Turin's Museums

Turin is a city full of unexpected discoveries. In Turin, museums and art galleries number well over fifty, and they are all worth a visit. Many are rated among the best museums in Italy.

Palace of Venaria

Top of the list of all the museums and other attractions in Turin has to be the Palace of Venaria, one of the Top Five Tourist Attractions in Italy, a UNESCO Heritage site and an equal in every way to the Palace of Versailles .

Cinema Museum

Mole Antonelliana - home to the cinema museum

The excellent Cinema Museum is a favorite of my wife, housed within a city landmark, the Mole Antonelliana, an extraordinary extravagance of 168 meters.

The Mole Antonelliana (referred to simply as the "Mole" by locals) was built in 1863 as a synagogue but cost overruns and delays saw the project being taken over by the Municipality of Turin who planned to turn it into a civic museum.

Now the symbol of Turin, it was much criticized when first built, and, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Sydney Opera House which were hated at first by many too, it has slowly grown on locals and is now loved by all in Turin.

The cinema museum, housed her since 2000, is the best in Italy in its field and one of the best in the world, and it pays homage to Turin’s place as the birthplace of Italian cinema.

It is hugely popular and attracts people from across Italy, Europe, and the world.

Take a ride in the glass elevator, through the many levels to the top. it is an amazing journey, and the view from the viewing area at the top is truly breathtaking.

Egyptian Museum

Any Turin tour should include the Egyptian Museum of Piedmont, the largest museum of Egyptology outside of Egypt. The museum is located in a beautiful part of Turin and was entirely revamped in 2006.

The displays are very impressive; one of the top exhibits is the oldest known copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Make sure you get out before closing time. According to local legend, the museum is haunted. I find it all a bit creepy for my tastes—all those mummies.

Other Museums

If you have the time,  go and see the Biblioteca Reale, with exhibits ranging from one of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous works to medieval weapons and jewels.

Torino is home to some of Italy’s finest collections of modern and contemporary art. These can be seen in the Galleria d’Arte Moderna and at Castello di Rivoli . The Castello di Rivoli (the Castle of Rivoli) is a little out of the center of town and also offers great views of Turin and the surrounding Alps.

The list of other museums is long, and some are very unique and unlikely to be found anywhere else. museums on subjects ranging from the Piedmont Museum of Fruit to the Torino Puppet Museum. I love the fruit museum!

Soccer and football fans will certainly want to visit the Juventus Museum and tour their stadium. Juventus is one of the greatest football (soccer for Americans) teams in the world, and their stadium and museum are hugely impressive—a must for fans.

Having said how great they are, I need to warn you that half of Turin doesn't really agree; they support Turin's other great football team, Torino.

Last but not least, don’t miss the Torino Automotive Museum. In a city that is home to Fiat, this is bound to be excellent and is indeed just that (my opinion, not my wife’s opinion). I get so many people asking me about visiting the Ferrari factory in Modena, but if you love cars so much, come and visit this museum too!