Free Museums in Rome to Visit Each First Sunday of the Month

In Rome, there is a popular program called “Domenica al Museo,” where you can visit museums and monuments every first Sunday of the month for free. You don’t have to pay the ticket to visit famous Roman points of interest (also in other cities of Italy) such as monuments, museums, galleries, archaeological excavations, parks, and monumental gardens.

List

You can find more detailed descriptions of the museums and reservations on the website: www.coopculture.it

Read also the article about Free Roman Museums, which are open daily.

Museums

1. Museo nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo – individual tour
   Address: Lungotevere Castello, 50
   Time: 9 am-6.30 pm; Reservation: None
2. Museo nazionale etrusco di Villa Giulia
   Address: Piazzale di Villa Giulia, 9
   Time: 9 am-7 pm;
   Reservation: Optional (Email: arteingioco@libero.it)
   Website: www.museoetru.it
3. Museo nazionale romano – Palazzo Altemps
   Address: Piazza di Sant’Apollinare, 46
   Time: 9 am-7.45 pm Reservation: Optional (Telephone: +39 06 39967700)
4. Museo nazionale romano – Palazzo Massimo
   Address: Piazza dei Cinquecento, 67
   Time: 9 am-7.45 pm Reservation: Optional (Telephone: +39 06 39967700)
5. Museo nazionale di Palazzo Venezia
   Address: Piazza Venezia
6. Museo nazionale d’Arte Orientale “G. Tucci”
   Address: Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, 14
7. Museo nazionale Preistorico Etnografico “L. Pigorini”
   Address: Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, 14
8. Museo nazionale delle Arti e Tradizioni Popolari
   Address: Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, 8
9. Museo Nazionale dell’Alto Medioevo
   Address: Viale Lincoln, 3
10. Museo Archeologico Ostiense
    Address: Via Gherardo, 54
11. Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli
    Address: Largo Marguerite Yourcenar, 1
    Website: www.visittivoli.eu
12. Villa d’Este in Tivoli
    Address: Piazza Trento, 5
    Website: www.visittivoli.eu

Note: MAXXI and Domus Aurea: open with regular fees

Tivoli is one of the best destinations for a day trip from Rome. Please read the article about my experience and review the group tour to villa d’Este and Hadrian’s villa. Knowing how to buy tickets to Vatican museums will also be useful.

Monuments and Archaeological Zones

1. Colosseo – Anfiteatro Flavio (the Colosseum) – individual tour
   Address: Piazza del Colosseo, 1
   Reservation: Optional (Telephone: individuals: +39 06 399 67 700 groups: +39 06 399 67 450 schools: +39 06 399 67 200; Email: info@coopculture.it;
2. Foro Romano (the Roman Forum) – individual tour
   Address: Via della Salara Vecchia, 5/6
3. Area archeologica di Veio
   Address: Via Riserva Campetti
4. Scavi di Ostia Antica (Excavations of Ostia Antica)
   Address: Viale dei Romagnoli, 717
   Website: www.ostiaantica.beniculturali.it

Crypts and Ancient Roman Baths

1. Terme di Caracalla (the Baths of Caracalla) – individual tour
   Address: Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 52
2. Museo nazionale romano – Terme di Diocleziano
   Address: Via Enrico de Nicola, 79
   Time: 9 am-7.30 pm
   Reservation: Optional (Telephone: +39 06 39967700)
3. Museo nazionale romano – Crypta Balbi – individual tour
   Address: Via Botteghe Oscure, 31
   Time: 9 am-7.45 pm Reservation: Optional (Telephone: +39 06 39967700)

Galleries

1. Galleria Borghese (the Borghese Gallery)
   Address: Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5
   Booking is mandatory and costs 2 euro
   Website: borghese.gallery
2. GNAM Galleria Nazionale Arte Moderna
   Address: Viale delle Belle Arti, 131
   Website: www.lagallerianazionale.com
3. Musei Capitolini (the Capitoline Museums) – individual tour
   Address: Piazza del Campidoglio, 1 How to reach
4. Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica del Palazzo Barberini
   Address: Via delle Quattro Fontane, 13
   Website: www.barberinicorsini.org
5. Galleria Spada (the Spada Gallery)
   Address: Piazza Capo di Ferro, 13
   Website: https://galleriaspada.cultura.gov.it
6. Galleria nazionale d’Arte Antica – Palazzo Corsini
   Address: Via della Lungara, 10
   Website: www.barberinicorsini.org/en

Useful Tips

1. There is a ticket fee if you are going to visit an exhibition. Every first Sunday of the month, access to all public museums in Rome is free of admission. However, this offer does not include exhibitions. So,  you should check out the ticket cost on the museum website before your visit.
2. Long lines. Many people want to visit museums and other points of interest on the first Sunday of every month. Thus, it is better to plan to visit only two or three museums with free access.
3. Take your ID. Residents who wish to access the museums free of charge through the “Musei in Comune” system must show their IDs.

Contacts

• Telephone: (+39) 800 991199
• Hashtag: #DomenicalMuseo
• Twitter: twitter.com/_MiBAC

Tell us about your favorite point of interest in the comments! 🙂

Author: Kate Zusmann

I have lived in the Eternal City for the past 12 years. They say every angle of Rome has its history, and I'm here to tell you about the most intriguing historical facts and city legends. :)