Palatine Museum (Museo del Palatino)
Via San Gregorio, 30, Rome
The Basics
The archaeological remains located on Rome’s Palatine Hill are among the most fascinating in Italy, but the treasures recovered during excavations here are kept inside the Palatine Museum. This hilltop museum is home to a collection of artifacts, sculptures, frescoes, and mosaics dating from long before the city of Rome was officially founded to the golden age of the Palatine Hill in the first and second centuries. Also on display is an interesting reconstruction of the huts where Romulus, founder of Rome, and his brother Remus lived.
To best understand the archaeological ruins on Palatine Hill and the artifacts inside the museum, book a private tour led by an expert guide that includes the area’s most important imperial palaces—Emperor Domitian’s Domus Flavia, the House of Augustus, the Casa di Livia, and the Domus Augustana—and the Palatine Museum. You can combine many Palatine Hill and Museum tours with stops at the nearby Roman Forum and Colosseum, with a single ticket for access to all three sites.
Recent reviews from experiences in Rome
We perform checks on reviews
Things to Know Before You Go
Palatine Hill and the Palatine Museum are especially interesting for Roman history buffs.
Older kids can also enjoy Ancient Rome tours of the Forum and Palatine Hill, especially when accompanied by an engaging guide.
The site offers great views over the Roman Forum, so be sure to bring your camera.
There is a lot of ground to cover in both the archaeological site and museum, so wear comfortable shoes.
Large bags and backpacks are not allowed in the Palatine Hill site or museum.
The site is not recommended for wheelchairs or strollers due to the rough terrain, but the museum is accessible.
How to Get There
The Palatine Museum is located on Palatine Hill just above the Roman Forum, with entrance from Via di San Gregorio. The nearest metro stop is Colosseo along line B.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
Most of the archaeological ruins on Palatine Hill are outdoors, so it’s best to visit on a clear day. The museum collections are indoors, but you should visit both the park and museum in one go.
History of the Palatino Museum
The museum was first opened in the 1930s by the Italian archaeologist Alfonso Bartoli, who gathered artifacts found in the surrounding excavation site in this former 19th-century convent. After a long closure after World War II, the museum was renovated and reopened in the late 1960s.
- Things to do in Lake Bracciano
- Things to do in Lake Bolsena
- Things to do in Assisi
- Things to do in Siena
- Things to do in Naples
- Things to do in Capri
- Things to do in Pompeii
- Things to do in San Gimignano
- Things to do in Sorrento
- Things to do in Florence
- Things to do in Pisa
- Things to do in Bologna
- Things to do in Lazio
- Things to do in Umbria
- Things to do in Tuscany
- Domus Augustana
- House of Augustus (Casa di Augusto)
- House of Livia (Casa di Livia)
- Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo)
- Palatine Hill (Palatino)
- Arch of Constantine (Arco di Costantino)
- Arch of Titus (Arco di Tito)
- House of the Vestal Virgins (Casa delle Vestali)
- Basilica di Santa Francesca Romana
- Roman Forum (Foro Romano)
- Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin (Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin)
- Temple of Caesar (Tempio di Cesare)
- Piazza della Bocca della Verità
- Santi Cosma e Damiano Church (Chiesa dei Santi Cosma e Damiano)
- Case Romane del Celio