1. Capitoline Museums: Lying in the centre of the city and showcasing an extensive collection of impressive Romanesque sculptures and paintings, the Capitoline Museums are one of the most important museums in Rome. Dating back to the year 1471 and known as the oldest Rome Museum, this museum is home to objects that are closely associated with Rome with most of them being native. Some of the important monumental statues that you must see here include the statue of Emperor Constantine, the statue of Marcus Aurelius, and the she-wolf suckling the twins Romulus and Remus.
Location: Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Timing: Daily from 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM
2. Borghese Gallery and Museum: One of the most-loved Museums in Rome, Borghese Gallery and Museum is known to house many of the Borghese Collection of antiquities, sculptures, and paintings that was started by the renowned art collector Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Some of the important collection of paintings include Boy with a Basket of Fruit, St Jerome Writing, and Sick Bacchus. You can also find impressive masterpieces by iconic artists like Raphael, Titian, Federico Barocci, and Peter Paul Rubens. You can also see some breathtaking sculptures including Apollo and Daphne by Bernini and Pauline Bonaparte by Antonio Canova.
Location: Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5, 00197 Roma RM, Italy
Timing: 9 AM to 7 PM, closed on Monday
3. Palazzo Massimo alle Terme: Spread across a total of 4 floors and home to a spectacular collection of ancient Roman artefacts and artworks, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is one of the best museums in Rome. The huge collection of coins, frescos, mosaics, and sculptures in the museum belong to the period between the late Roman Republic to late antiquity. The sculptures displayed here showcase many iconic personalities, such as Alexander the Great, Augustus, Hadrian, and Socrates.
Location: Largo di Villa Peretti, 2, 00185 Roma RM, Italy
Timing: 11 AM to 6 PM, closed on Monday
3. Vatican Museums: Established in the early 16th century and known as the most visited Rome museum, the Vatican Museums are home to around 70,000 artworks, out of which around 20,000 works are exhibited for the public. You can find impressive paintings, tapestries, and sculptures by renowned artists like Michelangelo, Bernini, da Vinci, Raphael, and Caravaggio, exhibited in 54 galleries. You can also see an extensive collection of Modern religious artworks by legendary artists like Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Gauguin, Salvador Dalí, and Carlo Carrà.
Location: 00120 Vatican City
Timing: Monday to Thursday - 8.30 AM to 6.30 PM; Friday & Saturday - 8.30 AM to 10.30 PM; Closed on Sunday
4. Doria Pamphilj Gallery: Located in the Doria-Pamphilj Palace and packed with a huge collection of stunning Baroque and Renaissance sculptures and paintings, Doria Pamphilj Gallery is considered to be one of Italy’s largest fine art collections. This splendid Rome museum exhibits masterpieces by iconic artists of all times including Raphael, Caravaggio, Annibale Carracci, Lorenzo Lotto, Titian, Hans Memling, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Guido Reni, and Lorenzo Bernini. Some of the important artworks that can be seen here are Portrait of Pope Innocent X by Diego Velázquez and Double portrait by Raphael.
Location: Via del Corso, 305, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Timing: Monday to Thursday - 9 AM to 7 PM; Friday, Saturday & Sunday - 9 AM to 8 PM
5. Museo Nazionale Romano, Palazzo Altemps: Dating to the 15th century, Palazzo Altemps is home to one of the most famous museums in Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano, which is home to an extensive collection of impressive classical sculptures. Most of the objects exhibited in this museum come from the renowned Ludovisi collection, which was created by Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi himself in the 17th century. Some of the most celebrated exhibits at Museo Nazionale Romano include the Trono Ludovisi, the Galata suicida, and the Ares Ludovisi.
Location: Piazza di Sant'Apollinare, 46, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Timing: 11 AM to 6 PM, closed on Monday
6. National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia: Housed in Villa Giulia, built for and named after Pope Julius III, the National Etruscan Museum dates back to the Etruscan civilization. This beautiful Rome museum was established back in 1889 with the intention to build a collection of all the pre-Roman antiquities belonging to the Etruscan and Faliscan civilizations and spread across the regions of Umbria, southern Etruria, and Latium. Some of the important treasures of the museum include The Etruscan-Phoenician Pyrgi Tablets, The Tita Vendia vase, Phoenician metal bowls, and The Cista Ficoroni.
Location: Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9, 00196 Roma RM, Italy
Timing: 8.30 AM to 7.30 PM, closed on Monday
7. National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art: Established back in 1883 under the then Minister Guido Baccelli, National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art is one of the best museums in Rome to explore contemporary and modern art. This enormous museum is home to an extensive collection of sculptures and paintings, belonging to the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum houses masterpieces by renowned Italian artists like Vittorio Matteo Corcos, Giorgio Morandi, Giacomo Balla, Umberto Boccioni, Alberto Burri, Antonio Canova, and Lucio Fontana. It also has works by foreign artists including Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Monet, and Jackson Pollock.
Location: Viale delle Belle Arti, 131, 00197 Roma RM, Italy
Timing: 9 AM to 7 PM, closed on Monday
8. Centrale Montemartini: Dating back to the early 20th century, the Centrale Montemartini happens to be an archaeology Rome museum that is aimed at collecting classical sculptures. The huge exhibition gallery of this museum is divided into 4 rooms, namely the Hall of Columns, the Hall of the Machines, the Boiler Room, and the Atrium with each room featuring a different theme. Some of the prime exhibits of this museum include a bronze statue of the Empress Agrippina the Younger, A marble statue of the goddess Athena, and the Roman copy of a Greek statue.
Location: Via Ostiense, 106, 00154 Roma RM, Italy
Timing: 9 AM to 7 PM, closed on Monday
9. National Museum of Rome - Baths of Diocletian: The Baths of Diocletian happen to be one of the most unique museums in Rome and an ancient monumental complex that was restored in the 16th century by Michelangelo. Established by Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century AD, these baths spread across a vast area of a whopping 13 hectares and had the capacity to accommodate around 3,000 people at one time. At present the Baths of Diocletian host many important temporary exhibitions with the permanent one housing around 400 sculptural objects including altarpieces, statues, decorative elements, and sarcophagi.
Location: Viale Enrico de Nicola, 78, 00185 Roma RM, Italy
Timing: 11 AM to 6 PM, closed on Monday
