The best museums to visit in Venice in 2025

Venice charms millions of people every year with its soul suspended in time and space. A port city and a junction of western and eastern culture for centuries, it still retains its reputation as a place to visit at least once in a lifetime.

In addition to wonderful experiences to try, Venice preserves its most precious treasures within its beautiful palaces, which have now become the home of important museum institutions.

If you want to get to know the history and culture of this extraordinary city, don't miss the best museums to visit in Venice in 2025.

Art, sculpture, literature, archaeology: although small, Venice hides countless treasures within its museums. To tell its history and traditions, then, there is the Glass Museum and a museum of textiles and perfumes. In short, there is something for everyone!

Not sure where to start? This list of the best museums to visit in Venice in 2025 is just for you. Each museum can be explored for free thanks to the Venice Pass, a must-have if you want to enjoy the attractions and experiences the city has to offer at its best.

In addition to discounts and concessions for the main attractions and guided tours, the Venice Pass allows you to use public transport for 24 hours and to easily organise your itinerary through its handy app, whose map contains up-to-date information sheets for each attraction, including their history, opening and closing times, costs and directions on how to get there.

Ca' Pesaro is a beautiful 17th-century Baroque palace overlooking the Grand Canal in the Santa Croce district.

This alone would be enough to make you want to visit it, but you will be even more amazed when you find some of the most celebrated works of art of the 20th century inside.

The International Gallery of Modern Art, which has been housed at Ca' Pesaro since 1902, hosts famous masterpieces such as Auguste Rodin's The Thinker and Gustav Klimt's Judith II (Salome) together with works by artists such as Giacomo Balla, Adolfo Wildt, Giorgio Morandi and Felice Casorati.

On the second floor you will find temporary exhibitions, while the third floor is worth a visit because it houses the Venice Museum of Oriental Art, one of the most important collections of Oriental (particularly Japanese) art in Italy.

Anticipated exhibitions for 2025 include Giulio Aristide Sartorio. Poem of Human Life (16 May – 28 September); Antonello Viola. The Gold of the Lagoon (20 June – 28 September); Raoul Schultz. Works 1953–1970 (22 March – 8 June); Gastone Novelli (25 October – 22 February 2026); and Terry Atkinson. Art and Language (14 November – 22 February 2026).

Opening hours

From 1 April to 31 October: 10:00 – 18:00 (last admission at 17:00)

From 1 November to 31 March: 10:00 – 17:00 (last admission at 16:00)

From 1 May to 30 September 2025, every Friday and Saturday: evening openings until 20:00 (last admission at 19:00)

Closed on Mondays.

Tickets

Full price: €10.00

Reduced: €7.50

The ticket grants access to both Ca' Pesaro – International Gallery of Modern Art and the Museum of Oriental Art. Admission is free for certain categories, such as residents and those born in the Municipality of Venice, children aged 0–5, and persons with disabilities and their companions.

Accessibility and services - Ca’ Pesaro is fully accessible to visitors with disabilities. Available services include a cloakroom, bookshop, and café.

Remaining in the Santa Croce district, Palazzo Mocenigo is an example of refinement and wonder that tells the story of Venetian fashion and craftsmanship through precious clothes, embroidery and refined lace. The Study Centre for the History of Textiles and Costume, annexed to the Museum, allows visitors to admire the evolution of Venetian fashion, which has always maintained that luxurious elegance famous throughout the world.

For some years now, the museum has housed several rooms entirely dedicated to perfume and the art of the perfumer. Thanks to the great trade in herbs and spices from the Orient, Venice was one of the centres for the development of this aesthetic tradition. You can observe the muscher's workshop (perfumer in Venetian), smell the main notes that make up the most famous fragrances and admire a beautiful collection of absolutely unique bottles.

Not to be missed at Palazzo Mocenigo, one of the best museums to visit in Venice in 2025, are the exhibitions The Seducer. The Reinvention of the Male Image in the Time of Casanova (7 March – 27 July) and The Male Kimono and Japonisme (5 December – 5 April 2026).

Opening Hours

From 1 April to 31 October: 10:00 – 18:00 (last admission at 17:00)

From 1 November to 31 March: 10:00 – 17:00 (last admission at 16:00)

From 1 May to 30 September 2025, every Friday and Saturday: extended hours until 20:00 (last admission at 19:00)

Closed on Mondays.

Tickets

Full price: €10.00

Reduced: €7.50

Free admission is available for specific categories, such as children under 5, licensed guides and accompanying teachers, persons with disabilities, and residents or those born in the Municipality of Venice.

Accessibility and Services - The museum is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Services include a cloakroom, a specialised library focused on the history of textiles and costumes, and a bookshop offering publications and themed souvenirs related to the collections.

Visiting Venice also means getting lost on a vaporetto in its beautiful lagoon and visiting its islands. Murano, the island of blown glass, is certainly one of the most surprising. Nothing is more magical than seeing a glowing ball transformed into a beautiful glass horse by expert masters in a glassworks.

To discover the history of this unique and globally-recognised tradition, simply visit the Glass Museum, which has housed exhibits ranging from Roman times to contemporary glass and design pieces since 1861, retracing seven hundred years of Murano glass history.

Among the most anticipated exhibitions in 2025 are the 453 pieces from the Carlo and Giovanni Moretti donation (until 30 June) and Factory Stories. Family Stories. Fratelli Toso (12 July – 24 November).

Opening Hours

From 1 April to 31 October: daily, 10:00 – 18:00 (last admission at 17:00)

From 1 November to 31 March: daily, 10:00 – 17:00 (last admission at 16:00)

From 1 May to 30 September 2025, every Friday and Saturday: extended hours until 20:00 (last admission at 19:00)

Tickets

Full price: €10.00

Reduced: €7.50

Free admission for children up to 5 years old, licensed guides and accompanying teachers, persons with disabilities, residents in the Municipality of Venice, and other eligible categories.

Accessibility and Services - The Glass Museum is fully accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Services include a cloakroom for bulky bags and umbrellas, a baby pit-stop area, audio guides, and access to the MUVE Dog-Friendly programme.

The atmospheric Palazzo Pesaro degli Orfei in Venice is home to the Fortuny Museum, a must-stop for lovers of 20th-century art and culture.

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the gallery that carries on the artistic legacy of Mariano Fortuny, a brilliant and eclectic figure. He was a painter, fashion designer, inventor, photographer and collector. Born in Granada, Fortuny moved to Venice at a young age and became the first in Italy to fuse art with fashion.

The Fortuny Museum's collections offer a rich and comprehensive insight into the many facets of his work through five core themes: painting, lighting, photography, textiles and garments.

In 2025, the museum will host major exhibitions and retrospectives, including Sincronie, dedicated to sculptor Sergio Monari (26 February – 5 May); a solo show by Alberto Rodríguez Serrano (14 May – 5 October); and a photography exhibition on Antonio Beato (15 October – 15 March 2026).

Opening Hours

From 1 November to 31 March: 10:00 – 17:00 (last admission at 16:00)

From 1 April to 31 October: 10:00 – 18:00 (last admission at 17:00)

From 1 May to 30 September 2025, every Friday and Saturday: extended hours until 20:00 (last admission at 19:00)

Tickets

Full price: €10.00

Reduced: €7.50

School group rate: €4.00

Free admission is available for specific categories, including children under 5, licensed guides and teachers, persons with disabilities, and residents in the Municipality of Venice.

Accessibility and Services - Museo Fortuny is committed to providing accessibility for visitors with reduced mobility. A dog-sitting service is available upon prior request. The museum also offers guided tours and a well-stocked bookshop with publications and souvenirs related to current exhibitions.

Fondaco dei Turchi, a 13th-century palace overlooking the Grand Canal, is home to the Giancarlo Ligabue Natural History Museum, one of the best museums to visit in Venice in 2025.

Featuring more than two million specimens, ranging from botany and zoology to palaeontology and ethnography, the gallery foundend in 1923 offers a comprehensive overview of the natural history of the Venetian lagoon.

Today, it’s a modern and engaging exhibition space where visitors are encouraged to interact with the displays. Events, workshops, and hands-on activities are regularly held.

Among the highlights planned for 2025 are the exhibition Megaflora by Alice Channer (8 May – 28 September) and the research project A Roman Oyster Bed in the Venetian Lagoon (16 April – 2 November), a valuable study of the lagoon area during the Roman Empire.

Opening Hours

From 1 October to 31 May: 9:00 – 17:00 (last admission at 16:00)

From 1 June to 30 September: 10:00 – 18:00 (last admission at 17:00)

From 1 May to 30 September 2025, every Friday and Saturday: evening opening until 20:00 (last admission at 19:00)

Closed on Mondays.

Tickets 

Full price: €8.00

Reduced: €5.50

School price: €4.00 per student (valid from 1 September to 15 March) for classes of all levels.

Accessibility and Services - The museum is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility and provides facilities such as a baby care and relaxation area, guided tours, and a bookshop. An innovative Audiopen guide is available in Italian, English, and French for €3.50 and can be rented at the ticket office.

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is definitely a must-see museum if you visit Venice. Housed within Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, a beautiful residence overlooking the Grand Canal, it became a museum in the 1980s, after having been Peggy Guggenheim's private home.

This collection is still one of the most important museums in Italy for 20th century European and American art and inside you will find works by Mondrian, Picasso, Magritte, Kandinsky, Pollock and many others. Given the crowds, it is advisable to buy your ticket online to skip the queue.

Must-sees in 2025 include Maria Helena Vieira da Silva. Anatomy of a Space (12 April – 15 September) and Mani-Fattura: The Ceramics of Lucio Fontana (11 October – 2 March 2026).

Opening Hours

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is open daily, except Tuesdays, from 10:00 to 18:00.

Tickets

Full price: €16.00

Reduced (over 70 and other eligible categories): €14.00

Students up to 26 and youths aged 10–18: €9.00

Free admission is granted to specific categories, including children under 10, persons with disabilities, and their carers. Advance online booking with a selected entry time is recommended, but tickets can also be purchased on-site, subject to availability.

Accessibility and Services - The museum is equipped with lifting platforms for visitors with disabilities and offers wheelchairs on request. The Doppio Senso programme provides tactile tours for visually impaired visitors. Guided tours and audio guides are available. A café and a museum shop are also located on-site.

Dulcis in fundo, one of the most important symbols of Venice: the Doge's Palace, the masterpiece of Venetian Gothic art. This building was not only the seat of the Doges and therefore of the power of the Serenissima, but it is also a fine masterpiece of Gothic art, as well as the place where the works of art of the greatest geniuses of the time, including Tintoretto and Veronese, are kept.

Visiting its rooms, you can also choose the 'Secret Itineraries' that tell the darker side of the law of the Republic, visiting the Secret Chancellery Room, the famous Torture Room, and the Hall of the Inquisitors, one of the most feared magistracies.

As this is one of the most visited places in the historical centre, we suggest you book your tickets with fast-track access!

For 2025, Palazzo Ducale is hosting the exhibition The Painted Ire. El Greco and Painting between Crete and Venice (30 April – 29 September).

Opening Hours

From 1 November to 31 March: daily, 9:00 – 18:00 (last admission at 17:00)

From 1 April to 31 October: daily, 9:00 – 19:00 (last admission at 16:00)

From 1 May to 30 September 2025, every Friday and Saturday: evening openings until 23:00 (last admission at 22:00)

Tickets

Full price: €30.00 (or €25.00 if booked at least 30 days in advance)

Reduced: €15.00 (or €13.00 if booked at least 30 days in advance)

Free entry is available for children under 5, residents, persons with disabilities, and other eligible categories.

Accessibility and Services - Palazzo Ducale is accessible to visitors with disabilities, thanks to the presence of lifts. However, the Secret Itineraries, the Prisons, and the Armoury are inaccessible. The museum offers a cloakroom, toilets, a bookshop, and a baby pit-stop area.

Visiting the museums of Venice in 2025 can be easier if you follow a few practical tips. 

First of all, it's always advisable to purchase tickets online and in advance to avoid long queues, especially for popular tourist spots like the Doge's Palace or the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Always check the opening hours, as they can vary depending on the season or special events. Keep in mind that some museums are closed one day a week.

Discounts are available for students (particularly those studying art or cultural heritage), teachers, persons with disabilities, and their companions. Still, it's important to bring documentation that proves eligibility for reductions.

Before your visit, also check the museum's internal regulations: many places prohibit the entry of hefty bags or backpacks for safety reasons, but cloakrooms or luggage storage facilities are often available nearby, including at stations or central areas.

If you're interested in temporary exhibitions or special events, consult the official websites a few weeks before. Venice frequently hosts internationally significant exhibitions in extraordinary settings, including historic palaces worth visiting for their architecture alone. A little preparation will make your experience much more enriching.

For some time now, the Civic Museums of Venice have offered a dog-sitting service, available by reservation, for visitors travelling with dogs.

Lastly, remember that the city is pedestrian-friendly. Consider a vaporetto ride to reach more distant areas, especially if you plan to visit several museums in a single day.

What is the most visited museum in Venice?

The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) was the most visited museum in Venice in 2024. Located in St. Mark’s Square, it’s a masterpiece of Gothic architecture representing the political and artistic history of the Venetian Republic.

What not to miss in Venice?

Don’t miss St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, and a ride on a vaporetto along the Grand Canal. For art lovers, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Gallerie dell’Accademia are must-sees. Also, consider exploring more picturesque areas like Cannaregio or the islands of Murano and Burano.

Is a museum pass worth it in Venice?

Yes, a pass is definitely worth it. City passes often include skip-the-line access and cover top museums like the Doge’s Palace, Correr Museum, and more. A tool like the Venice Pass can save you money and time.

What is the prettiest place in Venice?

Many consider St. Mark’s Square the most breathtaking spot. Others fall in love with the quiet charm of Dorsoduro, the colourful houses in Burano, or the romantic atmosphere of Rialto Bridge at sunset.

What is the number one thing to see in Venice, Italy?

The most famous attraction in Venice is probably Piazza San Marco. Together with the opulent St. Mark’s Basilica, it’s a landmark that nearly everyone can recognize at first glance. However, looking at a postcard is not the same as seeing it in person. You have to try it to believe it.