9 of the Best Museums in Rome and How To Visit

If you only have time to visit one museum in Rome, make it the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani)—technically not in Rome, but in Vatican City (Città del Vaticano). This treasure trove of galleries contains works by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Da Vinci but also a spectacular collection of Egyptian, Etruscan, and Roman art and artifacts. The galleries culminate in the Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina), set at the very far side of the museum, with its spellbinding frescoed ceiling. Because of the size of this complex and wealth of artworks, the Vatican Museums are best visited with a guide so you can focus on the highlights in just a few hours.

Don’t miss: The Gallery of Maps frescoed by 16th-century maps of the Italian regions, some depicted upside down since north was not always shown at the top of the map at the time.

The Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini) were opened to the public in the 18th century and are housed in Palazzo dei Conservatori, Palazzo Senatorio, and Palazzo Nuovo lining Piazza del Campidoglio, plus nearby Palazzo Caffarelli-Clementino. One of the premier art galleries in Rome, the collections are just steps from the Colosseum and Roman Forum (Foro Romano) behind the Vittorio Emmanuele II Monument (Vittoriano), and easy to pair with a visit to Rome’s ancient highlights. The size of the museum complex is rivaled only by the Vatican Museums, so visit with a guide to take in important works by Caravaggio, Titian, and others without getting overwhelmed.

Don’t miss: The Capitoline Wolf, a bronze statue of Romulus and Remus suckling a she-wolf from the 5th century BC—one of the symbols of Rome.

Visiting museums in Rome can be overwhelming, as many of the city’s blockbuster collections contain thousands of artworks that fill multiple galleries. The Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese), however, is a compact collection of dazzling paintings and sculptures that can be covered in just two hours. Marvel at works by Titian, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Rubens, as well as the sumptuous Bernini sculptures scattered through the halls. Afterward, stroll through the Villa Borghese park for a break from the bustle of the capital city. Tickets to this small but popular museum sell out, so book your admission far in advance or join a tour that includes entry.

Don’t miss: Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne and the Rape of Proserpina statues, masterworks of raw emotion carved in stone.

Set in the Renaissance jewel of the Barberini Palace (Palazzo Barberini), the National Gallery of Ancient Art (Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica) is home to one of Rome’s premier art collections but is rarely crowded. Its quiet halls are a welcome respite from the buzz of Piazza Barberini in the heart of Rome, and art lovers can admire paintings from the 11th to the 18th centuries by superstars from Raphael to Caravaggio. Pair a stop here with a tour of the highlights in Rome’s Historic Center (Centro Storico di Roma).

Don’t miss: Raphael's La Fornarina and Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes are the museum’s must-see masterpiece double-header.

Busy Via del Corso is not the first place that comes to mind when asking where to find museums in Rome. But this main urban thoroughfare is lined by the massive Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, a private palace with a world-class art collection housed in its Doria Pamphilj Gallery (Galleria Doria Pamphilj). This huge collection of art was created by the Doria Pamphilj dynasty over five centuries and is displayed in four Renaissance wings that line the palace’s inner courtyard. Set within striking distance of Rome highlights like the Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) and Pantheon, the Doria Pamphilj Gallery is an ideal museum to visit after a Rome tour.

Don’t miss: In addition to works by Caravaggio, Titian, Raphael, and Flemish Old Masters, the Velazquez portrait of Pope Innocent X is a must-see.

MAXXI, Rome’s contemporary art museum, is striking both for its envelope-pushing works and for its bold building, designed by architect Zaha Hadid and winner of the Stirling Prize for architecture in 2010. Set in the Flaminio neighborhood just north of the city center, the museum has both a permanent collection and rotating exhibitions highlighting Italian and international contemporary artists. Architecture buffs flock here to admire the building along with nearby highlights like the Auditorium Parco della Musica, designed by Renzo Piano.

Don’t miss: The museum’s facade, with its protruding bank of windows and “MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE” neon sign.

Not all museums in Rome are home to collections of art and artifacts. Villa Farnesina, set deep in Trastevere across the river from central Rome, is a work of art itself, from its 16th-century architecture to the lavish frescoes—some attributed to Raphael—decorating its main halls. Gaze at Raphael’s Loggia of Cupid and Psyche and Loggia of Galatea, both on the ground floor, and take in the glorious halls and gardens as part of a private guided tour. Some tours pair a visit inside the villa with a walking tour covering the highlights of the Trastevere neighborhood.

Don’t miss: Baldassare Peruzzi’s incredible frescoes in the Salone delle Prospettive, with their illusionary perspective of a colonnade and depiction of 16th-century Rome.

The 16th-century Villa Giulia, built by Pope Julius III, provides the backdrop of the delightful yet often overlooked National Etruscan Museum (or ETRU). Archaeology buffs and fans of ancient history will delight in perusing the finest collection of Etruscan and pre-Roman art and artifacts in Italy—much of which was unearthed in tombs dotting the surrounding Lazio region. Admire bronze figurines, temple decorations and sarcophagi, vases and tableware, and intricate jewelry in the halls of Villa Giulia and neighboring Villa Poniatowski, plus a replica Etruscan temple in the villa garden.

Don’t miss: The painted terracotta statue of Apollo and the Sarcophagus of the Spouses (Sarcofago degli Sposi), dating from the 6th century BC.

Kids love to visit the imposing Castel Sant’Angelo National Museum set on the banks of the Tiber River (Fiume Tevere) just a short walk from Vatican City, and the castle with its panoramic rooftop is one of the most family-friendly museums in Rome. Older visitors will want to linger in the Pope Paul III Papal Apartments to admire the Renaissance frescoes, while kids can make a beeline through the five floors of halls and corridors to the collection of medieval armor and weaponry. Book tickets in advance to avoid standing in a long line at the entrance with little ones.

Don’t miss: The rooftop terrace, which offers one of the best vantage points in Rome for views across the Tiber and historic center.