Why go

Teatro alla Scala is the most famous opera house in the world. Opened in 1778 with a work by Antonio Salieri, it has staged premieres by Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini, and singers from Maria Callas to Luciano Pavarotti have shaped its legend. The neoclassical facade on Piazza della Scala is surprisingly restrained; the magic lies inside, in the horseshoe auditorium of red velvet and gold.

You do not need an opera ticket to experience it. The Museo Teatrale alla Scala, entered beside the theatre, tells the story of the house and, when the stage is free, lets you look into the auditorium from one of the boxes.

What to see

  • The auditorium. Six tiers of boxes and galleries around the stage, seen from a box when there are no rehearsals.
  • The museum collection. Portraits, busts and memorabilia of composers, singers and conductors, from Verdi to Toscanini.
  • Costumes and set designs. Rotating exhibitions from the theatre’s archives.
  • Historic instruments. Early keyboards and other instruments from the collection.
  • Piazza della Scala. The square outside, with its monument to Leonardo da Vinci and Palazzo Marino, the city hall, opposite.

Plan your visit

The museum opens every day from 9.30am to 5.30pm, with last admission at 5pm. It closes on 7, 25 and 26 December, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 15 August, and closes at 3pm on 24 and 31 December.

In 2026 a full ticket costs €12 and a reduced ticket €8 for ages 6 to 18, students and over 65s, before online booking fees. An open-date ticket with fast-track entry costs €15, and family tickets cost €20 or €25. Children under 6 go free.

The view into the auditorium depends on what is happening on stage. The museum publishes a theatre visibility calendar showing the best times to visit; mornings are often clearer than afternoons. Guided tours of the theatre are also offered and are the surest way to see more of the building.

To see a performance, book through the official box office as early as possible. The opera and ballet season traditionally opens on 7 December, the feast of Milan’s patron saint, and the 2026/27 season begins on that date with Verdi’s Otello.

Getting there

From Piazza del Duomo, walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and La Scala is directly ahead. Trams 1 and 2 stop in the square, and Montenapoleone station on Metro line M3 is about five minutes away.

Tips

Check the visibility calendar before booking, and combine the museum with the Galleria and the Duomo rooftop. For evening performances, smart casual dress is the norm.

Nearby

Across the square, the Gallerie d’Italia shows 19th-century Italian painting in historic bank palaces, and Palazzo Marino, Milan’s city hall, faces the theatre. In December, Palazzo Marino traditionally displays a single masterpiece free of charge. Via Manzoni leads north to the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, a house museum with Renaissance paintings, and the Pinacoteca di Brera is about ten minutes’ walk away. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II links the square directly with the Duomo.