Why go

The Capitoline Museums claim to be the oldest public museum in the world. Their story began in 1471, when Pope Sixtus IV gave a group of ancient bronzes to the people of Rome, and the collection has grown ever since. They occupy two palaces facing each other across Piazza del Campidoglio, the square Michelangelo redesigned on top of the Capitoline Hill, the sacred and political centre of ancient Rome.

Inside are some of the most famous images of the ancient city, from the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus to the emperor Marcus Aurelius on horseback. Yet the museums are far calmer than the Vatican, and the views over the Forum are a bonus no other collection can match.

What to see

  • The Capitoline Wolf. The bronze she-wolf that became the symbol of Rome, with the twins added in the Renaissance.
  • Marcus Aurelius. The original 2nd-century gilded bronze equestrian statue, displayed under a glass roof; a copy stands in the square.
  • The colossus of Constantine. The giant head, hand and feet of a statue that once stood in the Basilica of Maxentius.
  • The Dying Gaul. A moving marble copy of a Greek original, in Palazzo Nuovo.
  • The picture gallery. Works by Titian, Rubens and Caravaggio, including his Fortune Teller.
  • The Tabularium. The ancient archive building linking the palaces, with a panoramic gallery over the Forum.

Plan your visit

The museums open daily from 9.30am to 7.30pm, with last entry at 6.30pm. On 24 and 31 December they close at 2pm, on 1 January they open from 11am to 8pm, and they close on 1 May and 25 December.

For visitors who do not live in Rome, a ticket costs €15, or €9.50 for those aged 6 to 25 and other reduced categories. Prices rise when a temporary exhibition is included. Since February 2026 residents of Rome go free, and on the first Sunday of the month entry is free for everyone. Tickets are sold on the day and through the official site, and queues are rarely long outside the first Sunday.

Getting there

The museums are at the top of the Capitoline Hill, five minutes’ walk from Piazza Venezia, where many bus routes stop. Colosseo station on Metro line B is about ten minutes away along Via dei Fori Imperiali. Arrive by the Cordonata, Michelangelo’s gentle ramp of steps from Piazza d’Aracoeli, for the full effect of the square.

Tips

Allow two to three hours and do not miss the underground passage to the Tabularium, where the arches frame a view straight down the Forum. The café terrace in Palazzo Caffarelli is open to museum visitors and overlooks the domes of the centre. Behind the museums, the free terrace beside the Senators’ Palace gives another classic Forum view, especially at dusk. The neighbouring church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, up its long flight of steps, is free and worth a look. The museums combine well with the Forum and Palatine on the same day.

Families will find plenty to hold children’s attention, from the giant marble feet to the wolf itself, and the rooms are spacious enough for pushchairs.