Museo Italiano di Scienze Planetarie
Museum in Prato devoted to meteorites, impact rocks and minerals, with the large Nantan meteorite, which can be touched.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The idea of a planetary science museum took shape at the end of the 1990s, when the Province of Prato decided to strengthen scientific culture in the area and entrusted the Istituto Geofisico Toscano with its design. The museum was inaugurated on 19 March 2005 and is housed in the former barracks of the fire brigade, a building of the 1950s.
The exhibition route, with large curved display cases, takes visitors on a journey through time and space, from the origin of the Universe to the formation of the Solar System and of the Earth. Among the meteorites on display are Martian and lunar specimens and the Nantan meteorite of 272 kg, the heaviest exhibited in an Italian museum and the only one that can be touched. Impact rocks and a room of minerals follow.
The visit is completed by 17 interactive multimedia stations, a to-scale three-dimensional model of the Solar System and the small room known as the quadrisfera, with a multi-projection on the birth of the Solar System. Managed by the Fondazione ParSeC, the museum also carries out research on meteorites, science communication and workshops for schools and families.
Highlights
- Nantan meteorite of 272 kg, which can be touched
- Martian and lunar meteorites and impact rocks
- Room of minerals
- 17 multimedia stations and the quadrisfera
- Workshops, birthday parties and summer camps
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso espositivo permanente – Meteorites, impact rocks and minerals on a journey from the origin of the Universe to the Earth, with multimedia stations and the quadrisfera.
- Founded
- 2005
- Operated by
- Fondazione ParSeC
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3young people aged 6 to 18, students, over-65s, holders of the ticket of the Centro di Scienze Naturali |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 5 · Free admission under 6. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree admission for people with disabilities. |
| Groups | –Schools: €6 per student (€3 admission plus €3 guided visit). |
| Educational workshop for schools (per student) | €4Activity with an instructor |
| Guided visit for families | €30In addition to the admission ticket |
| Guided visit for non-school groups | €50In addition to the admission ticket |
Free also for teachers with an Edumusei Card.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
Interactive workshops, birthday parties at the museum and summer camps; the Nantan meteorite can be touched.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided visits by reservation at +39 0574 44771. The museum offers interactive workshops, birthday parties, summer camps, outreach activities and inclusion projects for people with Alzheimer’s and autism. |
