Bring museums to children. Kids are natural explorers: curious, observant, and full of energy. They make noise, they run, they get excited. But most importantly, they want to learn. They are made to discover, grow, and improve. A child in a museum is not a “problem”, they are someone learning how to become an adult.
When a museum truly welcomes young visitors, the result is amazing. Across the country, you’ll find incredible Children’s Museums in Italy, where every child can feel like an explorer, scientist, archaeologist, or knight.
In this guide, we’ve selected the 20 best Children’s Museums in Italy. You’ll also find updates and tips to plan your visits.Discover all the latest news and updates in museums for children.
The Best Children’s Museums in Italy: Interactive and Engaging
We truly mean it: “bring the museums to the children.” This isn’t just a slogan; it’s a different way of approaching a visit. Sometimes, museums that are wonderful for adults can be boring or even off-putting for little ones. It can be exhausting to walk through enormous halls filled with stationary objects.
However, there are museums specifically designed to engage children. They stimulate curiosity and the senses, inviting kids to touch, listen, and experiment. These are the Children’s Museums in Italy.
Here, learning happens through play.
In this article, we highlight the 20 best children’s museums in Italy (or, if you prefer, kid-friendly museums). We will start in the North and head South. We have selected 20 top picks, with more ideas found in our linked articles. At the end of the post, you will find a complete region-by-region guide featuring museums with specialized paths, events, workshops, and family sections.
Choosing the Right Museum by Age and Time
- Ages 0–5: Sensory and interactive museums with space to move (1–2 hours).
- Ages 6–10: Science museums, hands-on installations, and game-based paths (2–3 hours).
- Ages 11+: Larger, more complex museums, perfect for a half-day trip, especially those with workshops or immersive experiences.
1. Alpi dei Ragazzi – Forte di Bard (Aosta Valley)
At Alpi dei Ragazzi, located inside the Forte di Bard, children and adults can “climb” Mont Blanc. Harnessed like a real climbing team, they discover mountain secrets through play. The Prisons (with 3D reconstructions) and the Museum of the Alps are also high-impact. To move between sections, you can use beautiful glass panoramic elevators.
2. MUSE – Trento
MUSE in Trento was one of the first Children’s Museums in Italy. It opened in summer 2013 and was designed by Renzo Piano. This is a 12,600-square-meter museum waiting to be explored.
We share our full experience in our dedicated article about MUSE in Trento. The museum tells the story of the relationship between humans and nature.
It’s a science and technology museum designed to explain how we can live in harmony with the environment. Here, you can touch a glacier or travel back in time to the origins of life.
We first visited when our kids were five, and we returned when they were ten. Both times, we spent the entire morning inside. Getting them to leave wasn’t easy. They saw the forest through a wolf’s eyes, explored the greenhouse, joined a workshop to build an electric machine, and visited temporary exhibitions.
MUSE is housed in a stunning building. It’s full of engaging experiences and interesting for adults as well.
Here, the idea of “learning through play” truly comes to life.
Don’t miss the Maxi OoH area, designed for children ages 0–5. Kids can play, experiment, and interact with objects, shapes, and colors. Activities run at scheduled times, so check the program at the entrance.
If you can, try spending a night at the museum. Yes, on selected dates you can actually sleep there. It’s called “Night at the Museum,” and it’s an unforgettable experience.
3. MUCh – Museum of Chemistry (Turin)
Turin offers plenty of museums for kids, but one you shouldn’t miss is the MUCh – Museum of Chemistry in Settimo Torinese. It’s innovative and highly interactive.
The museum is located in the former Siva chemical factory, where Primo Levi once worked.
In addition to interactive exhibits, MUCh has two major highlights. The first is the Chemistry Bar, where kids create “scientific cocktails” like slime. The second is the workshops (by reservation) and live shows.
- Info: Web site
4. Kosmos Museum (Pavia)
When you enter the Kosmos Natural History Museum in Pavia, get ready for a journey.
This journey will take you across geographical discoveries and beyond. The name “Kosmos” comes from Greek and means “order,” representing the effort needed to understand nature.
Completely renovated in 2019, the museum rivals some of the best science museums in Europe. Its history, however, dates back much further. The University of Pavia museum was founded by Maria Theresa of Austria in the 18th century, and its zoological collection is one of the oldest in the world.
Kosmos is located inside Palazzo Botta Adorno, in the historic center of Pavia. The building has hosted Napoleon and Vittorio Emanuele II.
Practical info:
- By train: 9-minute walk from Pavia station
- Address: Piazza Botta 9, Pavia
- Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
- Duration: about 1 hour 45 minutes
- Tickets: €6 adults, €4 children (6–26), free for ages 0–5
- Web site
5. Leonardo da Vinci Science and Technology Museum (Milan)
Opened in 1953, this is one of the most modern museums in Europe. It offers a journey from Leonardo da Vinci to space exploration.
Set inside a 16th-century monastery, it is divided into three main areas:
The Leonardo section, with models of his inventions
The Transport pavilion, with trains, ships, and airplanes
The Toti submarine (extra ticket), Italy’s first post-WWII submarine
A third pavilion dedicated to space
Book now
6. MUBA – Children’s Museum of Milan
At MUBA, kids observe, touch, and experiment. Exhibits rotate regularly, and workshops are hands-on.
The entire visit is based on play and creativity. Even tidying up becomes part of the game. Children learn through movement, exploration, and creativity—together with their parents.
Stop by the bookstore as well. It offers beautiful picture books you can buy—or simply read on site.
- INFO: MUBA
- Perfect for ages 0–5
7. Natural History Museum (Milan)
Take a walk through the Indro Montanelli Gardens, say hello to the 8-meter-long Saltriovenator at the entrance, and then step into a journey through time at the Natural History Museum in Milan.
The permanent exhibitions include vertebrate and invertebrate animals, fossils, and dinosaurs (the section kids love the most), as well as minerals.
Workshops are highly recommended: check the schedule and book in advance.
8. Leonardo3 Museum
The Leonardo3 Museum in Milan, thanks to unique reconstructions of Leonardo da Vinci’s machines and restored versions of his paintings, allows visitors to discover everything about the artist and inventor.
Since February 2023, your kids can visit the museum accompanied by Vivi, our mascot, and take part in a treasure hunt with Leonardo.
That’s right! We’ve created a route suitable for different age groups—a ten-step treasure hunt that allows children to explore the Leonardo3 Museum while having fun. PS: there’s also a small final gift.
9. Museum of Illusions
Just like in Turin, Milan offers so many options that choosing can be difficult. However, one place you absolutely shouldn’t miss with kids is the Museum of Illusions, which children absolutely love.
You’ll find more than 70 installations in an engaging and fun experience that lets you play with science, mathematics, biology, and psychology.
10. Volandia – Flight Park and Museum (Milan)
The dream of flying becomes reality—almost. At the Flight Park and Museum in Somma Lombardo (near Malpensa Airport, close to Milan in the province of Varese), the challenge between humans and the sky is within reach. As soon as you enter, it feels like stepping into a large airport.
One of the largest aviation exhibitions in Europe, featuring original pieces from every era, Volandia was created inside the historic Caproni aeronautical workshops, right next to the real Malpensa Airport.
What can you see? Everything that flies—from hot air balloons to tiltrotor aircraft (a futuristic vehicle that combines vertical and horizontal flight). There’s also a pavilion dedicated to space, with a 3D theater and a planetarium where experts explain the secrets of planets and stars to children.
And of course, you can fly. You can try a simulated hot air balloon flight, and for older kids (ages 12+), there are 14 flight simulators. They can fly in formation with fighter jets from the Frecce Tricolori or pilot a full-scale AW139 helicopter mock-up with a fully equipped cockpit.
For younger children, there’s a play area with an inflatable airplane and drawing tables.
There is also an outdoor playground equipped with flight-themed structures.
Book now
11. Children’s Museum of Verona
This is the newest addition among the Children’s Museums in Italy, and it is beautiful and cutting-edge.
It’s an interactive, experience-based museum focused on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics), designed for children ages 0 to 12.
We love it especially because we were among the first in Italy to experience it. It’s highly recommended—read our full visit to the Children’s Museum of Verona.
Activities for children and parents must be booked in advance.
- INFO: Children’s museum
12. Immaginario Scientifico Science Centre (Trieste)
The Immaginario Scientifico Science Centre is an interactive and experimental science museum, inspired by the Anglo-Saxon model.
Its unique feature is that it has three locations in Friuli Venezia Giulia: Trieste, Pordenone, and Tavagnacco.
In the Trieste and Pordenone locations, the museum is divided into five sections:
Fenomena: the most interactive area, with hands-on exhibits to touch and experiment with
Kaleido: breathtaking images and engaging music to discover science through multimedia
Cosmo: a planetarium to explore the wonders of the night sky
Demo.lab: a laboratory space for experiments, demonstrations, and talks
X.lab: tools, materials, and ideas for highly interactive workshops and tinkering sessions
The Udine location is set inside the Adegliacco mill in Tavagnacco and is based on the mill’s core materials: stone, wood, iron, and water.
Among the millstones and original machinery used to process grain into flour, the museum organizes guided tours and “Imaginary Nights,” offering a nighttime science adventure.
BioMA – Marine Biodiversity Museum
In Trieste, we also recommend (as we mentioned, there are inevitably more than twenty great Children’s Museums in Italy) the BioMA – Marine Biodiversity Museum. This immersive museum is part of the Miramare Marine Protected Area, located in the former stables of Miramare Castle and managed by WWF.
The ticket costs only six euros, and it’s truly worth it.
- Info: BioMA
13. La Città dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi (Genoa)
In 1997, in collaboration with La Cité des Enfants in Paris, Genoa opened La Città dei Bambini, a space entirely dedicated to children ages 2 to 13 and their families, featuring 90 educational games where kids can learn the secrets of science and technology.
After being closed for a few years, it reopened in 2022 completely renovated. It is now an immersive journey through the five senses.
As soon as you step inside, you are surrounded by colors and energy, with lots of fun installations that are also perfect for taking great photos of your kids (and you’ll take some too—trust us!). But of course, that’s not all.
- Perfect for children ages 0–5.
The new Città dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi is not just a place to play, but a true experience museum dedicated to the five senses: seeing, smelling, hearing, touching, and tasting.
Important note: the entire structure is barrier-free and fully accessible, including for visitors with disabilities.
You’ll find four large rooms, each introduced by colorful and visually striking portals:
- Taste and Smell: children will discover these two senses together and understand how they are connected. A standout feature is the giant nose, where kids insert colored spheres after smelling them to guess the scent (I can assure you Tommaso was much better than me). Only the nose will tell you whether your guesses are right or wrong. In this room, there is also an educational activity developed in collaboration with AIRC about healthy and balanced eating.
- Sight: a giant lamp, ultraviolet light, a kaleidoscope, and distorted mirrors. How many ways are there to see? And how is our vision influenced?
- Hearing: did you know that hearing is responsible for our sense of balance? Kids will discover this while “riding” a snowboard, after playing with mixing and creating new sounds. And have you ever tried a scream meter? It’s fun for adults too!
- Touch: a highly sensory room where not touching is not allowed. The 3D imprint wall is especially fun.
14. Food Museums, Parma
Different from all the others, and for this reason unique: the food museums in Parma are an experience for the whole family. The Food Museums of Parma are 8: each museum is dedicated to a local excellence and they are all located a short distance from one another, in the famous Food Valley. Each museum has its own location; only the pasta and tomato museums are in the same building, each on a different floor. One of the things that impressed us most, besides what is exhibited in the museums, is precisely the choice of locations: castles, former factories, fortresses where you can breathe the past and the history that seeps from the walls.
- Info: Food Museums
15. Palazzo Vecchio Museum (Florence)
The children’s museum of Palazzo Vecchio was created with guided tours specifically organized for families. You can choose the visit according to the age and interests of your children. In this museum the key word is: “Learning while having fun!”.
Palazzo Vecchio has over 50 rooms and does not only collect objects, but also stories that are revealed in the form of fairy tales by modern minstrels and court jesters. The Mus.e Association organizes activities every day for families, by reservation, with children of different age groups, starting from 4 years old (in Italian, English, French, Spanish).
At the museum infopoint it is also possible to rent a Family Kit (recommended for children aged 6 and up) with a map and other useful tools for an enjoyable self-guided visit of the Palace (the kit is available in Italian, French and English).
Each visit is an experience, an adventure. You can meet “Giorgio Vasari”, painter, architect and writer from Arezzo, who will guide your children, or discover the Museum Theater, which can be accessed from the Hall of Maps through a secret passage.
- INFO: Palazzo Vecchio
16. Explora – The Children’s Museum (Rome)
Explora is the first museum we visited when we started this blog. The museum is set up in the area of the former ATC tram depot, in the historic area known as Borghetto Flaminio, in the heart of Rome, between Villa Borghese and Piazza del Popolo. It has recently been renovated to make it even more accessible.
You need to book the visit, which is timed (there are four time slots of one hour and 45 minutes), but there are many workshops. It is a museum where one visit is not enough.
- Find all the practical information on the official website
17. Balì Museum (Pesaro)
In a historic villa on the hills of Metauro there is a very modern science museum: the Balì Museum. Get ready, it will be an active and engaging visit. Children can test their scientific knowledge and curiosity thanks to over 40 interactive stations that demonstrate phenomena and experiments.
Observe, touch, reason: this is how you move through the nine rooms divided by themes: perception, physics (waves, light, forces, electromagnetism), mathematics, earth sciences, life sciences (opened in 2016) and astronomy (opened in 2019).
Read our article on museums in Marche for more information.
- INFO: Balì Museum
18. Omero Tactile Museum (Ancona)
Have you ever admired a work of art with your hands? When you enter the Omero Museum, you are given a black blindfold and the visit is entirely tactile: you discover ancient and modern statues (of course they are copies) and small masterpieces made of various materials. Here, to discover, you have to “touch”.
A museum of touch for both adults and children, set up in the beautiful and historic Mole Vanvitelliana in Ancona. The museum hosts reproductions of great works in relief that retrace the history of art, through a “eyes-closed” journey. A unique experience!
- INFO: Omero Museum
19. Science Centre – City of Science (Naples)
In our long Italian journey through museums for children, we arrive in Naples, our city, where there is a museum we love very much and visit very often: Città della Scienza (City of Science). A large science park where you can discover the secrets of the human body and descend into the deepest abysses, a museum where children experience the thrill of exploring the infinitely small world of insects, through workshops, shows and interactive paths, and feel the excitement of flying to the stars aboard a 3D rocket.
Read our article, we guide you step by step through the visit to Città della Scienza, where you will find a path branded Viaggiapiccoli, with a final little gift.
Book
[show_cta title=”Book” style=”book”] In Naples we also recommend Dadom, the sea museum, next to the historic Aquarium in Villa Comunale. Buy your ticket. [/show_cta]
20. MarTa in Taranto
A child in a museum is not like a bull in a china shop: they are a curious visitor who wants to understand the world. The last museum that children love is in Puglia. There is the “Athletes and Warriors” section, the sarcophagus with the skeleton of the mysterious athlete who lived 2,500 years ago, the first national museum Fab Lab in Italy, and the 3D digital printing laboratory. The Archaeological Museum of Taranto, in addition to having an invaluable heritage of artifacts, is truly child-friendly. The museum takes you back in time to the life of “Magna Graecia”. And the new exhibition traces the history of men and women from the Paleolithic to the 4th century BC.
All info: on the official website
Museums for children in Italy region by region
These are the most beautiful museums in Italy created and designed for children. Here young visitors learn by playing. But that’s not all. Oh no.
We took a virtual journey through all the Italian regions to find, from Valle d’Aosta to Sicily, all the museums that can capture a child’s attention, that offer workshops or paths dedicated to the little ones. And we found unexpected little gems in every region.
Italy is not only a beautiful country, but it also has wonderful museums within reach for children and families. We should be proud of it. And we must take our children to museums without fear: they are never too young, nor too hyperactive. Remember:
Here is the complete guide to all children’s museums region by region:
Museums for children in Valle d’Aosta
Museums for children in Turin, in Piedmont and outdoor museums in Turin
Museums for children in Liguria: Savona, La Spezia, Genoa, Imperia
Museums for children in Milan and Lombardy
Museums for children in Trentino
Museums for children in South Tyrol
Museums for children in Friuli Venezia Giulia
Museums for children in Venice, Verona, Padua, Vicenza
Museums for children in Bologna and Emilia Romagna
Museums for children in Florence and Tuscany
Museums for children in Umbria
Museums for children in Abruzzo
Museums for children in Rome and Lazio
Museums for children in Naples and Campania
Museums for children in Puglia
Museums for children in Basilicata
Museums for children in Calabria
Museums for children in Sardinia
Museums for children in Sicily
