Why go

The Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci is one of the largest technical museums in Europe, spread through the cloisters of a 16th-century Olivetan monastery and several huge pavilions beside it. It opened in 1953, on the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s birth, and its heart is still the world’s largest permanent exhibition about Leonardo as an engineer and inventor.

Beyond Leonardo, the museum covers almost every branch of science and industry, from printing and clocks to steam trains, ocean liners and space. It is a rewarding visit for adults and one of the best places in Milan for children, who can climb aboard a submarine and take part in hands-on laboratories.

What to see

  • The Leonardo galleries. About 170 historic models built from his drawings, from flying machines to canal locks, alongside artworks and ancient books.
  • The Enrico Toti submarine. An Italian navy submarine from the 1960s, visited on guided tours.
  • The rail pavilion. Steam locomotives and carriages in a reconstructed station hall.
  • The air and sea pavilion. Aircraft, the bridge of an ocean liner and a sailing ship.
  • The interactive labs. Hands-on sessions on biology, chemistry and robotics, booked separately.

Plan your visit

From 15 September 2026 the museum opens Tuesday to Friday from 9.30am to 5pm and at weekends and on holidays from 9.30am to 6.30pm, with entry allowed until an hour before closing. It is closed on non-holiday Mondays, on 24 and 25 December and on 1 January. Over the holidays it opens extra days, including 7 and 8 December 2026, every day from 26 to 31 December 2026 and from 2 to 6 January 2027.

A full ticket costs €13 and a reduced ticket €8 for visitors aged 3 to 26, over 75s and groups; under 3s go free. The guided submarine visit and the laboratories cost extra and should be added when you book online. Booking is recommended at any time and important at weekends, when the museum does not guarantee entry to visitors without an online ticket.

Allow at least two hours, or half a day with children. The site is large, so pick up a map and decide on your priorities before you start.

Getting there

Sant’Ambrogio station on Metro lines M2 and M4 is about three minutes’ walk away. The Last Supper is about ten minutes on foot to the north.

Tips

Book the submarine at the same time as your ticket, as places are limited. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Weekday afternoons are usually calmer than mornings, when school groups visit. The cloisters and the garden are pleasant places to pause between the galleries, and the café is useful for a break on a long visit.

Nearby

The Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio is two minutes’ walk away and makes a peaceful contrast. The Last Supper, the church of San Maurizio and the shops and cafés of Corso Magenta are all within ten to fifteen minutes on foot, so the museum fits neatly into a day in western Milan.