Museum of Science and Technology

The Toti, moon rocks and Leonardo: Milan’s science museum

Italy’s largest museum of science and technology, Milan’s science museum, keeps a whole navy submarine, the Toti, in its grounds. Inside the old Olivetan monastery of San Vittore al Corpo, built in the 16th century, the galleries go from models of Leonardo da Vinci’s machines to rocks brought back from the Moon.

It opened in 1953 and it’s big, monastery and pavilions together, so the map and the guide to 20 stories not to miss on the museum’s site, in eight languages, are worth having.

The museum carries Leonardo’s name, and its Leonardo da Vinci Galleries hold models of his machines, from a hydraulic saw and a loom to a flying machine and a tank. Experts built them from his drawings, so each one is their reading of what he designed, not an object from his workshop. For a museum that’s about nothing but Leonardo, there’s Leonardo3 in the Galleria.

What else to see, from the space gallery to the Toti

The space gallery has the moon rocks and a Vega launcher. Transport fills much of the rest: the Conte Biancamano, an ocean liner shown through its command bridge, a railway pavilion of locomotives, and planes.

The Enrico Toti, launched in 1967 for the Italian navy, stands in the grounds, and from outside you can look at it as long as you like. Going inside is a guided visit, in Italian only, at weekends and on public holidays since 15 September, for ages 6 and up. It’s booked online with the museum ticket, on the museum’s own site, at the moment you buy, so it can’t be added to ours or to a pass later. The museum warns that it’s tight and dark in there, and under-14s go in with an adult who has a ticket.

Out in the cloister stand I Sette Savi, sculptures of the seven sages. At weekends and on public holidays there are also hands-on workshops and visits in Italian, and if you’re coming with a group of your own, guided visits in English take up to 25 people and are booked with the museum.

Science museum opening hours: closing at 17:00 on weekdays

Since mid-September the museum closes at 17:00 from Tuesday to Friday, with last entry at 16:00, so a weekday afternoon visit is a short one. Saturday and Sunday give you until 18:30.

If you’re staying through lunch, there’s an eating area with tables on the ground floor of the main building, open until 15:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends, with vending machines. Pushchairs can be left in the space beside it.

Science museum Milan tickets: reduced up to 26, free under 3

Entry costs €13, and it opens the temporary exhibition too, depending on availability. Children and young people from 3 to 26, with ID, and over-75s pay €8, and under-3s go in free. You can cancel right up to the time of your visit.

The Milan Pass includes the museum, and on the YesMilano City Pass it’s one of the 14 premium activities.

Getting to the science museum: Sant’Ambrogio on the M2 and M4

The museum is at Via San Vittore 21, a short walk from the Sant’Ambrogio stop, where the M2 and M4 metro lines meet. From Milano Centrale it’s six stops on the M2 towards Abbiategrasso, from Cadorna one, and from Linate airport the M4 goes straight there. Bus 50 stops at Museo della Scienza, and the 96 and 97 at Sant’Ambrogio.

If you drive, the museum is inside Area C, where cars pay to enter. The Carducci car park on Via Olona gives you an hour free if you validate your museum ticket.