10 Best Museums in Turin

Turin is a city overshadowed by history, art and culture, so it's no wonder it has some of the best museums in all of Europe. Its learning spaces are well worth a visit, as you'll come across fascinating collections of oriental art, secrets of ancient Egypt and even learn more about the Shroud of Turin where the body of Jesus Christ is believed to have been wrapped.

Beyond art and history, there are also museums to explore the history of Lavazza coffee, as well as the history of Turinese vermouth, a type of wine that is highly coveted worldwide. A museum tour is one of the best things to do in Turin, especially if you want to uncover local secrets. Find out what are some of the best museums in Turin, for an evening full of history and fun.

The Egyptian Museum of Turin houses iconic Egyptian collections, where you can discover the most interesting secrets of the city on the River Nile. This building came to Piedmont, due to the fondness for Egyptian culture of the Savoy dynasty family. Other local legends believe it was built in honor of the Egyptian prince Pa Rahotep, who allegedly escaped his country in the 15th century BC and discovered the Turin lands before the Romans.

Beyond the numerous legends, the museum arrived in Turin in 1724 and has more than 37,000 artifacts worth a look. Here you will see statues of renowned pharaohs such as Tutankhamun, Ramses II and Amun. You will also witness an ancient image of the acrobatic dancer, which represents the gymnastic dances of Egypt. All these pieces arrived on boats, after several Italian kings negotiated their purchase for an unknown value. In general, you can make this visit on your own, although I recommend you consider a guided tour to avoid the queues and enjoy the company of an expert guide.

Details of interest

• Price: from €15 per person, although you can get guided tours without queues from €58.
• Location: located in Via Accademia delle Scienze, in the heart of the old town.
• Hours: it is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., while on Mondays it is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.. On Mondays it is open from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm. .
• How to get there: if you are in the center you can get there on foot. From other areas you can take advantage of public transport routes, such as the Gruppo Torinese Trasporti tramway, which starts at 1 euro and picks up passengers every ten minutes. You can also opt for the best tourist buses in Turin, as the red route usually connects with the main museums.

The National Museum of Cinema is a multifaceted building, where you will find fascinating stories and enjoy unparalleled panoramic views. This is because it shares space with Mole Antonelliana, a dome of great architectural beauty with a 360° viewpoint and a panoramic elevator that reveals every inch of Turin. Under its structure is the museum itself, which collects objects, costumes and posters of Italian cinema.

It can be considered a double visit, so that alone makes it worthy of your time. Here you will discover movie anecdotes and a large collection from the 1940s to the present day. Undoubtedly, it preserves a great historical and cultural heritage with cinematographic devices, optical boxes and a cinema hall where films that marked history are screened, such as the classic Cabiria (1914).

Details of interest

• Price: there are three types of tickets, please note before booking. From 12 euros you can enter the museum, but if you just want to enjoy the viewpoint you can pay around 9 euros. The combined ticket to both attractions starts at 17 euros, although guided tours are available from 77 euros.
• Location: in the middle of Via Montebello.
• Hours: open every day (except Tuesdays) from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, and on Saturdays it is open until 10:00 pm.
• How to get there: you can use the city streetcar, or if you plan to be in Turin for at least 2 days, venture out on a tour on the local tourist bus.

The National Automobile Museum is a building noted for its complete collection of cars, motorcycles and historical pieces. It is estimated to have a stock of 200 automobiles of eight well-known brands. It is ideal if you are looking for things to do in Turin with children, as it has activities for the little ones such as a workshop where they can create their own car.

It is full of technology, automotive science findings and curious engines, for example you can see the first car that circulated in Italy. Or visit its thematic rooms spread over three floors: "The automobile and design" on the first floor, "Man and the automobile" on the second floor and finally "The automobile and the twentieth century" on the second floor.

Interesting details

• Price: you'll find tickets from €15, although there are also guided tours combined with Turin' s best tour buses from €42. It is free for children under five, and is included in the Torino+Piemonte Card.
• Location: in Corso Unità d'Italia.
• Hours: from Tuesday to Sunday and holidays from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, while on Mondays it is open from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
• How to get there: you can take advantage of local transport, or tourist buses.

Another essential stop during your museum route in Turin, is the Museum of Oriental Art, also known as MAO. It has been located in this Italian city since 2008 and its collections revolve around artistic finds from different Asian communities such as China, Japan and Pakistan. For example, ancient treasures are hidden here in the themed rooms that offer a tour of Islamic art, Chinese funerary art and Japanese secular art.

On the first floor you can marvel at the Japanese gardens, a place that exudes peace and tranquility. Take the time to stroll through one of the richest collections of Asian art in Italy, which is filled with paintings, ceramics, engravings and objects from the Himalayas. It has temporary exhibits that may surprise you, but permanent exhibits you may encounter on your visit include:

• South and Southeast Asian Gallery: it brings together collections of objects from India, Gandhara and Indochina.
• China Gallery: is a space with rescued objects dating from 3000 BC to 900 AD.
• Japan Gallery: here I recommend you to detail the Japanese screens and statues.
• Himalayan Gallery: has books that were used for rituals, as well as sacred objects and paintings.
• Islam Gallery: it gathers art from the Middle East, Persia, Turkey and the ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia. Mostly ancient manuscripts are highlighted.

Details of interest

• Price: from 10 euros, there are also reduced prices for seniors and young people between eighteen and twenty-five years. In addition, children under eighteen are free.
• Location: in the historic Palazzo Mazzonis.
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed on Mondays.
• How to get there: it is easy to reach on foot from the central part of Turin, although there are many transportation options such as buses, streetcars and cabs.

The Madama Palace has a spectacular Museum of Ancient Art founded in 1860. It functions as a gallery with over 60,000 works, including paintings and sculptures. The exhibits take you on a journey through time, from the Byzantine period to the 19th century. Of course, it can be complemented by a visit to the palace, considered one of the most elegant buildings in Turin with more works of art from different periods.

During the tour of the museum you will be able to appreciate:

• Moat level: objects and works of art dating back to the Middle Ages. It offers a medieval garden and goldsmith pieces.
• First floor: with works from 1300 to the Renaissance.
• Second floor: you will find a picture gallery, Baroque style rooms and art objects ranging from 1,600 to 1,700.
• Second floor: a mixture of art pieces rescued from different periods.

Details of interest

• Price: from 8 euros.
• Location: in Piazza Castello, in the middle of Via Magenta.
• Hours: from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
• How to get there: you can get around by public transport, or take advantage of Turin's best tourist buses.

The Museum of the Shroud of Jesus Christ in Turin is a museum and crypt, of great historical value. Its main attraction is the woven linen sheet, where the body of Jesus Christ was wrapped. Of course, it is an authentic relic accompanied by other sacred objects, which have been rescued to ensure their preservation. For example, you can see the bronze medallion that was rescued from the bottom of the Seine.

This medal is carved with the face of Christ and is an exact reproduction of the lines that are distinguished on the cloth that dried the blood and sweat of Jesus during the way of the crucifixion and on the Shroud itself. As for the Shroud, it is believed that in the 14th century a small church was created to preserve it, and that it even had a pilgrimage through Europe. Later, the Savoy dynasty recovered it to preserve it in the Sacra di Santa Michele. Finally, in 1998 an exclusive sanctuary was created for its preservation.

Details of interest

• Price: from 15 euros with discounts for children, youth and seniors.
• Location: in Via San Domenico.
• Hours: every day from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
• How to get there: you can walk from the center, or take the local streetcar.

The Museo Carpano in Tur in is one of the oldest museums of its kind, where you can delve into the history of the Carpano family. It is a lineage that left a mark in Turin, as Antonio Benedetto Carpano was the creator of the first vermouth in the world.

It is a wine enriched with aromatic herbs, considered the favorite of the nobles, who used to drink this traditional beverage and adjusted it to their taste. Those who wanted it sweeter would ask for it with vanilla and those who preferred bitter flavors would opt for cinchona extract.

A trip through this museum will allow you to discover artifacts and exhibits, which delve into the origin of wine. You will also find prized family possessions such as paintings, sculptures and other pieces of art. The most interesting thing is to do tastings and go through the exhibition of the aromas contained in the main herbs present in the different types of vermouth.

Interesting details

• Price: admission is free.
• Location: in Via Ermanno Fenoglietti, right in the heart of Turin.
• Hours: every day from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.
• How to get there: you have many options such as metro, bus and streetcar.

Pietro Micca was a Savoyard soldier whose story was immortalized by his sacrifice to save the city from French troops. For this reason, he has his own museum known as the Museo Civico Pietro Micca e dell'Assedio, which has been in Turin since 1961. It can be combined with a tour of the subway passages, as this historical figure was involved in the construction of them.

In fact, on the first floor there is a model with the network of subway tunnels, and following the instructions you can find a shortcut to the passages. It is ideal if you are looking for things to do in Turin with children, as it is a space with touching stories where they will be inspired by this local hero.

Details of interest

• Price: from 4 euros.
• Location: in Via Francesco Guicciardini.
• Hours: every day (except Mondays) from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
• How to get there: you can take advantage of the streetcar and bus lines.

The Lavazza Museum of Tur in is an interactive space where you can explore the traditional Turinese coffee and the trajectory of the Lavazza coffee brand, which has been on the market for more than 120 years. It has two floors full of attractive entertainment options such as:

• Casa Lavazza: visit the family home, to explore their lifestyle and discover what inspired the construction of this strong brand.
• The Factory: here is where the magic takes place, it is a tour full of contrasts where you can listen to the coffee machines, delight in the aromas and taste a high quality coffee.
• La Plaza: in this place different coffee rituals take place, considered a tradition since the 60s.
• L'Universo: is an interactive exhibition, where you will understand what makes Lavazza coffee unique.

Details of interest

• Price: about 8 euros.
• Location: in the Aurora district, near Via Bologna.
• Hours: from Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
• How to get there: the best way to get there is by bus.

If you are a sports fan, you can't miss the J-Museum of Turin, a space dedicated to the Italian soccer club Juventus. This experience allows you to get to know the locker rooms and behind-the-scenes that spectators don't see on the field. In addition, you'll get a glimpse of the press area, as well as private collections.

You can discover the club's impact on Italian soccer, while being treated to jerseys signed by the players. You may even be taken to the trophy room to learn about the team's victories. There are audio-guided and guided tours, so you can decide what best fits your itinerary.

Details of interest

• Price: from 15 euros.
• Location: near Via Druento.
• Hours: daily from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.
• How to get there: accessible by public transport in Turin.