Crespi Bonsai Museum
The first permanent museum in the world dedicated to bonsai: about two hundred specimens displayed in rotation, antique pots and a Zen garden in Parabiago.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Crespi Bonsai Museum opened on 26 May 1991 in San Lorenzo di Parabiago, at the premises of the Crespi company, which had begun importing bonsai at the end of the 1970s, when this art was still little known in Europe. It is presented as the first permanent museum in the world dedicated to bonsai and was founded by Luigi Crespi; responsibility for the collection is entrusted to master Nobuyuki Kajiwara. Since 2011 it has been part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani network.
The collection comprises about two hundred works, displayed in rotation according to the season, over an area of about 600 square metres. Among the best-known specimens are a thousand-year-old ficus retusa that arrived in Italy in 1986, the ginkgo biloba that was the first bonsai bought by Luigi Crespi, and a Miyajima pine donated in 2009 by Daizo Iwasaki.
The route also includes a room with Chinese and Japanese vases from the Qing, Tokugawa and Meiji periods, the reconstruction of a tokonoma (the display alcove of the traditional Japanese house), tansu chests, antique lanterns and an outdoor Zen garden.
Highlights
- Thousand-year-old ficus retusa that arrived in Italy in 1986
- Ginkgo biloba, the first bonsai bought by Luigi Crespi
- Miyajima pine donated by Daizo Iwasaki in 2009
- Room of Chinese and Japanese vases (Qing, Tokugawa and Meiji periods)
- Reconstruction of a tokonoma and Zen garden
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione permanente di bonsai – About two hundred bonsai displayed in rotation by season, with antique vases, a tokonoma and a Zen garden.
- Founded
- 1991
- Operated by
- Crespi Bonsai
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 10 · Free admission for children up to 10 years old. |
| Seniors | freeFree admission for visitors over 70. |
The full ticket costs €7 (VAT included); it can be bought online and collected on site.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours, for individual visitors and for groups, are arranged by appointment. |
