More about: Capitoline Museums in Rome: Tickets and Tours
The Capitoline Museums are the first space dedicated to art in history. Located at the top of Capitoline Hill, they consist of two buildings that house an art collection from the Catholic Church donated by Pope Sixtus IV.
If you are thinking of visiting during your trip to Rome, here's how to do it:
:::product-alias-card|id=11626badge=The most economical option|title=Access the Capitoline Museums without queuing and at the best price|description=Perfect if you want to explore the museum at your own pace and not join a guided tour. With this option, you'll save time by skipping the queues at the ticket office. :::
Buying your tickets to the Capitoline Museums online is a great way to skip the queues and guarantee your visit. This museum operates with time slots to distribute tickets to visitors, so I highly recommend buying your ticket in advance.
You can explore the rooms full of sculptures, artefacts and archaeological remains from the Roman Empire at your own pace and without rushing, because even though you have a fixed entry time, you can stay in the Capitoline Museums buildings for as long as you like.
Why I like this option: it is the simplest and most economical way to visit the Capitoline Museums at your leisure. You will not have to stick to a guide's itinerary and will have time to visit at your own pace.
I recommend it if... you like to organise your own trips or know enough about the history of Rome not to need a guide during your visit.
Buy your ticket to the Capitoline Museums at the ticket office
You can buy your tickets at the ticket office, which is on the ground floor of the Palazzo dei Conservatori. The general admission price is €15, and the reduced price for people between 6 and 25 years old or over 65 is €13. My recommendation, both for this experience and for any other visit to Rome that requires a ticket, is to purchase tickets online in advance.
The only advantage of buying tickets at the ticket office is that you can improvise your visit and leave it until whenever you feel like it, but in return you will waste a lot of time queuing and there is no guarantee that you will get tickets for the time you want.
What to see in the Capitoline Museums
The Capitoline Museums are spread across two buildings surrounding the Piazza del Campidoglio and are considered a single museum where you can see everything: ancient Roman bronze and marble statues, impressive medieval and Renaissance frescoes, and stunning views of the Roman Forum from the museum.
Here are some of the spaces you can't miss:
Palazzo dei Conservatori
Begin your visit by entering the building opposite the Palazzo Nuovo. In the courtyard, you can admire fragments of the imposing Colossus of Constantine, a statue that once occupied a prominent place in the Roman Forum.
Continue on to the Tapestry Room, also known as the Throne Room, as it was used as the command room of the Pope of Rome in the 18th century. You can see impressive tapestries depicting historical scenes from Ancient Rome and reproductions of works by Rubens.
Lapidary Gallery
This is an underground gallery displaying more than a hundred stone inscriptions that were used in both public and private life in ancient Rome. You can read informative texts about tombs, laws, trades and commercial matters, and military orders.
Palazzo Nuovo
In my opinion, and in the opinion of many people who visit the Capitoline Museums, this is the wing of the museum that you definitely cannot miss. Here you will find some of the most beautiful marble statues in the history of art, and as you enter, you will be mesmerised by the statue of Marforio, the god of the river, who will welcome you in a portico flanked by niches inhabited by statues in perfect symmetry with the floor design. A true fantasy.
What to consider before booking
- You will receive a confirmation email when you book your tickets or tour, at the email address you provided. Open it to check that everything is correct, and my advice is to save it in your highlighted emails as you will need to show it at the ticket office or to your guide at the meeting point.
- You can return your tickets or cancel your tour at any time, which is an advantage over purchasing tickets through other means. However, to receive a 100% refund, you must do so 24 hours before the start of the experience. You will find the instructions in the confirmation email.
Tips for visiting the Capitoline Museums
- In addition to what I have told you in my itinerary, the museum has lots more to see, such as coins and jewellery from ancient times, which you will love to examine closely if you are passionate about history.
- The Capitoline Museums are open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., except on 24 and 31 December, when they close at 2:00 p.m. On 1 January, 1 May and 25 December, the museum is closed all day.
- You can take photos inside the museum, but flash photography and tripods are not permitted.
- If you are carrying a large rucksack or bag, you will have to leave it in the cloakroom, which costs €1. If this is the case, remember to bring some loose change.
- The closest underground station to the Capitoline Museums is Colosseo (line B), which is about a 15-minute walk away. Some nearby bus stops are Teatro Marcello-Ara Coeli, Teatro Marcello, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Venezia-Ara Coeli, Fori Imperiali and Plebiscito.
Other activities that may interest you
After visiting the Capitoline Museums, if you haven't already done so, I recommend visiting the Roman Forum. There are plenty of guided tours and experiences that take you to visit them along with the Colosseum, and you can read more about tickets for the Colosseum in Rome and guided tours of the Colosseum.
And if you are one of those people who tirelessly visits the museums of the cities you visit, you cannot miss the Vatican Museums. Centuries of art form the treasure of its collection, which houses works by Da Vinci, Titian, Caravaggio, Raphael, and the Sistine Chapel, an essential visit in Rome.
Read more about how to get your Vatican tickets at the best price or take a guided tour of the Vatican with an expert guide to make the most of your visit.