Opening Hours of the Rome Capitoline Museums

The Capitoline Museums in Rome are one of the most interesting and important cultural institutions in the city. In fact, they are considered the oldest museum in the world and it exhibits pieces of great historical and artistic value.

It is, without a doubt, one of the tourist visits you must do during your trip to Rome, but do you know when they open their doors and how long it will take you to visit them? And the best time to go? I'll tell you this and much more below!

The Capitoline Museums are open from 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM every day of the week.

In addition, these museums are also open on special dates such as Christmas Eve (4th December) and New Year's Eve (31st December), but with shorter opening hours, from 9:30 AM to 2 PM.

What time is the last time to visit the Capitoline Museums?

The last admission of visitors to the Capitoline Museums is 1 hour before closing time, i.e. 6:30 PM.

However, I do not advise you to go to see these museums so close to the closing time, because if you want to get the most out of your visit and amortise the price you have paid for the tickets to the Capitoline Museums, you will need to be inside for more than 45 minutes to get a general and complete idea of all the collections that this institution houses within its walls.

If you are interested in visiting the Capitoline Museums, the best thing to do is to set aside part of the day to visit them calmly and at your leisure, otherwise it won't be worth your while to buy a ticket because you will hardly get to see anything.

The Capitoline Museums are open every day of the year except Christmas Day (25th December), New Year's Day (1st January) and Workers' Day (1st May).

Keep these holidays in mind when planning your trip to Rome if you plan to visit these museums during your holiday. However, if you are visiting Rome at Christmas, there are plenty of other things to do on 25 December and 1 January.

On average a visit to the Capitoline Museums takes about 2 hours but depending on how much you are interested in the art collections of the Capitoline Museums you may want to stay longer.

The ticket is valid for a period of 4 hours and you will not be able to enter after the time is up but once you enter the Capitoline Museums, you can stay inside for as long as you wish.

The best time to visit the Capitoline Museums is early in the morning or at lunchtime on a weekday if you don't want to overlap with the crowds in the museums.

The Capitoline Museums are at their fullest on weekends, especially during the high season. During the middle or low tourist season in Rome, crowds are not usually a problem.

Is there any day that is free to visit these museums?

That's right! If you want to enter the Capitoline Museums without opening your wallet, the first Sunday of every month is free for all visitors.

So if you want to visit the Capitoline Museums for free on this day, I recommend you get up early and go very early in the morning as places are allocated on a first come first served basis otherwise you could be queuing for longer than you'd like!

After exploring the Capitoline Museums you may want to take a stroll around the area to see other nearby attractions. Check out the opening times of some of the most popular sights next to the museums below.

• Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli: Open daily from 9 AM to 12:30 PM and from 3 PM to 6:30 PM.
• Monument to Victor Emmanuel II: Open daily from 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM.
• Palazzo Venezia: Open Monday to Saturday from 10 AM to 1 PM and from 2 PM to 6 PM.
• Roman Forum: Open daily from 8:30 AM to 7 PM. Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day.