Museo Meina
Multimedia park museum for families in the 19th-century chalet of Villa Faraggiana, on Lake Maggiore.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The chalet in the park of Villa Faraggiana in Meina was built in 1889 at the wish of the Faraggiana family, who also owned a villa, stables, greenhouses and a park of about seven hectares. The rooms displayed hunting trophies and African objects brought back from the expeditions of Alessandro Faraggiana, together with stuffed local and exotic animals.
The complex later passed to the Sisters of Beato Palazzolo of Bergamo, who turned it into a hospice, while the original collections were moved elsewhere. In 2006 the municipality of Meina bought the museum and part of the park. After long periods of closure, the building reopened in 2015 under the management of the Fondazione UniversiCà.
Today the museum presents itself as a “cultural park” for families, fully wired with fibre optics, where digital displays and interactive routes combine nature, history and new technologies. The complex also includes the Antiche Serre (historic 19th-century greenhouses) with a belvedere turret, closed to the public for more than sixty years and reopened after conservation restoration as “vivai dei saperi” (nurseries of knowledge), a venue for workshop activities.
Highlights
- 4D multimedia route “Imago” in the chalet
- Antiche Serre, 19th-century greenhouses with belvedere turret
- Interactive park and Magic Area
- One-way visit, mostly indoors
Permanent exhibition
- Imago – esplorazioni tra micro e macro mondo – 4D multimedia route with holograms, video mapping and interactive experiences, set up in the chalet.
- Founded
- 1889
- Operated by
- Fondazione UniversiCà (proprietà del Comune di Meina)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €7children aged 3 to 5 |
| Children & teens | €7free up to age 2 · Free under 3; ages 3 to 5: €7. |
| Groups | –These rates do not apply to visits by organised groups. |
The ticket includes all routes. Online purchase with mandatory booking.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- 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 main areas are accessible by wheelchair via ramps (some sections are fairly steep) or by lift. An accompanying person is required, and advance notice by phone at +39 0321 231 655.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 2 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
The museum presents itself as a “cultural park” for families, with interactive and multimedia routes between nature, history and technology.
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking
Free on-site parking for visitors while spaces last; group coaches can drop passengers in front of the museum.
The museum is located on the Strada Statale 33, in the park-chalet of Villa Faraggiana in Meina.
Get directionsAmenities & 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
| Good to know | The route is one-way; clothing suitable for unheated rooms is recommended. Pets are admitted in a pet carrier, or on a leash with bags; the management may prohibit access to some areas. Groups and schools may request an area for a packed lunch. |
|---|
