Most famous for being a giant open-air museum, sometimes in Rome, it rains. The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Baths of Caracalla, and the Fori Imperiali boulevard are all irresistible attractions, but if you travel to Rome during Fall, chances are you might find some showers here and there. Apart from ducking into a cozy coffee shop, a relaxed bistro, or a traditional restaurant, one of the best things you can do in Rome on a rainy day is to visit a museum. Thankfully, there are so many pretty great museums in Rome that they can make even a rainy day shine.
Even though all the sites that you visit in Rome, be it archaeological parks, churches or palaces, can be considered museums, this article wants to be an exhaustive guide to Rome’s exhibitions, whether they are permanent or venues for temporary art and history shows.
Capitoline Museums
The main museum in Rome, the Capitoline Museums are entirely devoted to the city, its foundation and its history, including before its birth, so the Etruscan civilization. Founded in 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV donated ancient bronze statues to the people of Rome, among which was the statue of the she-wolf linked to the myth of the Roman foundation.
The Capitoline Museums are probably the world’s oldest public galleries. Anyone looking into Roman history and foundation, this being one of the most important museums in Rome, is probably the place to start with.
- Where: Piazza del Campidoglio 1.
- When: Every day 9.30 am-7.30 pm.
- How much: 16€.
Museo Nazionale Romano in Diocletian Baths
Museo Nazionale Romano is a Roman museum organized in different venues. One of these is in Diocletian’s Baths near Stazione Termini. While they are all interesting and worth a visit, this one in particular displays probably the largest exhibition of classic Roman relics.
You will find terracotta jars, amphorae, tools for daily use, pieces of mosaics and decorations, parts of pagan temples devoted to the Persian god Mithra, and more. History buffs can never have enough of wandering the halls and corridors of this huge museum, including the same ruins of the actual Baths of Diocletian.
- Where: Via Enrico de Nicola 78.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 11 am-6 pm. Monday closed.
- How much: 8€.
Vatican Museums
Even though officially in the state of the Vatican, let’s include the mighty Vatican Museums among Rome’s top attractions, shall we? Five centuries of history of the Vatican, and art commissioned by or donated to the Popes, in one of Rome’s largest museums you will see some of the most famous masterpieces.
Some of these include Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, the beautiful frescoes in Raphael’s Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, and also the areas that usually attract fewer visitors such as the Carriages Pavilion, a rich exhibition of the vehicles used by the popes throughout the centuries from finely decorated carriages to modern cars. Booking is now mandatory via the official website, a skip-the-line entrance, or with a Vatican private tour.
- Where: Viale Vaticano.
- When: Monday to Saturday 9 am-6 pm. The last Sunday of the month 9 am-2 pm.
- How much: 17€. Free entry o the last Sunday of every month.
Museo di Roma – Palazzo Braschi
Located between Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Piazza Navona, in the very heart of Renaissance Rome, Palazzo Braschi is the last palace a pope (Pius VI) commissioned as a residence for his own family, specifically, his nephew Luigi Braschi Onesti.
After an obstreperous few centuries of history, the palace has been acquired by the Rome municipality and turned into the Museum of Rome. Across its three floors, you can see a themed itinerary of paintings representing Rome’s history and society, while the first floor is devoted to temporary exhibitions.
- Where: Piazza di San Pantaleo 10.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am-7 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: €9.50.
Centrale Montemartini
A separate branch of the central Capitoline Museums, Centrale Montemartini is one of my favorite permanent exhibitions in Rome. It’s one of the highlights of the Ostiense district and a fantastic addition to a fascinating tour to discover Rome’s industrial past. Set in the city’s former main power plant, this gallery puts side by side the machines used to create electricity such as turbines and giant engines, and classic Roman and Greek statues, paintings, and sarcophagi.
One of my favorite museums in Rome, here, you will even see pieces of the mosaic floor of Julius Caesar’s villa, the Horti Sallustiani, some of ancient Rome’s most magnificent gardens of which nothing remained to us except a small ruin not far from Termini train station.
- Where: Via Ostiense 106.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 9 am-7 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: 10€.
Trajan’s Markets – Museo dei Fori Imperiali
Opened to the public in 2007, I had been wanting to visit Trajan’s Markets for a long time before I actually did. But finally, I am so glad I did and I won’t stop recommending it every time I can.
With the entrance unassumingly located in Via delle Quattro Fontane, right next to the Trajan Column just up Piazza Venezia and before Via Nazionale begins, its large glass door does hide a pretty fascinating museum in central Rome.
Relics, objects, decorations, and the history of the imperial fora are illustrated in written panels as well as explained with the aid of multimedia installations.
These educational panels and ruins whirl visitors straight back to a few thousand years when kings and emperors such as Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nerva and Trajan built their forum.
This is very eye-opening and a perfect extension of the Fori Imperiali we can see from the above Via dei Fori Imperiali running from Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum.
In the Museo dei Fori Imperiali inside the Trajan’s Markets, we can see both the findings and the reconstruction of how splendid and majestic the imperial fora were, apt to celebrate the greatness of their king.
Along with the Markets and the museum of the Imperial Fora, the ticket gives you access to Trajan’s Forum, too.
- Where: Via Quattro Novembre 94.
- When: Every day 9.30 am-7.30 pm.
- How much: 13€.
Palazzo Barberini Galleria Corsini – Galleria Nazionale di Arte Antica
Situated in Via delle Quattro Fontane near Piazza Barberini and Via Veneto, the grand Baroque building of Palazzo Barberini, the former residence of the powerful Roman clan, hosts the Galleria Nazionale di Arte Antica together with Galleria Corsini, aristocratic palace in Trastevere that is currently closed due to ongoing renovation.
Steeped in history and boasting immortal masterpieces by Italian and international artists, admire the rich Caravaggio collection as well as Bernini’s and Borromini’s opposed staircases and Raphael’s La Fornarina painting.
- Where: Via delle Quattro Fontane 13.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am-6 pm.
- How much: 12€.
Galleria Borghese
Tucked away inside the gorgeous Villa Borghese park, Galleria Borghese is the former residence of the powerful Borghese family.
The villa where the gallery is housed was built by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V and from the very beginning of the construction, the owner aimed at giving his home the look of a museum.
The cardinal, in fact, was a true art collector, and he amassed a huge wealth of masterpieces you can view by strolling around the decorated halls and corridors.
Some of the artists on display include Canaletto, Bernini, Perugino, Titian, Raphael, and Canova among others. You can either purchase the ticket online on the official website, a skip-the-line entrance, or a guided tour inclusive of the private gardens.
- Where: Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 9 am-7 pm.
- How much: 13€.
ETRU Museo Nazionale Etrusco
The National Etruscan Museum is housed in two beautiful villas, the Renaissance Villa Giulia and, since 2012, Villa Poniatowski, the Roman home of Stanislao Poniatowski, the nephew of Poland’s last king, renovated by Italian architect Giuseppe Valadier.
In what is now the world’s most important museum devoted to the pre-Roman Etruscan civilization, you will find some of the most important relics and masterpieces belonging to this ancient culture.
A total of 6,000 objects are displayed over 50 rooms and accompanied by explanations easy to understand and kid-friendly illustrations. For groups of more than 10 people, booking is mandatory.
- Where: Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 9 am-8 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: 10€.
Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
The National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art lies right next to Villa Borghese Park, you can see it from Ferdowsi Square.
This is Italy’s most exhaustive collection of Italiana and international art dating between the 19th and 21st centuries comprising paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations.
Counting masterpieces from different modern art movements such as Neoclassicism, Impressionism, Futurism, and Surrealism as well as the local 20th-century trend known as Scuola Romana, on display you will see around 20,000 art pieces.
Along with the permanent exhibitions, there are often temporary ones.
- Where: Viale delle Belle Arti 131.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 9 am-7 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: 10€.
Vittoriano Complex and Risorgimento Museum
The large Vittoriano Complex dominating the view of Piazza Venezia is one of Rome’s most famous and photographed monuments.
Built between 1885 and 1911 in honor of the first king of newly unified Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, it’s also known as the Altar of the Fatherland and since 1923 it’s home to the remains of the Unknown Soldier.
One of the most important and famous buildings in Rome, the Vittoriano houses the permanent museum of the Italian Risorgimento and sometimes temporary exhibitions. With the same ticket, you can visit the Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia.
- Where: Piazza Venezia and Via di San Pietro in Carcere.
- When: Every day 9.30 am-7.30 pm, Friday and Saturday until 10 pm, Sunday until 8.30 pm.
- How much: 12€.
Palazzo Altemps
Dating back to the 16th century and former residence of Cardinal Marco Sittico Altemps, today Palazzo Altemps is the venue included under the umbrella of Museo Nazionale Romano devoted to the history of art collecting.
Being a more modern palace, it can’t really be listed as an archaeological site, but the several collections of ancient art still make it a feast for history buffs.
From Roman sculptures and bas-reliefs to ancient frescoes to Egyptian relics, Palazzo Altemps is a must for archaeology fans.
- Where: Piazza Sant’Apollinare 46.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 11 am-6 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: 8€ for one venue of the Museo Nazionale Romano, 12€ for all the four venues.
Palazzo Massimo alle Terme – Museo Nazionale Romano
Palazzo Massimo, too, located near Termini station, is a venue of the Museo Nazionale Romano.
Spread out across four floors, you can see some of the main art masterpieces from the Roman civilization, so sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, different types of portraits, sarcophagi, bas-reliefs, and more sourced and dug out from Rome and the surrounding areas.
This is a fantastic way to travel in time and see how ancient Romans liked to decorate their residences using bright colors, frescoes, and statues, both marble and bronze.
- Where: Largo di Villa Peretti 2.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 11 am-6 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: 8€ for one venue of the Museo Nazionale Romano, 12€ for all the four venues.
Galleria d’Arte Moderna
Rome’s Gallery of Modern Art is set in Via Francesco Crispi near Via Veneto in a former cloister of the Discalced Carmelites.
The museum shows a rich collection of local modern art, also thanks to the sponsoring of art production since 1900 by the Roman municipality to promote Rome’s new art expressions and rank also with the collaboration with several local cultural associations.
Some of the artists you can view here are Carrà, de Chirico, Scipione, Cavalli, Carlandi, Sartorio, Severini and more from the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Where: Via Francesco Crispi 24.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am-6.30 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: 9€.
Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo
Truth be said, Castel Sant’Angelo has been around for so long and has served so many purposes over thousands of years that simply defining it as a museum is belittling at best.
Founded as the funerary mausoleum of the emperor Hadrian around 123 BCE, turned into a stronghold after the fall of the Roman empire and then the residence for popes looking for shelter and even prison, Castel Sant’Angelo is steeped in history.
In fact, it should really be one of the sights no one should miss, whether you are staying in Rome for a day or a week.
Connected to the Centro Storico with the stunning Ponte Sant’Angelo, a masterpiece of Bernini, Castel Sant’Angelo is home to a great museum that gives a fascinating glimpse into the medieval and Renaissance periods of the building.
Some of the collections the public can view include Renaissance ceramics, Roman sculptures, and ancient and modern weapons.
- Where: Lungotevere Castello 50.
- When: Every day 9 am-7.30 pm. Closed on January 1st, May 1st, December 25th.
- How much: 15€.
- Site.
Don’t miss our article on the most impressive bridges in Rome.
Galleria Doria Pamphilj
Defined by many as the Versailles of Rome, Galleria Doria Pamphilj was the opulent palace of the noble Pamphilj family the building of which started in the 16th century and carried on for 500 years.
Despite the unassuming entrance located in the long Via del Corso, you will be amazed at the luxury and beauty of the interior of this palace for both its architecture and the artwork of the clan’s private collection.
Alongside the stunning apartments, halls, and the chapel, some of the masterpieces you can find inside Palazzo Doria Pamphilj include Caravaggio, Titian, Bernini, Raphael, Guercino, Vasari, and Velázquez among others.
- Where: Via del Corso 305.
- When: Monday to Thursday 9 am-6 pm and Friday to Sunday 10 am-7 pm.
- How much: 12€.
- Site.
Make sure you check out our guide to the most important and beautiful streets in Rome.
Ara Pacis Museum
Located near the Augustus Mausoleum, one of the best archaeological sites in Rome, the Ara Pacis Museum is the peace altar built in the first century BC and inaugurated in 9 BC following Augustus’ feats beyond the Alps, in France (Gaul) and Spain.
The Ara Pacis is always the venue for great exhibitions so on display visitors can view photos and images related to the most different topics, from ancient Roman history to 1960s Italian movies.
- Where: Lungotevere in Augusta (corner with Via Tomacelli).
- When: Every day 9.30 am-7.30 pm.
- How much: €10.50 only the museum, 11€ only the temporary exhibition, 17€ museum+exhibition.
Chiostro del Bramante
As the name reads, this is a cloister, a fantastic example of Renaissance architecture by the hands of Donato Bramante, part of Santa Maria della Pace church, and from where you can also see the famous Sibille fresco by Raphael.
Located behind the gorgeous Piazza Navona and close to Coromandel café serving fantastic daily breakfast and brunch, Chiostro del Bramante always organizes very interesting and unconventional temporary exhibitions, perfectly combining modern art, lesser-known historical angles, and mind-blowing architecture.
- Where: Via della Pace.
- When: Every day 10 am-8 pm, Saturday and Sunday and holidays until 9 pm.
- How much: Weekdays 15€, weekends 18€.
Don’t miss our article on the most beautiful piazzas in Rome.
Museo delle Civiltà
Museo delle Civiltà, standing for Museums of Civilizations, is located in Rome’s EUR southern district and organized in the Palace of Sciences (Palazzo delle Scienze).
Consisting of several sections, each of them tackling a topic connected to traditions and societies, not only Italian but from all over the world including one for oriental art and one for non-European prehistory and ethnography.
At the same Palazzo delle Scienze is also hosted the Middle Age Museum to explore and understand the complex period of time transitioning from the ancient world to modernity. While in the nearby Palazzo delle Tradizioni Popolari, a section is devoted to folk arts and traditions.
- Where: Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 8 and 14.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 8 am-7 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: 10€.
MAXXI
The National Museum of the XXI Century Arts is located in Flaminio. Designed by late Anglo-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, this futuristic museum puts on display contemporary artists of every style, be it painters, architects and sculptures, as well as photographers.
Through a diverse set of activities ranging from exhibitions, multimedia projections, workshops, shows, and conferences, the MAXXI museum aims to be the reference point and a laboratory for contemporary creativity and cultural experiments.
- Where: Via Guido Reni 4a.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 11 am-7 pm, Saturday and Sunday until 8 pm.
- How much: 12€.
MACRO
Located in the residential Salario Nomentano neighborhood and set in one of the local relics of Rome’s industrial archaeology, the former Birra Peroni brewery, MACRO is also a museum that focuses on contemporary arts and talents.
Renovated and revamped by French architect Odile Decq, the museum exhibits a wide range of art expressions, from paintings to music to illustrations to prints on fabric.
- Where: Via Nizza 138 and Via Reggio Emilia 54.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 12-7 pm, Tuesday until 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am. Closed on Monday.
- How much: Free.
Museo di Roma in Trastevere
Often overlooked when visiting Trastevere, a museum devoted to Roman traditions and daily life couldn’t be in a better place than the neighborhood where more than anywhere else you can breathe and experience the vibe of popular culture and society.
Here you will really have the chance to explore the daily life of working-class Rome as opposed to the luxury of the noble families we can see in the palaces scattered around the city center.
- Where: Piazza Sant’Egidio 1/b.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am-8 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: €9.50.
- Site.
Galleria Spada
Galleria Spada can be found inside Palazzo Spada, formerly the palace of Cardinal Spada and currently the seat of the Council of State (Consiglio di Stato), a legal-administrative consultative body. The gallery itself is not huge but truly rich in the artwork.
One of the most famous masterpieces that make Galleria Spada famous is the optical illusion created by Francesco Borromini which makes the internal courtyard and statue much bigger than it actually is. Once you have admired Borromini’s genius at the entrance, carry on and make sure you don’t miss the masterpieces of Caravaggio, Rubens, Titian, Guido Reni, Bernini, Guercino, and more.
Located near Campo de’ Fiori and Piazza Farnese, Galleria Spada is one of the best museums in Rome for art and architecture enthusiasts.
- Where: Piazza Capodiferro 13.
- When: Daily 8.30 am-7.30 pm, closed on Tuesday.
- How much: 5€.
Palazzo delle Esposizioni
This is a very large museum in Rome organizing always new temporary exhibitions. Located in Via Nazionale, between Piazza Venezia and Termini train station, it’s built in a Neo-classic style and hosts several events, exhibitions, shows, and workshops, including educational projects for kids.
The topics are different and touch on a variety of subjects ranging from history to beauty to music to art and science.
- Where: Via Nazionale 194.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am-8 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: 10€.
Palazzo Merulana
This museum is situated in the multi-cultural Esquilino neighborhood not far from Stazione Termini and Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica. It mainly displays the work of the local art movement known as Scuola Romana and the Italian 20th-century showing sculptures, paintings and temporary exhibitions as well as food events.
- Where: Via Merulana 121.
- When: Wednesday to Sunday 12-8 pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
- How much: 10€.
- Site.
Keats-Shelley Memorial House
Boasting a truly privileged location, this building at 26 Piazza di Spagna is where English Romantic poet John Keats died at the young age of 25. Along with Keats, also Shelley lived here during his time in Rome and their home shows their personal belongings as well as books as objects linked to their work.
Nearby is Babington’s Tea Rooms and while you can enjoy a typical English tea experience right there, sometimes, they organize it on the terrace of Keats-Shelley House with a beautiful view over the Spanish Steps.
- Where: Piazza di Spagna 26.
- When: Monday to Saturday 10 am-1 pm and 2-6 pm. Closed on Sunday.
- How much: 6€.
- Site.
Musei di Villa Torlonia
Villa Torlonia is a Rome park but inside, you can visit a few historical buildings that have been turned into museums. The Roman residence of the Italian duce Benito Mussolini, you can enjoy the park for a stroll in the green or visit its many buildings.
These are the Casino Nobile, where Mussolini’s family lived, Casina delle Civette, called the House of the Owls for its owl-themed decorations where you can see the drawings and sketches used to make the current decorative patterns and Casino dei Principi.
- Where: Via Nomentana 70.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 9 am-7 pm. Closed on Monday.
- How much: Casina delle Civette 6€, Casino Nobile €7.50, Casina delle Civette+Casino Nobile €9.50.
- Site.
Crypta Balbi
Crypta Balbi is one of the venues of the Museo Nazionale Romano, a group of some of the most important museums in Rome.
It was built as the colonnaded courtyard of the elegant Teatro di Balbo (Theater of Balbus) built by proconsul Lucius Cornelius Balbus in 13 BC after the successful campaigns in Libya. The purpose of this courtyard was to offer shelter to the spectators of the theater in case of rain or during the breaks.
Today, Crypta Balbi is the venue of a small and utterly fascinating museum. It displays, preserving them, the traces of the buildings and related changes that happened in over 2000 years.
The structure adapted throughout the centuries serving different purposes from the portico of the ancient theater to becoming merchants’ houses in the Middle Ages, to hosting the church of Santa Maria Domine Rose later transformed into the Convent of Santa Caterina dei Funari in the 17th century.
At the moment, Crypta Balbi is closed to the public due to renovation works.
- Where: Via delle Botteghe Oscure 31
- When: Saturday and Sunday 10.30 am-7.45 pm.
- How much: 8€ for Crypta Balbi only, 12€ for the four venues of Museo Nazionale Romano.
- Site.
Museum of Light
Museo della Luce is a new opening among Rome’s museums and is quickly becoming a favorite among locals and travelers.
One of the reasons why it’s so popular is that it caters to visitors of all ages. We went with our 4-year-old son and he loved every minute of it.
Easy to reach because conveniently located between Piazza Venezia and Largo Argentina, it’s a cool addition to your bucket list.
Cool interplays of lights and shades, moving mirrors, colorful reflections, and playful shadows are only some of the things you will see during your tour.
Explora Children Museum
This is definitely one of the best museums in Rome you should take your children. A fantastic spot to add to your bucket list if you are traveling to Rome with a toddler, it’s located near Flaminio metro station, so in the very city center, easy to reach and perfect to include in your sightseeing.
Divided into different sections depending on the children’s age, each area features activities and experiences your little ones are likely to enjoy and engage with. Our baby loved it, we took him there once but we are planning a second time now that he’s a toddler.
- Where: Via Flaminia 80/86.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 12-6.45 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am. Closed on Monday.
- How much: Children aged 0-12 months free, 12-36 months 6€, from 3 years old and adults 9€.
- Site.
Museum of the Lost Souls
That’s right, that’s also a museum. Located inside the Gothic-style Sacro Cuore del Suffragio church in Lungotevere Prati behind Piazza Cavour, it’s precisely devoted to what its title says. After a devastating fire that damaged much of the church, witnesses reported seeing handprints on pillars and clothes and even the image of a suffering face.
The museum is the result of studies of proof of the afterlife and the communication between the dead and the alive beings.
- Where: Lungotevere Prati 12.
- When: Every day 8.30 am-12 pm and 4-7 pm, weekends and holidays until 8 pm.
- How much: Free.
