Easter in Rome: museums open, free admission and exhibitions to see

Museums and special openings for Easter weekend in Rome

Over the Easter holidays Rome offers a wide cultural programme: civic museums and state sites will open with extended hours, many venues provide guided tours and on Easter Sunday admission is free as it falls on the first Sunday of the month. Some museums will also be accessible on Easter Monday.

Selected museums and sites open

• Monumental sites: Pantheon, Colosseum, Imperial Fora (entrance via Trajan's Column), Largo Argentina archaeological area, Circus Maximus and Trajan's Markets.
• Civic and Roman museums: Capitoline Museums, Centrale Montemartini, Museum of Rome, Museum of Rome in Trastevere, Gallery of Modern Art, Villa Torlonia museums (Casina delle Civette, Casino Nobile, Serra Moresca).
• National museums: Galleria Borghese, Galleria Spada, Gallerie Nazionali (Corsini and Palazzo Barberini), National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, National Roman Museum (Palazzo Massimo, Crypta Balbi, Baths of Diocletian), Villa Giulia Etruscan Museum, Castel Sant'Angelo and other state sites.
• Specialist museums: Civic Museum of Zoology, National Museum of Musical Instruments, Museum of the Forma Urbis, Museum of Civilizations and other smaller collections with special openings.
• Archaeological parks: Appia Antica Archaeological Park (Antiquarium of Lucrezia Romana, Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella, Villa dei Quintili), Veio Archaeological Park and other outdoor sites.

Exhibitions to visit

• Greece in Rome – a display of sculptures and artefacts tracing the spread of Greek artistic culture in the capital.
• Vasari and Rome – an exhibition exploring Giorgio Vasari’s deep ties with the Eternal City.
• Ancient civilizations of Turkmenistan – a collection of rarely seen works in the halls of the Palazzo dei Conservatori.
• The Unfinished: between poetics and technique – a look at the creative process through unfinished paintings at the Picture Gallery.
• The colours of the ancient. Santarelli marbles – a survey on the use of coloured marbles at Palazzo Clementino.
• Constantin Brâncuși. The origins of the Infinite – an exhibition at Trajan’s Markets dedicated to the sculptor’s legacy.
• Gam 100. A century of the municipal gallery – over 120 works marking the centenary of the Gallery of Modern Art.
• Villa Torlonia shows: retrospectives and thematic projects, including an Antonio Scordia survey and a display on the emblem of the Republic at the Casina delle Civette.
• Impressionism and beyond – masterpieces from the Detroit Institute of Arts at the Ara Pacis, from Impressionism to early 20th-century avant-gardes.

Guided tours and family activities

Guided tours are scheduled throughout the weekend, including confirmed visits to Palazzo Senatorio on the Capitoline Hill. Educational programmes and workshops are available in many civic museums. For children, "Chiostro Spring Art" returns at the Chiostro del Bramante with creative workshops for ages 4–11 on 2, 3 and 7 April 2026, organised into two age groups.

Practical tips

• Check official opening times and access rules: some shows and routes require reservation or have limited capacity.
• On Easter Sunday many participating venues offer free admission, but queues and booking requirements may apply for major attractions.
• Book guided tours and family workshops in advance when possible, especially for children’s activities.

To plan your visit, consult the official websites or contact the ticket offices of individual museums for up-to-date opening hours and booking information.