini, is a group of museums and archaeological sites located on Capitoline Hill in Rome.
These museums, founded by Pope Sixtus IV in 1471, are often regarded as the earliest public museums in the world.
The Capitoline Wolf, a bronze statue depicting a she-wolf nursing Rome’s legendary founders, Romulus and Remus, and the classic equestrian figure of Marcus Aurelius are two of the most well-known pieces in the collection.
Museums also house extensive collections of old Roman inscriptions and coinage, which provide rare insight into Roman culture and religion. Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, both originally constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries, are just two of the historic structures that make up the Capitoline Museums.
Everyone with even a passing interest in ancient Roman art and history owes it to themselves to take advantage of the museums’ offerings and see some of the world’s most significant works of art in the flesh.
Location: Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy Opening Hours: 9:30 am - 7:30 pm daily Ticket Prices: Regular tickets cost 11 euros, with exhibition 25 euros, free entrance for children up to 6 years of age
5. Galleria Borghese
One of Rome’s most popular attractions is the Galleria Borghese, an art museum. The museum is in the famous Villa Borghese, located in an expansive park in the heart of Rome.
Artworks from renowned artists like Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Caravaggio, and Raphael are featured in the collection. Bernini’s sculpture of Apollo and Daphne and Caravaggio’s Child with a Basket of Fruit are two of the museum’s most famous pieces.
Some of the world’s most impressive Renaissance and Baroque artworks can be seen in the Galleria Borghese. The museum’s collection is small enough to be seen in a single visit, making it an excellent option for a half-day excursion in Rome.
Tickets should be purchased in advance to prevent waiting in long queues and to guarantee entrance to the museum because of its popularity.
Location: Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5, 00197 Roma RM, Italy Opening Hours: 9:00 am - 7:00 pm daily, except Thursdays (open until 9:00 pm); closed on Mondays Ticket Prices: €25 for adults and €6 for children 6 – 17 years of age
6. Centrale Montemartini
You’ll find the Centrale Montemartini in Rome, a museum dedicated to the art of the ancient Romans. The museum is housed in a former power station that was built in the early 20th century and decommissioned in the 1960s.
Due to a lack of storage space, the Capitoline Museums’ collection was temporarily relocated to Centrale Montemartini.
The collection features several fascinating works, such as a mosaic depicting the four seasons and a nearly life-size Roman emperor Hadrian statue. Contrasting the ancient sculptures and artifacts with the modern industrial machinery at the Centrale Montemartini is one of the building’s most distinctive aspects.
The museum offers a fresh look at Roman civilization, a must-see for history, art, and architectural buffs.
Location: Via Ostiense, 106, 00154 Roma RM, Italy Opening Hours: 9:00 am - 7:00 pm daily, closed on Mondays Ticket Prices: €10 (€9 for Rome residents)
7. Castel Sant’Angelo
Rome is home to the medieval castle of Castel Sant’Angelo, which overlooks the Tiber River.
Formerly a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the building was later converted into a castle and used as a papal residence and military stronghold. Sculptures and antiquities from ancient Rome share space with Renaissance artworks and weaponry from the museum’s armory.
Castel Sant ‘Angelo’s panoramic terrace is one of the city’s most spectacular attractions, as it provides breathtaking views of the Vatican and the Colosseum, and the rest of Rome’s ancient city center.
Given its lengthy and varied history, the stronghold is an excellent window into Rome’s shifting political and cultural landscape. Prison cells and papal residences are just two of the many rooms and chambers open to visitors within the fortress.
Location: Lungotevere Castello, 50, 00193 Roma RM, Italy Opening Hours: 9:00 am - 7:30 pm daily, closed on Mondays Ticket Prices: from €17.50
8. Museo Napoleonico
Located in Rome, Italy, is the Museo Napoleonico, an establishment that preserves and presents the history of Napoleon Bonaparte.
The museum is housed in the Palazzo Primoli, a historic building in the city’s center that was once the residence of Napoleon’s mother, Letizia Ramolino.
The museum’s collection showcases numerous relics from Napoleon’s life and military career, such as his personal effects, clothes, and weapons.
Among the collection’s highlights are Napoleon’s ceremonial sword, a collection of his correspondence, and a wax copy of the emperor’s likeness.
When in Rome, visit the Museo Napoleonico, a must-see for anybody curious about the man and his legacy. The museum gives visitors an inside look at the lavish lifestyle of the Bonaparte family and a fresh understanding of one of Europe’s most significant historical personalities.
Location: Piazza di Ponte Umberto I, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy Opening Hours: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, closed on Mondays Ticket Prices: free
Check out our post on the best free museums in Rome for more.
9. Museo dell’Ara Pacis
Museo dell’Ara Pacis (Ara Pacis Museum) is a cutting-edge museum in Rome, Italy, housing the monumental Ara Pacis Augustae, a temple to the Roman goddess Pax.
Augustus, Emperor of Rome, commissioned the altar in 13 BC, and it was first installed on Campus Martius. A permanent structure to hold the Ara Pacis Augustae was completed in the 20th century, even though it was discovered in the 16th.
The museum, designed by Richard Meier and inaugurated in 2006, sits on the banks of the Tiber River in the city’s historic center.
Apart from the Ara Pacis (“Altar of Peace”), the museum houses a wide variety of objects and displays linked to the altar and the period in which it was built.
The Ara Pacis Museum stands out for its innovative natural light and spare aesthetic utilization. Its white marble façade and expansive windows provide stunning views of the Tiber River and Rome’s urban landscape.
Location: Lungotevere in Augusta, 00186 Roma RM, Italy Opening Hours: 9:30 am - 7:30 pm daily Ticket Prices: from €8.50 to €10.50 (€7.50 to €9.50 for Rome residents)
10. Museum Nazionale Etrusci di Villa Giulia
Artifacts from the Etruscan culture are shown in the Museum Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia in Rome.
The museum is set in a mansion built in the 16th century near the Borghese Gardens in the city’s north.
The Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia displays numerous examples of Etruscan decorative arts, including sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, and other objects.
One of the most notable pieces is the “Sarcophagus of the Spouses,” a large terracotta tomb depicting a reclining couple. This piece is often considered among the finest examples of Etruscan painting due to its meticulous detail and believable depiction of its figures.
Together with artifacts from ancient Etruria, the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia houses a collection of ancient Roman artifacts, including sculptures and decorative arts from the Republican and Imperial periods.
Location: Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9, 00196 Roma RM, Italy Opening Hours: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm daily, closed on Mondays Ticket Prices: €10