The best museums in Turin, Italy

What are the best museums in Turin?

Museum lovers will definitely love Turin.

The museums in Turin are exceptional and Turin’s palaces are simply gorgeous.

You can spend a good few days in this beautiful city in the north of Italy just exploring all the museums and palaces it has to offer.

Get an offline map of all the places in this guide

Updated in 2026

Best museums in Turin: my top 3 (TL;DR)

• The National Cinema Museum: A fascinating museum inside an impressive building
• The Royal Palace of Turin: A beautiful complex of galleries and palace rooms
• The Egyptian Museum: A unique collection
• And an extra tip: the Museum of Decorative Arts is a hidden gem worth visiting.

The best museums in Turin

The National Cinema Museum

This is one of the most famous museums in Turin, and when you visit you’ll see why.

Turin’s National Cinema Museum (Museo Nazionale del Cinema) is a film lover’s paradise. Its spirals upward through 3,000 artefacts and a glass lift that shoots you straight through cinema history.

It’s certainly one of the most unique museums I’ve seen. It’s full of surprises.

What I liked about it most:

• It’s an experiential museum with all sorts of interactive items and many special screening rooms.
• It was fascinating to see all the methods used throughout history to present moving images.
• The building has a wonderful dome that makes the experience even more unique.

The National Cinema Museum tickets and tours

• Entry is included in the Torino Card (city pass).
• Entry ticket with panoramic elevator ride – this is a combo ticket for a guided visit to the museum and then a ride up the elevator in the same building for a panoramic view from the highest point in Turin.
• Entry ticket with an audio guide – this is a good option for anyone who wants to explore at their own pace with an audio guide.

What to see at the National Cinema Museum

The first part of the museum covers the history of cinema, all the way from shadow theatre (beautiful!) through replicas of ancient equipment and a cool panorama of Turin that might make you a bit dizzy.

I learnt about quite a lot of old techniques I had no idea ever existed.

After the historical part, you move on to the modern part where things look much more familiar.

The layout of this part of the museum is just wonderful.

The Cinema Museum is housed in the Mole Antonelliana – an iconic building in Turin that you see in all the postcards.

When you reach the modern part of the museum, look up to see its dome from the inside.

You can take the panoramic lift while you’re there to see the city from above.

Towards the end of your visit to the museum, it may feel like you’ve seen enough for one day, but don’t miss the movie poster gallery, especially if you’re a fan of vintage movie posters.

There is a lot to see in this museum. If you’re short on time, just focus on the highlights marked with a big red eye. Descriptions in English are available for everything on display. Alternatively, you can take a 2-hour guided tour.

The Egyptian Museum in Turin

The Egyptian Museum (Museo Egizio) is also one of the best museums in Turin and one of the world’s best Egyptian collections outside Egypt.

The museum has a fascinating collection all about ancient Egyptian art and culture with over 30,000 artefacts.

It’s a great way to learn history by looking at ancient artefacts, some of which look almost intact.

Expect to see art, religious relics, mummies, sarcophagi, and entire tomb reconstructions.

Exhibition texts are available in English, Italian, and Arabic.

The Egyptian Museum tickets and tours

This is the kind of museum you want to see with some guidance.

Entry is included in the Torino Card (city pass), which is what I used. When you get your ticket, I recommend you get the audio guide, that’s also available in English.

It is invaluable and will help you make the most of the visit, make sense of what you see and navigate the large collection.

You can take the full 90 minute tour or a shorter 1 hour tour with the audio guide.

Another option is to take a guided tour:

• Group tour: join a group and see the museum with a professional guide.
• Private tour: spend 2 hours with a private guide who will customise the tour to your itinerary and interests.

Palazzo Madama and the Museum of Ancient Art

Right in the central Piazza Castello, close to the Royal Palace, is the palace that was historically used by two queens of the Savoy family, hence the name “Madama”.

You can’t miss its impressive facade and the interior is just as magnificent.

The architecture is a mix of Roman foundations, a medieval castle, a Renaissance facade and a Baroque staircase by Juvara, all in one building.

It used to be Italy’s first parliament. These days it houses a large and impressive collection of decorative arts on the top floor and the Civic Museum of Ancient Art (Museo Civico di Arte Antica), with medieval Renaissance and Baroque works of art.

If you love ancient art, decorative art, and beautiful interiors, this museum is definitely worth a visit.

I especially loved the Baroque floor, the rooms are just steeped in luxury!

Palazzo Madama tickets and tours

• Entry is included in the Torino Card (city pass).
• Palazzo Madama skip the line ticket
• Guided tour of Palazzo Madama: a small group tour

The Museum of Decorative Arts

This gem is one of the best museums in Turin that some visitors might miss.

The Museum of Decorative Arts (Fondazione Accorsi Ometto – Museo di Arti Decorative) is a private museum based on a collection of an antique dealer from Turin.

Tucked into a 19th-century palazzo, this is the kind of museum that feels more like snooping around a very rich person’s house.

Pietro Accorsi was an antique dealer who left his entire collection to the city.

The result is 27 rooms packed with French and Italian furniture, porcelain, clocks, silverware and paintings spanning four centuries.

The display is truly impressive. We started the tour with a curated collection of small items, such as porcelain dinnerware, snuff boxes and jewellery from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Later on in the tour we reached what for me was the highlight, or more like a series of highlights, of this museum.

Gorgeous reproductions of themed rooms with exquisite and unique interior design: living rooms, a music room , a Chinese style room, various bedrooms and so on.

All of them include artworks, sculpture, and furniture, with great attention to detail.

To visit the museum, you need a guided tour (included in your ticket). Specify the language you require when you make a reservation at the ticket office, as some tours are only in Italian.

Entry is included in the Torino Card.

The Royal Palace of Turin

In the centre of Turin, in Piazza Castello, a large building with a white facade houses Turin’s Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale di Torino).

This was the official residence of the Savoy dynasty for over two centuries. You’ll hear about them a lot when you visit Turin…

The Palace is now a museum, or rather a collection of several museums next to each other in the same building, that you can access with the same ticket.

Expect room after room of gilded ceilings, frescoed walls, Chinese cabinets and thrones.

Follow the arrows along the visitor route to see the gorgeous rooms of the palace.

There are clear explanations in English in each room about what it was used for.

The complex includes Galleria Sabauda, where you can view the Royal art collection.

Visit the chapel of the shroud with its beautiful dome by local architect Gaurini, who designed quite a few of the most important buildings in the city.

Don’t skip the armoury room. I’m not into swords and helmets myself, but the painted ceiling in the room is worth it!

Before or after your visit to the Palace, you can also take a walk around the lovely Royal Gardens that are open to the public.

Entry is included in the Torino Card.

You can also take a guided tour of the palace.

Palazzo Carignano

This was one of my favourite palaces in Turin.

When you walk around the city, not too far from Piazza Castello, you’ll come across a beautifully symmetrical red-brick building.

The building is a Baroque masterpiece by Guarino Guarini, with a curved brick facade that looks like it’s in motion.

Inside you’ll get a chance to see the splendid reconstructed apartments of the Princes of Carignano.

You will learn the history of the palace and a bit more about the history of Turin.

This is where modern Italy was born, more or less. Palazzo Carignano was the birthplace of King Vittorio Emanuele II and the seat of Italy’s first parliament after unification.

The rooms are pretty amazing, with gold decorations all over the walls, complete with beautiful painted ceilings.

To visit, you’ll need to join a guided tour that runs once an hour. Ask for a guide who speaks English.

Entry is included in the Torino Card.

Museum of the Risorgimento

In the same building of Palazzo Caringnano, but with a separate entrance and a separate ticket, is the museum documenting the history of Risorgimento (Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano).

This museum is practically a visual history lesson, using photos, paintings, documents and videos to tell the story of the Risorgimento.

What’s the Risorgimento?

Italy wasn’t always the single state it is today. There were several different states on the same piece of land and it took a long process during the 19th century to unite them. This movement of Italian unification is called the Risorgimento.

There’s a nice video shortly after you enter that will give you a lot of the historical background you need. Then just follow the numbers in each room that will guide you through the museum.

One of the museum’s highlights is the old parliamentary chamber from 1848.

Extra tip: Pay attention to the painted ceilings as you walk around, they’re gorgeous!

Entry is included in the Torino Card.

Museum of Oriental Art in Turin

The Museum of Oriental Art (Museo d’Arte Orientale (MAO)) has five floors of art from Asia and the Islamic world.

The absolutely beautiful collection covers Japan, China, India, the Himalayas and the Islamic Mediterranean, with some genuinely rare pieces.

Even if you don’t know much about these countries when you come in, you’ll end up learning a lot while you visit.

The display includes sculpture, pottery, paintings and other objects and artefacts with explanations (also available in English) that put them in a historical context.

When you visit, don’t forget to look up at the decorated ceilings, the building itself is beautiful.

The museum has a convenient layout that makes it easy to follow the exhibitions. It wasn’t crowded at all when I visited.

Entry is included in the Torino Card.

The Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art

Turin is full of classical art and gorgeous palaces, but this Turin art museum is the place to see some more contemporary art.

The Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Turin (Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GAM)) features 19th and 20th century artists from Europe, with both a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions.

It’s a large but well curated collection, including paintings, sculptures, photography and installations.

You’ll see works by some famous artists, and get to know some Italian artists you may not have heard of.

Entry is included in the Torino Card.

Camera – The Italian Centre for Photography

The Photography Centre in Turin has several temporary exhibitions that change a few times a year. There is no permanent collection.

It’s a spacious museum, but not too big, just the right size to focus on the display.

The adjacent Leica store also has its own photography exhibitions.

They also offer talks, workshops and seminars all about photography and there’s a lovely bookshop when you enter.

Torino Card – Turin city pass

I used the city pass to see all the museums and palaces in this guide, plus some other attractions in and around Turin.

If you plan to visit the best museums in Turin and want to see more than two or three of them, I recommend you get the city pass, called Torino & Piedmonte Card.

It will give you free entry to all the major museums, plus discounts on some other tourist attractions in Turin.

Turin’s city pass – The Torino & Piedmonte Card – is worth buying if you want to save money on admission to Turin’s museums and palaces, as well as many other tourist attractions in Turin.

Is the Torino city card worth it?

Yes. It covers all the best museums in Turin, plus palaces, and other attractions in the city and in the region.

Generally speaking, if you plan to go to more than 2-3 museums and palaces, you will save money with the card.

Most of Turin’s museums are completely free with the city pass. Other attractions are discounted.

How many attractions can you visit in a day in Turin?

Turin is a pretty walkable city and many of the museums and attractions are quite close to each other.

This means you can easily go to several points of interest each day without wasting time on transit, so you can really make the most of your card.

If you want to travel outside of the city, the card grants you free entry to some attractions around the Piedmont region as well.

Many are free, some offer discounts. Everything is marked clearly on the list you receive when you collect your card.

How to use the Torino Card

The pass is very easy to use. Just show the card whenever you enter one of the museums or attractions and get your ticket.

At the first museum or attraction you visit, the card will be activated and it will then stay valid for 1, 2, 3 or 5 consecutive days, depending on the card you buy.

When you make your Turin itinerary, do check the opening times of the museums you picked.

Note that quite a few museums are closed on Mondays, which is common in Europe. Some Turin are closed on Tuesday. When you decide when to activate your card, it’s best to start on a different day, like Wednesday or Thursday, so you can make the most out of it.

Where to stay in Turin

If you’re going to see the great museums and palaces of Turin, stay in or right next to the historic centre (centro storico).

That’s where almost all the best museums in Turin are clustered within walking distance from each other.

NH Collection Torino Piazza Carlina: right in the centre in a historic building.

Grand Hotel Sitea: a classic, elegant, and very central hotel, but on a quieter street.

Hotel Victoria: a charming hotel in a quiet square with a spa.

Day trips from Turin, Italy

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I’d like to thank Turismo Torino for the Torino & Piedmonte Card. All opinions are my own.