Museo Civico di Storia Naturale

About the museum

The Museo di Storia Naturale is the oldest civic museum in Milan. It was founded in 1838 with the donation of the natural history collections of the nobleman Giuseppe De Cristoforis and the botanist Giorgio Jan, which included minerals, fossils, animals and plants, as well as instruments and books. Jan was its first director, and the museum first opened to the public in September 1844 in the former convent of Santa Marta; in 1863 it moved to Palazzo Dugnani.

The present building, in the Giardini Pubblici on corso Venezia, was built between 1892 and 1907 to a design by Giovanni Ceruti, inspired by the great European natural history museums of the second half of the 19th century, and it is considered the first museum architecture in Italy. Over the 20th century the collections grew through important acquisitions, such as the Museo Mineralogico Borromeo and the entomological collections. The museum also ran the Acquario Civico, built for the International Exhibition of 1906.

In 1943 an air raid caused a fire that destroyed many collections, including Jan’s botanical and herpetological collections and numerous palaeontological collections. The first rooms reopened in 1952 with temporary displays. From the 1970s the exhibitions were renewed according to criteria of ecology, ethology and evolution. Today the museum is the centre of the Giardino delle Scienze, which includes the Paleolab and Biolab laboratories and the Civico Planetario Ulrico Hoepli.

Highlights

• Dinosaur models in room 7
• The largest Italian collection of dioramas of natural environments
• Rooms on dinosaurs and fossils, vertebrate and invertebrate animals
• History of human evolution
• Mineral collection
• Paleolab and Biolab, interactive educational laboratories

Permanent exhibitions

• Dinosauri e altri fossili – Palaeontology section with dinosaur models and fossil finds.
• Animali vertebrati – Zoology rooms with dioramas that reconstruct the main natural environments.
• Storia dell'evoluzione umana – Route devoted to the stages of human evolution.

Founded

1838

Operated by

Comune di Milano (gestione dei servizi al pubblico: CoopCulture-Pleiadi)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Every first Sunday of the month (“Domenica al museo”) for all visitors; every second Tuesday of the month, free admission for young people up to and including age 25.

Free admission also for teachers with certification, officials of the Ministero della Cultura, ICOM members, EU tourist guides and interpreters, and members of some natural history societies. Temporary exhibitions may have different prices and hours. The museum takes part in the Abbonamento Musei Lombardia–Valle d’Aosta and the YesMilano city passes.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum entrance has 12 steps, which can be overcome with a stairlift that can be used only with staff assistance. The museum has two lifts and spacious rooms on three levels. The route in the Giardini Pubblici is on packed earth and gravel: for wheelchair users, access from the large gate on via Palestro is recommended (about 150 m to the museum). There are accessible toilets and a changing table. At via Palestro 24 and in front of number 20, four spaces are reserved for people with disabilities, who can also park free of charge on the blue lines.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

Educational and recreational activities for families, teachers and schools take place in the rooms and in the interactive Paleolab and Biolab laboratories. Free admission up to age 17.

Getting there & parking

bikeMi station in via Palestro. The museum is inside the Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The bookshop on the first floor offers popular science books, educational games and science gadgets.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 120 guests.

The 160 m² conference room, with audio-video equipment, holds up to 120 people and can be rented to third parties. Requests must be sent at least 20 working days in advance to C.MuseiScientifici@comune.milano.it.

Plan your visit