The Museum Of Zoology In Rome Is Alive With Natural History
The Museum Of Zoology in Rome, known as il Museo Civico di Zoologia, is an amazon natural history museum with specimens going back hundreds of years.
Does Rome Have A Natural History Museum?
The Museum of Zoology in Rome (Il Museo Civico di Zoologia) is located just inside Borghese Gardens with an entrance outside of the park. It can be confusing for a first time visitor who is looking for the Rome zoo because on a map they are right next to each other, but they are very different exhibits. One, the zoo, has an entrance within the walls of the Borghese Gardens, and the second, the museum, is entered outside the gardens on via Ulisse Aldrovandi, 18.
The History Of The Museum of Zoology
Founded in 1932, the Civic Museum of Zoology has a collection of approximately 5 million preserved specimens, ranging from the shells of Mollusks of only a fraction of an inch (a few millimeters) in length to a Fin whale more than 50 feet (16-meters) long. These collections derive partly from an agreement with the then Royal University of Rome (now “La Sapienza”) which also collected the prestigious collections of the Archiginnasio Pontificio. However, most of this immense collection is kept in special warehouses and is available to researchers who request to study them or is exhibited on special occasions. The Museum represents a true Archive of Biodiversity, as well as a Heritage for the entire zoological community.
What Is The Meaning Of A Zoological Museum?
A zoological museum, also called a natural history museum, is a place that has displays of dead, but preserved animals. These have been stuffed, or their skeletons are preserved, for scientific and educational purposes. In addition to animals, plants are collected and pressed, also for further study. If you inspect the labels of the animals that are on display at this museum of Zoology, you will see birds, gorillas, penguins and all sorts of other animals that have been preserved for hundreds of years.
Is The Museum Of Zoology Good For Kids?
The museum is inviting to kids, with hands-on experiments and signage that intends to engage with younger visitors. I think if your children are a little older and show an interest in Natural History, then this would be a great museum to see. If, however, they are a little younger, it might not be as exciting. I would recommend, in that case, heading over to the Rome Bioparco for some living animals.
Tickets For The Museum Of Zoology In Rome
Tickets can be purchased onsite, or online with VivaTicket. I don’t think that it is necessary that you purchase these tickets ahead of time as this isn’t one of the more in-demand attractions in Rome.
The ticket prices are as follows:
- Full-Price Nonresident: € 8,50
- Reduced-Price Nonresident: € 5,50
- Full-Price Resident: € 6,00
- Reduced-Price Resident: € 4,50
For more information regarding reduced or free entry, please check out the details from Rome’s Museum System. Also, and I can’t stress this enough, if you are in Rome longer term, like as a student, you need to get the MIC card. The card offers free or reduced entry to some of the most popular museums in Rome for only €5. Typically, one museum will cost more than the card, so it is definitely worth it.
Visiting Hours For The Museum
The museum is closed every Monday, May 1st and December 25th. The visiting hours for the museum are:
- From Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00AM to 7:00PM
- December 24th and 31st, 9:00AM to 2:00PM
- New Years Day, 11:00AM to 8:00PM
- Last entry is one hour before closure.
How To Reach The Civic Museum Of Zoology
The Museum of Zoology is located in the northern corner of the Borghese Gardens on via Ulisse Aldrovandi, 18, so if you know where that is, you are mostly there. For me, coming from near the Colosseum, the #3 tram/bus was a relaxing trip to the Bioparco stop just outside the Gardens. More options include:
- #19 Tram – Get off at the “Bioparco” stop
- Bus: 3, 52, 53, 926, 217, 360
- Metro: Take the Red Line and get off at “Flaminio” or “Spagna” stations and it is a short-ish walk from there.
Other Museums That You Might Enjoy
If you enjoyed this description of the Museum of Zoology in Rome and you are interested in learning about other amazing museums in Rome, check out these articles as well:
- The Rome Bioparco (Zoo) Is Great For Children And Adults.
- The Museo Della Forma Urbis Is Rome’s Newest Site To Visit.
- Rome Historical Museum Of The Liberation Helps Never Forget.
- The Palazzo Altemps Museum Collection Of Sculptures Is Great.
- The Capitoline Museum Highlights Are Historically Beautiful.
- The Borghese Gallery And Museum Shouldn’t Be Missed.
- Is The Ara Pacis Augustae Museum In Rome Worth Visiting?
- The Centrale Montemartini Museum Is A Great Art Collection In Rome.
- The Vatican Museums And Sistine Chapel Tour Planning Tools.
- Is The Bone Church In Rome, Italy Worth Your Time?
