9 of the Best Museums in Venice and How To Visit

The Gothic Doge’s Palace is an architectural masterpiece that sits along the Grand Canal next to St. Mark’s Basilica, and tops the list of Venice cultural attractions. Built in the 14th century—with important later Renaissance additions—this symbol of the city was the residence of the ruling Doge and seat of the Venetian government for centuries. Today it’s a museum with richly decorated halls, a foreboding prison, and access to the Bridge of Sighs. Book a tour with skip-the-line entry as tickets sell out in advance.

Don’t miss: The grand Chamber of the Great Council, decorated with works by Veronese, Tintoretto, and Titian.

Though it sits just opposite the square from St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace—two of the city’s most crowded sites—the Correr Museum flies under the radar of most tourists. One of the best Venice history museums, this former royal residence is filled with an extensive collection of documents and artifacts about the city’s past, as well as paintings and sculptures by Venetian artists. Admission to the Correr Museum is included in Venice museum tickets to the Doge’s Palace, making this collection an ideal stop after touring the nearby palace.

Don’t miss: Antonio Canova’s Daedalus and Icarus statue in the Sala delle Vedute, an early masterpiece by this 18th-century sculptor.

Considered one of the most prestigious Venice art museums, the Accademia Gallery houses an impressive collection of works by headliner Venetian painters, including Titian, Tiepolo, Canaletto, and Paolo Veronese. The building—the stately former seat of the Scuola della Carità religious fraternity—along the Grand Canal is a work of art in its own right, with ornate original ceilings and a marble-clad facade. Visit the museum on its own or as part of a Dorsoduro neighborhood tour.

Don’t miss: Leonardo da Vinci’s Vetruvian Man, the museum’s crown jewel.

Ca’ Rezzonico is a highlight of boat tours along the Grand Canal, with its magnificent Venetian baroque and rococo facade rising directly from the water. Visitors to this stunning private residence-turned-museum can take in original frescoes and trompe l’oeil decorations plus peruse the Museum of 18th-Century Venice. This impressive collection includes paintings by local masters from Tintoretto to Tiepolo plus the original 17th-century furnishing of the Farmacia Ai do San Marchi.

Don’t miss: The Ferruccio Mestrovich Collection of early Venetian painting, with two important works by Tintoretto.

Take a break from historic Venetian at Ca’ Pesaro, another jewel of baroque architecture set along the Grand Canal. Inside, the International Gallery of Modern Art surprises with its collection of modern works by Italian and international artists, including De Chirico, Klimt, and Rodin. The palace also houses the Museum of Oriental Art’s vast collection of Edo-era works. To admire the canal-side facade, join a boat tour along Venice’s main waterway before or after your visit to the museum.

Don’t miss: Gustov Klimt’s Judith II, part of the museum’s permanent collection.

The influential American heiress and art collector Peggy Guggenheim fell in love with Venice in the mid-20th century and purchased the unfinished Palazzo Venier dei Leoni along the Grand Canal, where she lived out her final years. After her death, this residence became home to her massive collection, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is now considered the top 20th-century art museum in Italy. Take a guided tour to fully appreciate works by headliners from Picasso and Pollock to Kandinsky, Magritte, Dalí, and Calder.

Don’t miss: The outdoor sculpture garden—now known as the Nasher Sculpture Garden—with open-air works by Max Ernst and others.

Once a luxurious private palace, the historic Palazzo Mocenigo is a highlight of tours through Venice’s quieter Santa Croce neighborhood. One of the city’s most unusual and fascinating collections, its 20 rooms are filled with original clothing and accessories from the 17th and 18th centuries, plus a hands-on exhibit that delves into the role perfume played in Venetian history and economy. Purchase the Museums of 18th-Century Venice pass for discounted admission to Ca’ Rezzonico, Palazzo Mocenigo, and Carlo Goldoni’s House.

Don’t miss: The display of jars holding perfume ingredients from around the world that visitors are encouraged to open and sniff.

The leader among Venice science museums, the Natural History Museum of Venice is located in one of the city’s most beautiful private palaces: the Fontego dei Turchi, former home to the Correr Museum. Visitors of all ages can admire whale skeletons and whaling artifacts in the Cetaceans Gallery, plus the fossilized remains of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures in the “On the Tracks of Life” hall. Also located in Santa Croce, this museum can be combined with a visit to Palazzo Mocenigo or a neighborhood walking tour.

Don’t miss: The ouranosaurus dinosaur skeleton, one of the rare nearly complete examples found to date.

Venetians have been making glass for almost a millennium, so it comes as no surprise that the city is home to a premier glass museum. Set on the island of Murano, where glassmaking ateliers have been confined for centuries, the Glass Museum (Museo del Vetro) houses the largest collection of Murano glass in the world as well as examples of ancient Syrian, Greek, and Roman glass. Stop here after a Murano tour to learn about how glassmaking has evolved through the ages, then shop for an authentic hand-blown piece in the museum’s gift shop.

Don’t miss: The Salone Maggiore (Grand Salon), highlighting the Golden Age of Murano glassmaking between the 14th and 17th centuries.