13 Best Museums in Rome Worth Visiting
Looking for the best museums in Rome that are worth visiting? From the Vatican Museums to Borghese Gallery, here are 13 of the must-visit Rome museums!
If you enjoy visiting museums, you’ll love Rome as it has a plethora of museums to suit all tastes.
Whether you’re interested in ancient Rome, Renaissance art, recent history, or anything in between, you will find something right up your alley.

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You can see statues that are over 2,000 years old, artwork by famous Italian artists such as Raphael, Bernini, and Michelangelo, and vast papal collections dating back hundreds of years in these Rome museums!
But with so many museums in Rome and so little time, which one do you visit and which one do you skip?
Unfortunately, you’ll not be able to visit all of them and I certainly didn’t get the chance to see them all too, but I have selected 13 museums in Rome that I believe are amongst the best in the city and ones that you shouldn’t miss!
Before You Go, Here’s How To Plan Your Visit To Rome Quickly
Rome is a popular city which means that good hotels and tours book out fast, so before you go, make sure that you make your reservations in time to avoid disappointments! Below are my expert recommendations!
⏩ WHERE TO STAY IN ROME
Best Colosseum view: Hotel Palazzo Manfredi (8.8/10)
Luxury stay: H10 Palazzo Galla (9.2)
Mid-range stay: Barberini Dream (9.5/10)
Budget stay: Like Family House (9.4)
Apartment rental/Airbnb: Apartment Julia Guesthouse (8.4)
⏩ GUIDES TOURS AND TICKETS YOU SHOULD BOOK IN ADVANCE
Guided tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill (4.6/5). This is the exact tour I took, and I couldn’t have been happier. We had a knowledgeable and fun tour guide.
Skip-the-line ticket to the Sistine Chapel And The Vatican Museums with an audio guide (4.5/5). This ticket saved me a whopping 3 hours. You’ll pass in a dedicated Getyourguide line with it. It’s a true skip-the-line ticket.
Borghese Gallery guided tour (4.7/5). This is my favorite museum in Rome, and this tour made me fall in love with it even more.
Street food walking tour of Rome (4.8/5). If you want to taste Rome’s delicacies while exploring its popular neighborhood of Trastevere, then this is the food tour I recommend!
Best Museums in Rome
Whether you’re an art lover or a history buff, exploring one of these best museums in Rome will leave you awestruck.
1. The Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are spectacular, so it’s no surprise that they’re first on my list of the best museums in Rome. In fact, they’re one of the best places to visit in Rome.
The collection is housed in a total of 54 galleries with over 20,000 works of art on display! To give you an idea of how big the museums are, you can walk more than 7 km (4 miles) to see them all.
Of course, you’ll not be able to see everything inside, but the highlight of your visit will no doubt be the Sistine Chapel (which is one of the most beautiful churches in Rome) to admire the awe-inspiring ceiling painted by Michelangelo and to see the famous frescoes like The Creation of Man, The Last Judgment, and more!
While most people choose to go straight to the Sistine Chapel (you’ll still have to pass through different areas of the museum), I recommend spending some time admiring other areas as they’re quite beautiful themselves.

One of the exciting museums is the Pinacoteca, a gallery housing artwork by renowned Italian artists such as Caravaggio, Giotto, and Leonardo da Vinci.
There are also rooms with beautiful frescoes by Raphael known as Raphael Rooms (these are must-see in my opinion because they’re incredibly stunning) and the Gallery of Maps displaying beautiful maps of Italian regions and cities.
If you are fascinated by ancient history, there is a museum dedicated to artifacts from Ancient Egypt known as Gregorian Egyptian Museum, and many others.
As you wander through the galleries, you will see why The Vatican Museums are amongst Rome’s best museums. You could easily spend the whole day here, though I believe 3-4 hours is a good time to see most of the highlights.

Keep in mind that the Vatican museums are always crowded! I am talking queues that can go up to 4 hours and unless you have the time and don’t mind waiting, I highly recommend buying this Vatican museum’s skip-the-line ticket.
With this ticket, you’ll enter through a dedicated Getyourguide line! I bought this ticket on my last visit and I just entered the museum without waiting even for 5 minutes while other people with a normal ticket waited for almost 4 hours! To me, this is a no-brainer with the amount of time you save!
You can alternatively book this Vatican Museum’s guided tour to see the museum’s highlights while also learning about them from a knowledgeable guide.
Vatican Museums Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday (9.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.) Closed on Sunday except for the last Sunday of the month (9.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.)
From the 5th May – 28th October, Friday opening times are extended (9.00 a.m. – 10.30 p.m.) as well as Saturdays (9.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m.) So if you visit during this time, this is one of the best places to visit in Rome at night!
✅ Click here to buy your skip-the-line ticket to Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums!
2. The Capitoline Museums

On top of Capitoline Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome in the Piazza del Campidoglio, you will find the Capitoline Museums, a collection of 3 museums dedicated to art (medieval and Renaissance) and archaeology.
The 2 buildings were designed by Michelangelo and house artwork and artifacts going back as far as 3,000 years. There is enough here to keep you occupied for around half a day.
You may have heard the legend about Romulus and Remus, the children who were suckled by a wolf and who supposedly founded Rome.
Who knows if it is true, but in one of the Capitoline Museums, the Palazzo dei Conservatori, there is an imposing statue of the wolf and the two children.
The museum also houses an equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and works by artists such as Van Dyck, Titian, and Caravaggio.
Another one of the museums, the Palazzo Nuovo hosts classical artwork such as finds from the Iseo Campense, a sanctuary in Rome that was dedicated to Egyptian gods, as well as portraits of Emperors from the Imperial Age, and various sculptures.
After visiting the museums, I recommend walking around this beautiful Rome Piazza to take in its charms like the views of the Roman Forum at Terrazzo Sul Foro.
Capitoline Museums Opening Hours: Daily (9.30 a.m. – 7.30 p.m.). Public Holidays (9.30 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.)
✅ To visit the museums, you’ll need to purchase this entry ticket.
3. Borghese Gallery

One of the best art museums in Rome is the Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese) which is housed in the Villa Borghese in the Borghese Gardens, now a beautiful public park.
Most of the artwork in the museum is from the personal collection of Cardinal Scipione Borghese who invested in a vast collection of art during the 17th century, including paintings, sculptures, and mosaics.
The collection is particularly rich in artwork from Ancient Rome, the Renaissance, and the Baroque era.
The list of artists represented is impressive and includes names like Rubens, Titian, Raphael, Bernini, and Caravaggio. In fact, the Borghese Gallery has the largest collection of Caravaggio’spaintings.
Highlights of the museum include a 2nd-century marble statue of Hermaphrodite by Bernini, The Deposition by Raphael, the sculpture of Apollo and Daphne by Bernini, the sculpture of Pauline Bonaparte by Antonio Canova, Saint Jerome Writing by Caravaggio, and so many other impressive works, including rooms that are strikingly beautiful on their own.

The Borghese Gallery might be small compared to other top museums in Rome but in my opinion, if you have to visit one museum besides the Vatican Museums, this is it!
You should book ahead as admission is limited but that also means that it never gets crowded.
You can purchase this entry ticket to visit independently, but I highly recommend booking this guided tour instead. It’s the tour I booked and I learned so much about the artwork from our knowledgeable and passionate tour guide.
Borghese Gallery Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (9.00 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.). Entry is every 2 hours on the hour. Closed on Mondays.
✅ Click here to book your guided tour of the Borghese Gallery!
4. The National Roman Museum

Palazzo Massimo alle Terme – Photo via Deposit Photos
The National Roman Museum is not one museum but four; the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, the Palazzo Altemps, the Crypta Balbi, and the Baths of Diocletian.
These museums focus on artwork and artifacts from Ancient Rome and they all have some spectacular pieces to see, earning them the title of one of the best Roman museums in the city.
The main museum of the four is the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, so if you don’t have time to visit them all, you can start with this one.
On the ground and first floors of this museum, you’ll find sculptures from Ancient Rome, and on the second floor, mosaics, stuccoes, and frescoes dating as far back as the 1st century BC.
The basement is perhaps the most interesting of all as it not only displays ancient coins but also shows how much things cost back then. It’s fun to compare them with prices today.
On the other hand, The Crypta Balbi is home to artifacts that span from Ancient Rome through to the Middle Ages.
The Baths of Diocletian were once public baths in ancient Rome, and although only a small part remains today, they still offer a unique highlight.
It has a 16th-century cloister garden designed by Michelangelo which houses more than 400 artworks, including sarcophagi, reliefs, and statues
And finally, at the Palazzo Altemps, an impressive array of Ancient Roman sculptures awaits you. This collection features remarkable pieces such as the Ludovisi Dionysus, Ludovisi Gaul, the Statue of Hercules, and more.
The National Roman Museum Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (9.30 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.) Closed Mondays
If you want to visit all 4 museums, you can buy this combined ticket on the official website or buy for one particular museum you’d like to visit.
5. Castel Sant’Angelo

Castel Sant’Angelo has been used in many different guises throughout history.
Not only has it been a fortress, a prison, and military barracks, but it has also been the papal residence, although it was initially constructed to be a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian. Today, it is a museum that covers seven floors.
The most sinister part of the museum is the ground-floor courtyard where death sentences were carried out.
The papal residence, however, is elaborate, especially the bathroom which is decorated with paintings and stucco on both walls and the ceiling.
The museum has galleries displaying frescoes, firearms, paintings, and sculptures, with the most stunning being the 16th-century statue, San Michele Arcangelo by Raffaello da Montelupo.

While still here, be sure to climb to the top and you’ll be treated to some of the best views in Rome including St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City. It’s even better at sunset!
Like other best museums of Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo is usually crowded so you’re better off purchasing this skip-the-line entry ticket to avoid the long lines.
Alternatively, you can book this guided tour to fully learn about the stories behind the artworks in the museum.
Castel Sant’Angelo Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (9.00 a.m. – 7.30 p.m.)
✅ Click here to buy your skip-the-line ticket to Castel Sant’Angelo!
6. Centrale Montemartini

Centrale Montemartini, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Centrale Montemartini is one of the cool museums in Rome. It is the 3rd museum that is part of the Capitoline museums.
It was set up in an old power plant and it showcases ancient Roman and Greek sculptures and mosaics against a backdrop of modern engineering.
The museum covers several rooms on different levels, but the most impressive is the machine room where you can see ancient statues displayed together with two enormous diesel motors and a steam turbine.
Also on display is the gigantic head of Hercules which came from the Capitolline museums on the Capitoline Hill. The boiler room is also worthy of a visit as ancient mosaics are shown alongside industrial boilers, creating a surreal scene.
There is also a modern room with an exhibition of Pope Pius IX’s carriages that is worth seeing.
Centrale Montemartini Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (9.00 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.) Closed Mondays
7. National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art

Photo via Deposit Photos
If you are interested in 19th and 20th-century art, the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (La Galleria Nazionale) will suit you down to the ground as it houses the largest collection of contemporary art in Italy.
The Gallery is housed in the Palace of Fine Arts and you can expect to find artworks including sculptures and paintings by Italian artists such as Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla, Antonio Canova, Giorgio Morandi, and many others.
There are also works of international artists on display, for example, paintings by French painters Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, and Claude Monet, and other works by Van Gogh and Auguste Rodin.
With such renowned artwork on display, there is no doubt that this is one of the best Rome art Museums.
National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (9.00 a.m. – 7 00 p.m.) Mondays closed.
8. National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia

Photo via Paolo Cannas/Flickr
Looking for something a little different with exhibits you won’t be able to see in other Rome museums? Then check out the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia located in Villa Borghese gardens.
Even before the Ancient Roman Empire began, the Etruscans occupied central Italy, reaching the height of their power in the 6th century BC.
In this museum, you will be able to see artifacts from this time, such as bronze figures, tableware decorations, terracotta vases, and beautiful jewelry.
Many of these items were found buried in tombs with the dead, very much like the custom of the Ancient Egyptians.

Sarcophagus of the Spouses – Photo via Carole Raddato /Flickr
Some of the pieces not to miss include a large terracotta statue of Apollo of Veii, the head of Leucotea, Pyrgi tablets, and the famous Sarcophagus of the Spouses, a life-size Bride and Groom sculpture reclining (pictured above).
The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions, live concerts, and book readings.
National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (9.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m.) Closed Mondays
✅ Click here to buy your skip-the-line ticket to the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia
9. Doria Pamphilj Gallery

Photo via Raphaël CloudWhisperer67 /Flickr
This museum is in the privately owned Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, the largest palace in the city which is not owned by the state.
Most of the collection is housed in staterooms, some of which have been turned into art galleries.
Some of the notable rooms in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery include the mesmerizing Gallery of Mirrors with its beautiful Venetian mirrors, the Velvet Room dazzling in red velvets, the Ballroom, the Aldobrandini Hall, and more.
The chapel is also a must-see as it has a beautifully painted ceiling and a dome that has survived the ravages of time. You will also be able to see the mummified corpse of the family saint, making this one of the spookiest museums of Rome.
Other highlights of the Doria Pamphilj Gallery include Titian’s Salome, Parmigianino’s Doria Madonna, Velázquez’s Portrait of Innocent X, and Caravaggio’s Rest on the Flight to Egypt.
Doria Pamphilj Gallery Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday (9.00 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.) Friday – Sunday (10.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m.) Closed every third Wednesday of the month.
✅ Click here to purchase your timed-entry ticket to Doria Pamphilj Gallery.
10. Leonardo da Vinci Museum

Photo via Museo Leonardo Da Vinci
The Leonardo da Vinci Museum doesn’t display any of Da Vinci’s paintings but instead focuses on his knowledge of engineering and science.
You will see his inventions through his drawings and sketches, as well as videos. However, the technology wasn’t available in the 15th and 16th centuries and his inventions weren’t produced for hundreds of years later.
Some of them include a crane, a calculator, a submarine, flying machines, a sewing machine, a machine gun, and a parachute.
After visiting the museum, you should also go to the Leonardo da Vinci Experience where you will see 200 machines based on Leonardo da Vinci’s designs.
50 of them are working models and you get a chance to interact with them. You’ll also be able to see reproductions of some of his famous paintings here including The Mona Lisa, Vitruvian Man, Virgin of the Rocks, and more!
These museums are no doubt amongst the best museums in Rome for a family afternoon out.
Since these 2 museums are in different places, you’ll need to buy 2 separate tickets to access them!
This one for the Leonardo da Vinci Experience located on via della Conciliazone not far from the Vatican City and this one for the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Piazza del Popolo.
Leonardo da Vinci Museum Opening Hours: Every day (10.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m.)
Leonardo da Vinci Exhibition Opening Hours: Every day (9.00 a.m. – 7.30 p.m.)
✅ Click here to book your ticket for the Leonardo da Vinci Experience or here to buy one for the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Piazza del Popolo!
11. Capuchin Crypt and Museum

The original uploader was Stanthejeep at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
The Capuchin Crypt is probably the most eerie of the all museums in Rome.
Located under Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini church, this crypt houses the remains of around 3,700 Capuchin friars who died between 1528 and 1870.
The visit begins in the museum where you will learn about the Capuchin brothers and later head to the crypt which is the eerie part of the tour and probably not for the faint-hearted.
There is a total of 6 rooms in the crypt; 5 have walls decorated with bones, skulls, and even whole skeletons of the brothers, and the 6th doesn’t have any bones but rather an altar.
There is also a plaque in one of the rooms that will probably give you a shiver. It reads “What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be”, meaning, of course, that everybody will die. It’s the truth but it’s always an ouch moment when you’re reminded, especially when visiting such places.
You can take this guided tour to fully learn about this unusual place!
Capuchin Crypt and Museum Opening Hours: Every day (10.00 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.)
✅ Click here to book your skip-the-line guided tour of the Capuchin Crypt and Museum!
12. MAXXI — National Museum of the 21st Century Art

Francisco Anzola from United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you are interested in modern art and architecture, MAXXI is the place to visit.
This museum, designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, is Italy’s first national public museum dedicated to contemporary art.
While you’ll probably come here for the art, the architecture of the building itself is impressive, so much so that it won the Stirling Prize for architecture of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
The museum focuses on 21st-century art and architecture, including permanent collections from notable artists like Anish Kapoor, Kara Walker, Francesco Clemente, Gerhard Richter, and many others.
It also usually holds a number of temporary exhibits so regardless of when you visit, you’ll find something new to see. Just make sure you check the official website to see what’s on before your visit.
MAXXI Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (11.00 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.) Closed Mondays
13. National Gallery of Ancient Art

Palazzo Corsini – AlexanderVanLoon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Located in two stunning locations, the Palazzo Barberini and Palazzo Corsini, The National Gallery of Ancient Art is one of Rome’s best museums, especially if you’re interested in the medieval period.
The gallery houses an impressive collection of paintings and decorative art from the 13th to the 18th centuries.
In Palazzo Barberini, you can marvel at masterpieces like Raphael’s La Fornarina and Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes but the most impressive work is probably the magnificent frescoed ceiling, Triumph of Divine Providence by Pietro da Cortona located in the grand salon of the palace.
On the other hand, Palazzo Corsini showcases a rich collection of works from the Renaissance period with pieces by artists such as Giovanni Lanfranco and Carlo Maratta.
National Gallery of Ancient Art Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (10.00 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.) Closed Mondays
Final Thoughts on the Best Rome Museums
There are so many museums in Rome and with this post, I hope that you now have an idea of which ones you would like to visit.
Are you interested in ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, or contemporary art? You can be sure to find a museum in Rome that has exactly what you’re looking for!
If you have less than 4 days in Rome, my suggestion is to pick out 2-3 museums and focus on those, because its impossible to see them all and as we all know, it’s hard, almost draining to visit even 2 museums in a day!
If you have time for 3 Rome museums, I recommend starting with the Vatican Museums followed by the Borghese Gallery and you can add a third depending on your taste!
Check out these posts to help you plan your trip to Rome
- Rome Instagram captions
- Instagram captions for Italy
- Rome bucket list
- Best things to do in Rome at night
- Famous piazzas in Rome
- Where to get the best views of Rome
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