Museo di storia naturale della Maremma
Natural history museum in the historic centre of Grosseto with minerals, fossils, dioramas of Maremma habitats and a full-scale reconstructed cave.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum grew out of the activity of a group of nature enthusiasts who from the 1950s explored the province of Grosseto and in 1960 founded the Società Naturalistica Speleologica Maremmana. After a successful exhibition in 1967, the Comune set up the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, which opened to the public in 1971 and was housed in several locations, including via Mazzini from 1981 to 2002.
In 2002 the collections were moved to the current building, the former Vittorio Emanuele municipal nursery school, which the Comune had restored in the 1990s. Thanks to funding from the Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena, a new exhibition route was designed, and on 14 November 2009 the renovated museum reopened to the public in the presence of Piero Angela. In 2015 the Regione Toscana recognised it as a museum of regional importance.
The route extends over two floors, in twelve rooms divided between earth sciences (minerals, rocks, palaeontology) and life sciences (coastal, hill and mountain habitats, with dioramas of animals in their natural surroundings). The museum's symbol is Oreopithecus bambolii, a fossil primate whose bones were found in the lignite mines of the Maremma. The museum is run by the Fondazione Grosseto Cultura and carries on citizen science projects.
Highlights
- Room of minerals and rocks with fluorescent minerals
- Oreopithecus bambolii, the fossil primate that is the museum's symbol
- Water room with reconstructed sea, coasts and wetlands
- Full-scale reconstructed sea cave
- Dioramas of wolves, roe deer and other Maremma species
- Tree of the diversity of living things
Permanent exhibition
- Scienze della terra e scienze della vita – Twelve rooms devoted to the minerals, rocks and fossils of the Maremma and to natural habitats from coast to mountain, with dioramas, a tree of diversity and a reconstructed cave.
- Founded
- 1971
- Operated by
- Fondazione Grosseto Cultura (Comune di Grosseto)
- Director
- Andrea Sforzi
- Visitors per year
- approx. 6,303
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3University students with a student card, young people aged 6 to 18, persons over 65, organised groups of at least 15 people, military personnel, partner bodies and associations |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 5 · Free admission for children under 6. |
| Groups (15+ people) | €3 per personSchool groups: €2 per student without a guide, €3 with a guide. |
| Families | €12Two adults and children over 6. |
| Maremmaround Card – all museums in the city of Grosseto (4 days) | €10Reduced €7. |
| Maremmaround Card – one museum plus the Maremma Park (4 days) | €12Reduced €8. |
| Maremmaround Card – all venues (7 days) | €15Reduced €11. |
Free admission: Free for everyone during the Scientific Culture Week and at other events promoted by the museum.
Free admission also for tourist guides and teachers with a badge or accompanying school groups (one for each group of at least 15 people), and for documented study or research purposes. The museum is not state-run and does not take part in the Ministry of Culture's free Sunday.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
According to the Handy Superabile accessibility fact sheet (2024), the main entrance has 12 steps, which can be overcome with a stair lift or a steep ramp; alternatively, there is a side entrance at Via dell'Unione 48 with a ramp. A lift and ramps lead to the rooms on the first and second floors; the water room is reached by a stair lift. Two accessible toilets (ground floor and second floor), one reserved parking space in the public car park nearby. A manual wheelchair, tactile models, audio guides, large-print guides and visits for people with reduced mobility or in sign language are available.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €12 · Two adults and children over 6. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
Educational workshops for schools, events and activities for families, and a teaching table with specimens to touch. Children's birthday parties for ages 6 to 11 with a visit, a treasure hunt and making a clay cast (from €150, booking at least 15 days in advance).
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
No private car park; public car park nearby, at a distance of between 20 and 300 metres from the entrance (accessibility fact sheet 2024).
- Accessible parking
The museum is located in the historic centre of Grosseto, between Via Corsini and Piazza Pacciardi.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The building has a conference room; according to the 2024 accessibility fact sheet, the bookshop was being set up.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The conference room can be booked by bodies and associations for cultural and scientific events, excluding political parties and related organisations.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups and schools by booking via the form on the website; over twenty educational workshops are available for schools. |
