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Mobilità & quotidiano

Free entry to Rome's civic museums on the first Sunday of every month

Every first Sunday of the month you can walk into more than 20 Rome civic museums for free — tourists and residents alike. Here's which ones, how to get there, and what isn't included.

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In a nutshell

Every first Sunday of the month you can visit all of Rome's civic museums without paying a cent. It doesn't matter whether you're a resident, a tourist, Italian or foreign — the free entry applies to everyone. There are more than 20 sites to pick from, ranging from the Capitoline Museums and the Ara Pacis to the Centrale Montemartini and Villa Torlonia.

At a glance
Cost Free (permanent collection only; temporary exhibitions charged separately)
Timeline Open-door during normal opening hours; queues possible
Location 20+ sites across the city (see list below)
Documents None required; some museums may ask for ID for statistical purposes

Which museums are included

Rome's civic museums are run by the Comune (city hall / municipality) through the Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali (the city's cultural-heritage authority) and the company Zètema Progetto Cultura. There are more than 20 sites spread across the city.

The main ones:

  • Musei Capitolini (Capitoline Museums) — Piazza del Campidoglio 1 (hours 9:30–19:30, closed 1 Jan and 25 Dec)
  • Centrale Montemartini — Via Ostiense 106 (hours 9:00–19:00, Tue–Sun)
  • Mercati di Traiano – Museo dei Fori Imperiali (Trajan's Markets – Imperial Fora Museum) — Via IV Novembre 94 (9:30–19:30)
  • Museo dell'Ara Pacis — Lungotevere in Augusta (9:30–19:30)
  • Museo di Roma a Palazzo Braschi — Piazza San Pantaleo 10 (10:00–19:00, Tue–Sun)
  • Museo di Roma in Trastevere — Piazza Sant'Egidio 1/b (10:00–20:00, Tue–Sun)
  • Galleria d'Arte Moderna (GAM) — Via Francesco Crispi 24 (10:00–18:30, Tue–Sun)
  • Casino Nobile di Villa Torlonia — Via Nomentana 70 (9:00–19:00, Tue–Sun)
  • Museo Carlo Bilotti – Aranciera di Villa Borghese — Viale Fiorello La Guardia
  • Museo Napoleonico — Piazza di Ponte Umberto I (10:00–18:00, Tue–Sun)
  • Museo delle Mura (Museum of the Walls) — Via di Porta San Sebastiano 18 (9:00–14:00, Tue–Sun)
  • Museo Civico di Zoologia — Via Ulisse Aldrovandi 18 (9:00–19:00, Tue–Sun)
  • Mausoleo di Augusto (Mausoleum of Augustus) — Piazza Augusto Imperatore (advance booking required)

For the full list and up-to-date opening hours, always check museiincomuneroma.it before you leave the house.

How it works in practice

The process is straightforward: no booking needed (with the exception of the Mausoleum of Augustus), no code to show. Go to the ticket desk, say you want the first-Sunday free admission, and you'll receive a complimentary ticket to stamp at the turnstile.

Step by step:

  1. Confirm the date: check that it is indeed the first Sunday of the current month (e.g. 7 September 2026, 5 October 2026).
  2. Pick your museum from the list above.
  3. Check the opening hours at museiincomuneroma.it.
  4. Aim to arrive between 10:00 and 11:00 to avoid the worst queues — especially at the Capitoline Museums and the Ara Pacis.
  5. Collect your free ticket at the desk: €0 to pay.

Getting there by public transport

ATAC (Rome's public-transport operator) serves all major sites:

  • Capitoline Museums: bus 30, 40, 51, 60, 64, 70, 81, 87, 170 towards Piazza Venezia; or metro line B, stop Colosseo (8-minute walk)
  • Ara Pacis: bus 81, 117, 224, 590, 628 towards Piazza Augusto Imperatore
  • Trajan's Markets: bus 40, 60, 64, 70, 170 towards Via IV Novembre
  • Centrale Montemartini: metro line B, stop Garbatella (10-minute walk)
  • GAM: metro line A, stop Barberini or Spagna
  • Museo di Roma in Trastevere: tram 8 from Largo Argentina
  • Villa Torlonia: metro line B1, stop Sant'Agnese/Annibaliano; or bus 36, 60, 62, 90

What is NOT free — watch out

Temporary exhibitions are not covered by the first-Sunday offer. If a special show is running, you may still be able to see it that day — often at a reduced price, but not always free. Always check the specific museum's website before you go.

State-run and Vatican museums follow different rules. The Colosseum, Galleria Borghese, MAXXI, Castel Sant'Angelo, and Palazzo Barberini are managed by the Ministry of Culture, not the city. They also offer free entry on the first Sunday of the month, but they belong to a separate circuit and usually require advance booking at parcocolosseo.it or their own dedicated sites. The Vatican Museums do not offer free entry on the first Sunday — their free day is the last Sunday of the month, and booking is strongly recommended at m.museivaticani.va.

Mistakes to avoid

  1. Assuming the Colosseum is a civic museum. It isn't — it's state-managed by the Ministry of Culture. It does have its own free first-Sunday entry, but you must book in advance at parcocolosseo.it; without a booking you may not get in.
  2. Showing up on Monday thinking the offer still applies. Most civic museums are closed on Mondays. Free admission is valid only on the first Sunday; normal ticket prices apply from the following day.
  3. Expecting temporary exhibitions to be included. Free entry covers the permanent collection only. If you're going specifically for a special show, check whether it requires a separate ticket.

Special cases

School groups: school parties get free entry year-round — not just on the first Sunday — with a booking through 060608.it or by calling 060608. Accompanying teachers also enter for free.

Visitors with disabilities: free entry every day of the year (not only on the first Sunday) for the person with a disability and one companion. Almost all civic museums are accessible. For details call 060608.

Tourists with a Roma Pass: the Roma Pass (€33 for 48 h, €58 for 72 h) includes 1–2 free entries at civic and state-circuit museums, plus unlimited public transport. Buy it at romapass.it. Worth the maths if you're planning several museums in a single stay.

Rome and Greater Rome residents: consider the MIC Card — €5 per year for unlimited entry to all civic museums on any day. A single visit on an ordinary day already pays for itself, no need to wait for the first Sunday.

Other free events through the year: the Comune organises the Notte dei Musei (Museum Night, May, evening opening 20:00–2:00 for €1), full free admission on 2 June for Italy's Republic Day, and special openings as part of the Estate Romana summer programme.

Official sources

Legal references: DM MiC n. 507/1997 art. 1 and subsequent amendments; Capitoline Assembly resolutions on civic museum tariffs; D.Lgs. 42/2004 (Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code).

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