Italy is a destination known for the beauty of its cities and the richness of its cultural offer. The city of Milan is no exception to this rule, with more than 60 museums and art galleries in the city!
During your visit to the city of Milan, you are bound to find something to suit you, between the art and history museums and the various monuments. It’s the perfect way to keep warm on a rainy day or in winter!
Below we’ve listed the best museums and activities to do indoors, with all the practical information you need (price, free day, family-friendly, ticket booking link…) and their location, on our map, to make your stay in Milan as easy as possible!
Sommaire
- 1. The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, a work that cannot be ignored
- 2. The Pinacoteca di Brera, the largest art museum
- 3. The Duomo Museum, the cathedral of Milan
- 4- Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology
- 5. La Scala: a mythical theater
- 6. Pinacoteca Ambrosiana: the Codex of Leonardo da Vinci
- 7. Leonardo Museum3 : an interactive museum
- 8. Villa Necchi Campiglio: Milanese bourgeois villa
- 9. Giuseppe Meazza Stadium and Museum
- 10. Novecento: museum of contemporary art
- 11. The Sforza castle
- 12. Prada Foundation
- 13. Milan’s Royal Palace
- 14. Milan Museum of Natural History
- The best museums on our map
- What to do in Milan when it’s raining or in winter?
- Where to sleep in Milan?
1. The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, a work that cannot be ignored
A must-see during your stay in Milan, this museum houses a single work, but not just any work,“The Last Supper“, painted by Leonardo da Vinci which is known throughout the world.
The painting is exposed, in a room, in the convent Santa Maria delle Grazie. The allowed visiting time is 15 minutes, not more.
We therefore advise you to arrive in advance. It’s a bit short, but it’s a must-see painting, and this gauge allows us to limit the number of visitors in the same time slot, so you can fully appreciate the work.
The before and after areas feature well-crafted explanations of thehistory of the work and its restoration. You can also visit the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie for its beautiful cloister.
Price : 15€ full price for 15 minutes access (group of maximum 18 people) – Reduced price 13€ for 18-25 year-olds – free for under-18s – photos possible without flash
➡️Réservez votre ticket sur le site officiel le calendrier est disponible tout en bas de la page internet
➡️Réservez votre visite guidée de la Cène de Léonard de Vinci, c’est une visite guidée idéale pour connaître les détails et anecdotes liés à ce tableau mythique, pour un prix intéressant sachant que les billets d’entrée sont inclus, vous n’aurez pas à vous en occuper !
2. The Pinacoteca di Brera, the largest art museum
The Pinacoteca of Brera is an art museum that brings together masterpieces of great painters, Raphael, Rembrandt, Tintoretto to Caravaggio, Boccioni, Modigliani … exposed in 38 rooms.
To facilitate your visit, the works are arranged chronologically and grouped according to the school to which they belong.
Price: 15€ full price – Reduced price 2€ for 18-25 years old – Free for under 18 years old and students and the first Sunday of each month – audio guide: 5€.
➡️Réservez votre ticket et votre créneau horaire sur le site officiel
➡️Réservez votre visite guidée de la Pinacothèque de Brera et de son quartier. Cette visite guidée de 2h, en petit groupe, vous permettra d’aller à l’essentiel et d’en apprendre davantage sur les œuvres majeures présentent dans chaque pièce puis vous explorerez également l’adorable quartier de Brera, le billet d’entrée au musée est inclus.
3. The Duomo Museum, the cathedral of Milan
During your stay in Milan, you won’t want to miss its imposing and magnificent cathedral, the Duomo.
The site of the cathedral is divided into 4 areas: theinterior of the cathedral, the panoramic terrace, a museum and an archaeological area.
We strongly recommend you to visit the interior and its magnificent terraces. Not to mention its museum, open since 2003.
It is located under the Duomo church and houses many of the cathedral’s artifacts, as well as works by contemporary artists. Stained glass windows, religious objects, tapestries tapestries But above all, statues and gargoyles recovered in situ and restored to varying degrees of beauty.
Price (museum price only) : 7,5€ full price – 4€ reduced price from 6 to 17 years old – 1,50€ under 6 years old
To find out more, see the tour options and prices below – ideal for families.
1- ➡️Notre recommandation : nous vous conseillons d’acheter votre billet d’entrée, groupé, coupe-file, pour l’intérieur de la cathédrale, son musée et ses terrasses panoramiques (accès escaliers ou ascenseur ) et audio guide en option.
2- Si vous souhaitez privilégier un seul espace, nous vous recommandons :
➡️Soit d’acheter votre billet d’entrée, coupe-file, uniquement, pour l’intérieur de la cathédrale et le musée.
➡️ Soit d’acheter votre billet d’entrée, uniquement, pour les terrasses panoramiques (accès escaliers ou ascenseur), si vous souhaitez profiter pleinement de ce lieu incroyable.
3- Si vous souhaitez profiter pleinement de cette visite pour en apprendre davantage sur l’histoire de la cathédrale et entendre toutes les anecdotes liées à la cathédrale, nous vous recommandons de :
➡️ Réservez votre visite guidée de la Cathédrale de Milan, c’est une visite guidée en français, d’1h30 avec accès à l’intérieur de la cathédrale et aux terrasses panoramiques, pour un prix très attractif sachant que les billets d’entrée, coupe file, sont inclus
4- Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology
This is one of Milan’s most visited museums. This science museum, very instructive, adapted to children and adults, takes about 2 hours to visit.
The museum covers a wide range of subjects, includingaerospace, transport, climate, communication and, of course, Leonardo da Vinci’s great inventions, with a full, detailed explanation of each work.
In short, a must-see during your visit to Milan!
Price: 10€ full price – 7,5€ reduced price from 3 to 25 years old – free for children under 3 years old – ideal for families
➡️Réservez vos billets d’entrée, coupe-file, pour ne pas perdre de temps le jour de votre visite et être certain d’avoir des places !
5. La Scala: a mythical theater
La Scala of Milan, in Italian Teatro alla Scala, was built in 1778. As its name suggests, it is a beautiful 3,000-seat theater with a program that attracts opera lovers from all over the world.
The theater has a museum with a rich collection of paintings related to the world of opera and objects related to the theater costumes, busts ….
Price : 9€ full price, reduced price 6€ student and children up to 13 years old – under 12 years old free – family price
➡️Réservez votre billet pour le théâtre et le musée sur le site officiel
➡️Réservez votre visite guidée, en français, du théâtre et du musée de la Scala, d’une durée d’1 heure pour tout savoir sur ce lieu mythique et emblématique italien.
6. Pinacoteca Ambrosiana: the Codex of Leonardo da Vinci
It is a small museum, count 2 hours of visit, in a beautiful building that hosts a large library in its center with an interesting and rich collection of Italian painters. With a fine section on Leonardo da Vinci, including his drawings of his inventions.
The centerpieces are the drawings from the Codex Atlanticus (surrounded by a display case) and the “ Portrait of a Musician “two major works by Leonardo da Vinci.
Price: 16,5€ full price – 11,5€ reduced price from 14 to 18 years old and students – free for children under 14 years old – ideal for families – audioguides 3€, in English and Italian at the ticket office
➡️Réservez vos billets pour la Pinacothèque Ambrosienne et le Codex de Léonard de Vinci, pour gagner du temps le jour de votre visite !
7. Leonardo Museum3 : an interactive museum
It is an interactive museum that exhibits the main inventions of Leonardo da Vinci. You will find many models and 3D images (over 200) reconstructed from the drawings and writings of the inventor.
It’s an ideal museum for the whole family, as there are numerous touch-screen reconstructions where you have to reconstruct the invention.
Price: 14€ full price – 11€ reduced student price – 9€ from 7 to 18 years old – 1€ before 6 years old – free for children under 14 years old – family price – audioguides 4€, in French (all panels are in English and Italian)
➡️Réservez vos billets et votre audio guide pour gagner du temps le jour de votre visite.
8. Villa Necchi Campiglio: Milanese bourgeois villa
It is a magnificent bourgeois villa built between 1932 and 1935 in art deco style. It belonged to the Italian family Necchi.
During your visit, you’ll be able to browse through the house’s various rooms, spread over 3 floors, with many pieces of furniture, statues, paintings and decorative objects still on display. The house is surrounded by a huge wooded plot of land with a nice swimming pool in the center.
A haven of peace and nature in the heart of Milan. A must-see for art and architecture lovers.
Price : €14 full price – €9 concessions for 18 to 25 year olds – €6 concessions for 6 to 18 year olds – free for children under 6 – ideal for families, children will easily get involved – Guided tour in English and Italian
➡️Réservez votre billet sur le site officiel
9. Giuseppe Meazza Stadium and Museum
A mythical stadium and a must for soccer fans ! A visit to the stadium and changing rooms is an incredible opportunity to discover the playing field of Milan’s two great teams.
The museum is a little small, with just a few T-shirts and cups on display… But you’ll be going there mostly to discover the stadium!
Price: 30€ full price – 23€ reduced price from 6 to 14 years old – free for children under 6 years old – ideal for families
➡️ Réservez vos billets pour entrer dans le stade, les vestiaires et dans le musée (audio guide inclus)
10. Novecento: museum of contemporary art
It is the museum of contemporary art of Milan, nestled in a beautiful building, located next to the Duomo, which offers a beautiful collection of twentieth century artists and some other international painter for a small price.
Smaller, more appreciable, you can enjoy a beautiful view of Piazza del Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
Price: full price €5 – reduced price €3 18-25 years and students – free every first and third Tuesday of the month after 2 p.m.
➡️Réservez vos billets d’entrée pour le site officiel du Novecento
11. The Sforza castle
Sforza Castle (in Italian Castello Sforzesco), located at the end of Via Dante, contrasts with the modernity of Milan. It’s also famous for having been rebuilt by major Italian artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
Today, it houses several museums. You can enter the gardens of the castle for free, to rest and admire its moat, its beautiful facades…
The interior of the castle houses numerous exhibitions. You will find collections on ancient art, the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, a museum of musical instruments and a beautiful library. In short, allow a good 3 hours for your visit!
Rates: full price 13,5€ – reduced price 11 € – free for students 18-25 years old and students – free under 17 years old
➡️Réservez, à l’avance, votre billet d’entrée au château des Sforza avec audioguide numérique
12. Prada Foundation
The Prada Foundation is acontemporary art museum with regularly changing exhibitions.
We recommend adding this museum to your list of things to see in Milan, to admire the incredible transformation of this former distillery by architect Rem Koolhaas.
The foundation is located near the Porta Romana stop (yellow line) in south-east Milan.
Prices: full price €15 – concessions €12 18-25 years and students – free for under-18s
13. Milan’s Royal Palace
Milan’s Royal Palace, known locally as the “Palazzo Reale”, located next to the Duomo in the historic center, is a must-see.
With its majestic facades and ornate halls, the palace offers a journey through the ages, reflecting the various artistic and historical periods through which it has passed.
Today, Milan’s Royal Palace is a museum and art gallery, hosting temporary and permanent exhibitions of international renown. We suggest you take a look at the program. We were there during the temporary exhibition of works byEdward Hopper. A magnificent collection that we loved.
Prices: full price 17€ – reduced price 13 € 18-25 years and students – free for under 5s
14. Milan Museum of Natural History
This isMilan’s Natural History Museum. The museum houses a rich collection divided into several sections, including geology, paleontology, zoology and botany. Its exhibits are renowned for being both educational and captivating, an ideal museum for children.
The paleontology section is particularly noteworthy, presenting an impressive collection of fossils that tell the story of life on Earth, from the first organisms to the giant dinosaurs.
Prices: full price €5 – reduced price €3 for 18-25 year-olds and students – free for under-5s
The best museums on our map
What to do in Milan when it’s raining or in winter?
Let’s answer that question! Of course, in addition to learning a lot and seeing a lot, visiting one or more of the 11 museums listed above will also give you shelter from the rain and cold (because yes, it does get very cold in January and February…)!
To give you an example, we were there for a weekend in January, and had plenty of time to visit The Last Supper, the Duomo and Leonardo da Vinci’s Museum of Science and Technology. We explored the other museums on our other visits to Milan, alternating between indoor and outdoor visits.
Where to sleep in Milan?
Don’t hesitate to staying overnight in Milan opt for accommodation close to the historic center, near the Duomo! This allows you to visit a large part of the city on foot. The city is full of sublime hotels.
Our favorite: INTOMILAN Aparthotel Galleria Duomo, just a few minutes’ walk from the Duomo. The hotel’s location is perfect for visiting Milan. Our room was spacious, clean and well decorated. We had an excellent stay.
We wish you an excellent trip! Don’t hesitate to leave us a quick note or 5 stars below, to tell us if you’re planning this trip, to ask any questions you may have, here or on Instagram, we’ll get back to you with great pleasure.
