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Galileo Museum

Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Credit Shutterstock.com/Jerome Paris

Last updated: 09 July, 2024

Named after one of the most famous scientists in history, this museum holds a collection of more than 1,000 scientific instruments and related objects inherited from the Medici family and Lorraine dynasty.

Highlights include Ludovico Buti’s optical trick, a portrait of a man in a ruff that becomes a woman in the mirror; gruesome wax models of foetuses in the womb for 18th-century medical students; and two preserved fingers belonging to Galileo Galilei himself.

Logistics

Price from: £9

Minimum age: 0

Age suitable: 8+

When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

The museum is located behind the Uffizi, on the banks of the Arno. Thankfully, queues are rare.

Clear explanations of exhibits are on offer, and you can interact with exhibits to understand why and how some of the original instruments kept in the museum’s historical collection work. There’s a handy section on the website that summarises the key masterpieces to look for – worth a read before you go. If science is your thing, you can book onto a guided tour with an expert for a deeper insight and some fascinating insider facts.

When to do it

The museum is open all year round, seven days a week.

Who to go with: organised tours

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Small-group Guided tour of Galileo's Museum

Florence

Viator

Step back in time to discover one of the greatest minds in history with this exclusive small group (max 9 persons) 1.5-hour guided tour through the Galileo's National Science Museum of Florence. Join this 90-minutes small-group tour along with your official specialized guide that will unveil you all the secrets contained in this rare Museum. Get out of the crowds and lines, and get to know some original scientific tools made by Galileo himself such as some telescopes and lenses that he used to discover Jupiter's moon. This is the only museum in the world where you can admire his original scientific items.

Price €114

Min age 0

Rating 4.75 / 5 [12 ratings]

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