Museums can be kid friendly. Not just the museums designed for children, but also the classics. All you have to do is find the right angle to make these museums come alive in the eyes of children.
The main cities of Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan) all have great museums that should not be missed when you are traveling with your children. Be it the Borghese Gallery in Rome, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence or the Galleria Dell’Academia in Venice, there’s always something amazing for children there.
With the help of expert guides who know how to keep all children from toddlers to teenagers entertained, your children will learn as much as they will have fun! And you get to see some great things in these museums without having to worry about a thing. Everyone will have a great time.
So when traveling to Italy with your kids, take a big bite of all that amazing culture and art that surrounds you. Bringing your children to these great, family-friendly museum and you will spend a great family bonding moment. Guaranteed!
Explora Children’s Museum – dedicated to kids (Rome)
If you really want to bring your children to a museum dedicated to them, then head out to Explora. Located just a stone’s throw away to the north of the famous Piazza del Popolo in Rome, this 100% kid-friendly museum offers a variety of hands-on activities. The museum also offers a lot of different activities for all ages, ranging from play groups focused on art and science for toddlers to a miniature replica of a city for children aged 12 or younger. This mini city includes a bank, a fire department, a supermarket, a bank, and your children will be able to pretend they are adults for a few hours. Ask if the activities are in Italian or English at the front desk.
Address: Via Flaminia, 80/86, 00196 Roma
Nearest subway station: Lepanto or Spagna
Price: €5 for babies from 12 to 36 months, 8€ for kids from 3 years old and adults
Opening Hours: Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 to 11:45AM, 12 to 1:45PM, 3 to 4:45PM and 5 to 6:45PM. Closed on Monday
Website: https://www.mdbr.it/en/
Borghese Gallery – beautiful and kid-friendly (ROME)
The Borghese Galley, which was once the private villa of the famous art collector Cardinal Borghese (1579-1633) is now one of Rome’s most precious museums. Cardinal Borghese was a lucrative art collector and his visions for his personal palace were… luxurious. The villa once welcomed the Cardinal’s lavish art collection (and elite social parties). Today, it is the home of some of the most precious works of Renaissance and Baroque art in the world, with works of Raphael, Caravaggio and Correggio. Thanks to the fun facts and stories of our special guides, as well as an entertaining game booklet, the Borghese Galley is truly a sight to see when traveling to Rome with kids.
Book your family-friendly tour of the Borghese Gallery with Family Twist now.
Address: Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5, 00197 Roma
Nearest subway station: Spagna
Price: €20 for adults. Free for children under 18 years old
Opening Hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 9AM to 7PM. Closed on Monday
Website: http://www.galleriaborghese.it/eng/galleriaBorghese.html
Vatican museum – a kid-friendly museum in the smallest country (ROME)
The Vatican Museum is one of the highlights of the smallest country in the world. Set in a maze of galleries and rooms, this world famous museum houses an impressive collection of Egyptian relics, Renaissance paintings, Greek and Roman sculptures and busts, Etruscan artifacts, old maps of the world and many more fascinating curiosities. You’ll even get to see the collection of Pope mobiles (vehicles used by the pope), from the middle ages to today. The visit ends with 2 jaw dropping highlights: the Sistine Chapel (with the paintings of Michelangelo) and the massive Saint Peter’s Basilica.
Address: Viale Vaticano, 00165 Roma
Nearest subway station: Ottaviano-Musei Vaticani
Price: €16 for adults, €8 for children
Opening Hours: From Monday to Saturday (9:00am-6:00pm), last entry is 2 hours before closure time
Website: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html
Castel Sant’Angelo – A prison turned into a kid-friendly museum (ROME)
The Castel Sant’Angelo (“Castle of the Holy Angel”), built between 134 and 139 AD, is a cylindrical fortress with almost 2,000 years of fascinating history. And this fortress has a lot of stories to tell to curious children. Discover this massive monument and learn about how it went from a mausoleum to a Popes’ fortress to an intimidating prison… There is no doubt that the stories of executions or secret passageways will keep everyone excited. It was even used in Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons novel… But the highlight lies at the top of the iconic monument. The top floor terrace offers an amazing panoramic view of Rome!
To make it extra special for children, book our Castel Sant’Angelo tour. The game booklets and private guide will definitely keep your whole family engaged.
Address: Lungotevere Castello, 50, 00193 Roma, Italy
Nearest subway station: Lepanto or Ottaviano
Price: €10 for adults, free for children under 18
Opening Hours: Every day from 9AM to 7:30PM
Website: http://www.castelsantangelo.com/ (only in Italian)
Uffizi Gallery – Boticelli, Da Vinci or Michelangelo for kids (FLORENCE)
The iconic Uffizi Gallery in Florence is one of the world’s oldest and most famous art museums in the world. By the looks of this small description, it doesn’t sound very child friendly… Think again! When done the proper way, it becomes a real educational playground for the young ones. Not only will your family get a chance to discover iconic works of art by masters such as Boticelli, Da Vinci or Michelangelo, but you will have a lot of fun doing so. With a professional guide and engaging game booklets, let the magic and beauty of the Uffizi Gallery come to life. An experience no one will ever forget!
Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze, Italy
Price: €18.50 for adults, free for children under 18
Opening Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday, from 8:15AM to 6:50PM. Closed on Monday
Website: http://www.uffizi.org/
Museo Galileo – Walking among the stars (FLORENCE)
Ask your children if they would like to walk in the shoes of one of the most famous astronomers in the world, and you’ll see a twinkle in their eye. Not surprising, as every child dreams of stars, planets, the moon and the universe! What Galileo brought to the world of science is immense. Not only did he fight to tell the world that the Earth and planets revolved around the Sun, but he also contributed to numerous astronomical discoveries. A classic visit to the Museo Galileo is already great, but our Galileo and the Stars tour will take the excitement, discovery and fun one step further. The museum is home to one of the biggest collections of scientific instruments in the world. From telescopes and thermometers to huge globes and mathematical objects, you and your children will bathe in the fascinating world of astronomical discoveries and inventions.
Address: Piazza dei Giudici, 1, 50122 Firenze
Price: €22 for a Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children under 18), €9 for adults, €5.50 for children 6-18 years, free for children under 6
Opening Hours: Every day from 9:30AM to 6PM except Tuesdays from 9:30AM to 1PM
Website: http://www.museogalileo.it/en/index.html
La Specola – a kid-friendly Natural History Museum (FLORENCE)
Welcome to the oldest scientific museum of Europe. Florence’s Museum of Zoology and Natural History, best know as La Specola (“observatory” in Italian) is not only a fascinating museum for children and parents, but it is also a historical one, with parts of its collection dating back to the 17th century and the Medici Family. Opened in 1775, it was the first and only scientific museum where the public could admire natural curiosities such as stuffed animals, minerals, plants and fossils. Today, you will find zoological subjects (like a 17th century hippopotamus help as a pet by the Medici Family or the skeleton of Hansken, the famous circus elephant of the 17th century), as well as a collection of anatomical waxes.
Address: Via Romana, 17, 50125 Firenze
Price: Free
Opening Hours: Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30AM to 5:30PM
Website: http://www.msn.unifi.it/en/
Stibbert Museum – Armors and other family-friendly curiosities (FLORENCE)
If you want to see a vast collection of armors from Eastern and Western civilizations, this is the place to bring your family to. This curious museums was founded in the late 19th century by Frederick Stibbert. He inherited a great fortune and dedicated his life to collecting objects, antiques and artifacts. You and your children will surely be fascinated by the beautiful cavalcade room, an immense hall filled with 14 knights on horses and 14 foot-soldiers dressed in armor and holding weapons! The collection of Samurai swords and armors is also very unique and impressive.
Address: Via di Montughi, 9, 50139 Firenze
Price: €8 for adults, €6 for children between 3-18, free for children under 3
Opening Hours: Monday through Wednesday from 10AM to 2PM, Friday through Sunday from 10AM to 6PM, closed on Thursday
Website: http://www.museostibbert.it/en
Da Vinci Museum – Interactive machines in a family-friendly museum (FLORENCE)
Another iconic Italian figure in the history of science and art is Leonardo Da Vinci. And the museum dedicated to this world famous inventor and painter is not to be missed when traveling to Florence with kids. This family-friendly museum will take you among Da Vinci’s great inventions, from flying machines and artillery machines to complex mechanisms and hydraulics. What is great about this museum is that the interactivity of the machines play an important role in the fact that this museums is a great place to bring your children to. Fascinating, fun and very instructive!
Address: Via dei Servi, 66/68R, 50122 Firenze
Price: €7 for adults and €6 for children between 6 and 18. Free for kids younger than 6 years old
Opening Hours: Open every day from 10AM to 7PM
Website: http://www.museoleonardodavincifirenze.com/
Palazzo Vecchio – An old palace for young children (FLORENCE)
A visit to the Palazzio Vecchio (“old palace”) is a journey through time… This iconic monument located in the heart of Florence has been dominating the city’s skyline ever since it was built in the 14th century. Discovering how an ancient Roman ruin was transformed into a might fortress used to protect the city from possible enemy invasions, and how parts of it were transformed into beautiful Renaissance chambers is a real treat for everyone thanks to the interesting objects displayed there.
To make it extra engaging for children, book our Mysteries of the Palazzo Vecchio tour. Accompanied by a professional and experienced private guide, you and your children will hear about all the fun-facts and stories that characterize this “old palace”. And it even comes with an entertaining game booklet!
Address: Piazza della Signoria, 50122 Firenze
Price: Museum + tower is €14 for adults and €12 for children.
Opening Hours: Every day from 9AM to 11PM. Closes at 2PM on Thrusdays
Gallerie Dell’Accademia – Venetian art made fun for children(VENICE)
The Gallerie Dell’Accademia houses a fantastic collection of pre-19th century art in Venice and is one of the most famous museums in Venice. Here, you will find masterpieces of all the greatest Venetian painters up to the 18th century such as Tintoretto, Titian, Veronese and Tiepolo. The highlight of the museums is of course the drawing of the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Address: Campo della Carità, 1050, 30123 Venezia
Nearest boat station: Accademia
Price: €12 for adults, free for children under 18
Opening Hours: every day from 8:15AM to 7:30PM/ Monday closes at 2PM
Website: http://www.gallerieaccademia.org/?lang=en
Ca’Rezzonico – Discovering 18th century Venice (VENICE)
The museum of Ca’Rezzonico stands on the right bank of the Grand Canal in Venice. Not only is the building of high interest, but the museum holds many interesting objects from 18th century Venice. As a matter of fact, the interior of this former palace is even more beautiful today than it ever was before!
Address: Dorsoduro, 3136, 30123 Venezia
Nearest boat station: Accademia
Price: €10 for adults, €7.50 for children aged 6 to 14, free for children under 6
Opening Hours: From Wednesday to Monday from 10AM to 5PM
Website: http://carezzonico.visitmuve.it/en/home/
For more information, or if you want Family Twist to organize your perfect family friendly stay in Italy, please contact us.