Venice Museums: 17 Must-See Cultural Gems for Your Italian Adventure
If it is art and culture that you are looking for while exploring the marvelous city of Venice, in this article, part of a fantastic Venice travel guide, you will find all the most famous (and even less famous) museums to see in Venice.
Venice, the capital of the northern Italian Veneto region, is the city most of you have dreamt about on many occasions, with its narrow alleys full of mystery, its gondola rides where to play with your partner like two lovebirds while admiring the magnificence of this historical city from the water.
Venice is built on over 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. There are no roads, just canals, including the Grand Canal.
You will find the Venetian public transport “Vaporetti” and the speed boat taxi, from where you will enjoy the view of Renaissance and Gothic palaces. Have a walk at any time of the day and right in the central square, Piazza San Marco, with the St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower offering views of the Venetians’ red roofs.
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Did you book your entrance to Venice? As a popular tourist destination, Venice has implemented a tourist fee to help maintain the city’s beauty. Learn about how to book your entrance to Venice in my article about Venice tourist fees and taxes.
16 Incredible Museums You Should Visit in Venice
1. Palazzo del Doge:
Doge’s Palace is one of the most famous palaces in Venice. The Palace has been used for many purposes, from the Doge’s residence to the prison of the Venetian Republic. It is one of my favorites; with its large rooms and magnificently decorated ceilings, you will learn much about Venetian history.
It is situated in Piazza San Marco/St Mark Square. It was initially a fortified castle founded between the tenth and eleventh centuries. A Fire partly demolished the palace, which was reconstructed between 1172 and 1178, as was the Piazza San Marco. During this period, the Palazzo was used as a fortress and prison.
Opening Times: Every day from 8.30 am till 7 pm.
I advise you to buy the Skip the Queue ticket with guided tour if you don’t want to wait more than 1 hour before entering the Palace (the queue is usually long). Reserve your ticket and find the best ticket combination for your holiday.
European Travel Alert! If you are from the US and want to travel to Europe, from 2025 you must complete an ETIAS visa waiver form before your trip and pay the €7 ($7.25) fees. This easy-to-complete form should give you instant approval, but it’s recommended that travelers plan and submit their forms a few weeks before their departure date.
2. The Gallerie dell’Accademia:
This museum is one of the most famous museums in the world, and surely unmissable on your visit to Venice. It is so popular that it can get hectic, so book your tickets well in advance to save time and cut the queue.
The Gallerie dell’Accademia is in the Venetian district Dorsoduro sestiere. You will get there by crossing the vast wooden arch of the Ponte dell’Accademia (Accademia bridge), built by the Austrians to move their soldiers quickly around the city.
From the top of the bridge, you will have a spectacular view of the Canal Grande, including Santa Maria della Salute, the Bacino di San Marco, and the Punta della Dogana.
At this point, the Grand Canal draws an enormous curve (the Volta del Canal), so I advise you to stop and admire it (take some stunning pictures) and then enter the most extensive collection of European and Venetian paintings you will ever see.
Opening times: Tue-Sun 8.15 am -7.15 pm. Mon 8.15 am- 2 pm.
Address: Campo della Carità, 1050, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy
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Carnival in Venice!
One of the most amazing cities in the world will surprise you with its elaborate masks, expensive handmade dresses, and district water parades.
Check when Carnival will be (the date changes every year but is usually one week from February to March) and book your fantastic Venetian holiday when you discover all the beauty that Venice offers.
Check out some fantastic Venetian Carnival activities, and don’t miss the opportunity to see Venice dressed up as a beautiful Venetian dame.
Pssst! Do you need help finding a good Hotel in Venice? Check out my article “Best Hotels in Venice with a Canal View,” where I list the best hotels for every budget.
3. The Venice Biennale:
The Venice Biennale has been for over 120 years one of the most prestigious art and cultural foundations in the world. Established in 1895, the Biennale has a presence today of over 500,000 visitors at the Art Exhibition.
The history of the La Biennale di Venezia begins in 1895 when the first International Art Exhibition was created. In the 1930s, new festivals were born: Music, Cinema, and Theatre (the Venice Film Festival in 1932 was the first film festival in history).
Tickets from 22 Euro. See ticket availability.
Address: Giardini della Biennale.
4. The Leonardo da Vinci Museum:
The Leonardo Da Vinci Museum is located at the Scoletta di San Rocco, in front of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Inside, you will have the chance to discover the master’s world. You will learn about his life, works, and secrets.
In more than 500 square meters, you can walk through the exhibition rooms and discover Leonardo Da Vinci’s life and magnificent works.
Address: Campo San Rocco, 3052
Opening Times: Everyday 10.30 am- 5.30 pm (may vary by season).
Don’t risk wasting your time waiting in a queue (it can be crazy long). Book your skip-the-queue ticket in advance; check the available museum tickets.
Fancy Wine in Venice?
If the answer is Yes! Check out the wine tasting available in Venice. With so many different wines, you will try only the best ones!
If you are a cooking lover like me, always looking to try different recipes, try this fabulous Cooking class and tasting. You will feel so satisfied you will tell all your friends about it.
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5. Museo Correr:
Museo Correr is a museum located in the ex-Royal Palace in Piazza San Marco. It combines the Napoleonic Wing and the Procuratie Nuove. It was founded from the art collection that Teodoro Correr left for the city in 1830. Visitors can admire the neoclassical rooms, which feature sculptures by Antonio Canova, urban history, and daily life.
An indispensable stop for anyone visiting Venice, you must consider the time necessary to see this vital museum’s rooms, furnished with ancient furnishings and beautiful tapestries and statues. You can visit the Correr Museum, the Doge’s Palace, and the Captain’s Palace with just one ticket.
Opening Hours: Sun – Thu 10:30 am—5:00 pm, Fri—Sat 10:30 am—7:00 pm.
Address: In St. Mark Square
6. Grimani Palace Museum:
This national museum is an almost unknown jewel. It is not a palace like many others in Venice; it is unique not only for its sixteenth-century architecture and decorations but, above all, for the fascinating environment of the Tribuna, which is worth a visit.
Address: Ruga Giuffa, 4858
Opening Time: Tue-Sun 10 am – 7 pm. Closed on Mondays.
Travel Tip: If you arrive in Venice too early for your check-in or your departure time is too many hours after your check-out, and you need a place to store your luggage, check out Radical Storage in Venice, a website that shows you all the safe places to keep your bags while still exploring Venice.
7. Glass Museum:
On the Murano island, in the ancient residence of the bishops of Torcello, there is this fascinating museum that contains the world’s most extensive historical collection of Murano glass, with precious pieces produced between the 15th and 20th centuries, many of them world-famous masterpieces.
Check this Amazing Tour available: Murano & Burano Islands Guided Small-Group Tour by Private Boat. I highly recommend it! It is a fantastic opportunity to see the most visited islands of Murano and Burano. I loved the glassblowing exhibition when they showed you how fast and efficiently they create wonderful glass statues. It is a must-see in Venice!
Have you ever dreamed about making your glass?
Venice also offers this activity: Create Your Glass Artwork: Private Lesson With Local Artisan. What better souvenir than the one you made?
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8. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection:
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is the most important museum in Italy for European and American art of the twentieth century, created by the American collector Peggy Guggenheim.
The collection includes masterpieces of Cubism, Futurism, European abstraction, Surrealism, and American Abstract Expressionism, with works, among others, by Picasso, Pollock, Kandinsky, Miró, de Chirico, Dalí. It is located in Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, on the Grand Canal, in the American patron’s home.
In addition to the permanent collection, there is a splendid sculpture garden, and temporary exhibitions are periodically organized.
Italy Travel Tip: State museums in Italy are free to visit on the first Sunday of each month.
Here is the List of the Free Venetian Museums:
- Giorgio Franchetti Gallery at the Ca’ d’Oro
- Accademia Galleries
- Archaeological Museum of Venice
- Oriental Art Museum at Ca’ Pesaro
- Grimani Palace Museum in Santa Maria Formosa
- Monumental Rooms at the Marciana National Library
Another reason to plan your holiday in Venice on the first weekend of every month is to enjoy Italian culture and art for free. Keep in mind that queues might be crazy long in those days.
9. The Venetian Arsenal:
The Venetian Arsenal is a complex of former shipyards and armories collected together in Venice. Owned by the state, the Arsenal was responsible for most of the Venetian republic’s naval power during the middle of the second millennium AD.
When the city of Venice received part of the Arsenale in 2013, they created the Ufficio Arsenale to define the future strategy and the redevelopment and promotion of the site.
Venice Travel Tip: The Arsenale Nord can be reached with lines 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, and 5.2 (ACTV stop “Bacini – Arsenale Nord”) or on foot from Campo de La Celestia via the walkway along the northern border wall of the Arsenale.
The North Arsenal usually is open to the public from Monday to Friday, from 08.00 to 15.00. The opening to the public concerns the public spaces and the ground floor of the Tesa 105. The other Tese of the northern Arsenale and the Torre di Porta Nuova are open to the public only for specific events.
During the opening months of the Art and Architecture Biennale, access to the North Arsenal extends to seven days a week, and a boat is available to connect to the South Arsenal (Garden of the Virgin).
10. Ca’ Rezzonico:
Ca’ Rezzonico is a palace on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro Sestiere. It is a significant example of the 18th-century Venetian baroque and rococo design and internal decor. It displays paintings by the best Venetian painters of the period, including Giambattista Tiepolo and Francesco Guardi.
It is now a public museum dedicated to 18th-century Venice and one of the 11 venues managed by the Fondazione Musei civici di Venezia.
Aren’t you going to feel hungry after walking so much through Venetian Art and Culture? Guess what? I’ve got you covered! Check Out “Delicious Foods and Drinks to Try in Venice” to know which delicacies you will enjoy, and then check out “Best Places to Have an Aperitivo or Light Lunch in Venice and Best Bacari.” (Bacari is where you can eat and drink something local in Venice.)
So you will know where to go for a quick and delicious bite between visiting a museum and admiring a church.
Fancy a Food Tasting Tour?
Why not try all the best Venetian food with a guide who will explain everything? Take the Walking Tour with Venice Street Food Tasting.
11. The Punta della Dogana:
Punta della Dogana is a contemporary art museum with the Palazzo Grassi exhibiting artworks from the François Pinault Foundation, one of the world’s largest collections of modern art.
This museum is based in the old customs house, just beside the Salute ferry terminal at the endpoint of the Dorsoduro neighborhood and a short walk from the Ponte dell’Accademia.
It is a genuinely local neighborhood without all the hustle and bustle of the Rialto Bridge and St Marks. It is a brilliant place to kick back and relax with a coffee in a Venetian cafe.
Address: Dorsoduro, 2.
Open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday From 10 am to 7 pm.
Travel Tip: The entrance fee for a combined Punta della Dogana/Palazzo Grassi ticket is 18 Euros per adult.
12. Palazzo Grassi:
Palazzo Grassi is the historic home of the Grassi family in Venice. Located on the Grand Canal, between the Palazzo Moro Lin and the Campo San Samuele, is what you would expect of a grand palazzo with its central courtyard and elaborate staircase.
In May 2005, the French entrepreneur François Pinault bought the Palazzo Grassi for 29 million euros. The restoration of the building was assigned to the Japanese architect Tadao Ando.
Price: Palazzo Grassi + Punta della Dogana 15 euros.
Address: Campo San Samuele, 3231
Opening times: Wed-Mon 10 am -7 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
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13. The Marciana National Library:
The Marciana National Library is one of Venice’s largest and most important Italian libraries. It is located in the lower part of Piazza San Marco and contains one of the most valuable collections of Greek, Latin, and oriental manuscripts worldwide.
You can visit the Marciana National Library by purchasing a combined ticket to see the Doge’s Palace, the Museo Correr, and the National Archeological Museum.
Address: Piazza San Marco, 7.
Opening Times: Mon- Fri, 8 am-7 pm. Sat 8 am 1.30 pm Closed on Sundays.
Are you looking for the perfect Venice Accommodation? Read my Top Hotel in Venice with a Canal View
14. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco:
The Scuola Grande di San Rocco is a lay confraternity established in 1478. The popularity of the cult of St. Roch made it the wealthiest School in the city.
Because of its popularity, it was decided to build a new monumental headquarters and engage Tintoretto to decorate it with his most celebrated pictorial cycle, illustrating episodes from the New and Old Testaments. It is the only historic Scuole Grandi to have survived the republic’s fall.
It is a unique place where over 60 paintings are kept in their original setting in a building that has barely experienced any modification since its construction.
The confraternity remains active today, carrying out its traditional charitable duties and looking after its extraordinary artistic patrimony. You can purchase your ticket in advance.
Address: Campo San Rocco 3052
Opening Times: Every day from 10.30 am – 6 pm. Ticket 10 Euro.
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15. The National Archaeological Museum of Venice:
The National Archaeological Museum of Venice is next to the Correr Museum and the Marciana Library in St. Mark Square. It is home to an essential collection of ancient sculptures, including several original Greek, bronze, ceramic, jewels, and coins. The museum also has the archaeological collection given by the Correr Museum, which contains Egyptian, Assyrian, and Babylonian antiquities.
This museum is of a collector nature and includes a complete collection of works of the 16th century acquired by well-known Venetian families.
Open April 1st to October 31st from 10.00 am to 7.00 pm.
Open November 1st to March 31st from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.
With the Doge’s Palace Ticket: 30 Euros (The ticket includes the visits to Marciana National Library, Palazzo Ducale, the Correr Museum and the Archeological Museum)
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16. The Jewish Museum of Venice:
The Jewish Museum of Venice is situated in the Campo of the Ghetto Novo, between the two most ancient Venetian synagogues, and it was founded in 1953 by the Jewish Community of Venice.
The exposition’s precious objects are essential examples of goldsmith and textile manufacture between the 16th and 19th centuries. The museum also offers a wide selection of ancient books and manuscripts and some objects used in the most critical moments of the cycle of civil and religious life.
Also unmissable is the Private Cannaregio and Jewish Quarter Tour, where you can learn about one of Venice’s most visited areas.
Address: Campo di Ghetto Nuovo, 2902.
Opening Times: Thursdays: 2 pm – 6:30 pm; Fridays and Sundays: 10 am – 5:30 pm
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17. Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo:
The Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is a charming little palace known for its external spiral arch staircase. It is located near Campo Manin, between Campo San Bartolo and Campo Santo Stefano.
You can purchase tickets here to visit the inside of this beautiful Palace, or if you are on a tight schedule, just passing by and looking at it from the outside will allow you to take stunning pictures.
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