Are you trying to decide if you should visit Florence’s Museum of Illusions (Museo delle Illusioni)?
I’m a local mamma of three, and I just visited the museum with my two older boys (ages 7 and 10).
We’ve explored plenty of Florence’s museums, and we all found this to be a nice change of pace from Florence’s typical art and sculpture museums. While I didn’t find the museum to be great value for what we paid, it was worth visiting.
Is it worth it for you or your group? I’ll help you decide. My review is family-focused, but even if you’re not traveling with kids, this may help you too.
Let’s take a closer look at the Florence Museum of Illusions, including:
- Museum basics (location, how to buy tickets, etc)
- What’s inside the museum
- Who should visit and who should skip it
- How long a visit takes
- Visiting the Museo delle Illusioni with kids
- Final thoughts
Table of Contents
Museum of Illusions – The Basics
What Is It? – The Museum of Illusions showcases optical illusions and scientific inventions in a 2-story space in a historic building the center of Florence. It’s an interactive space, and the helpful staff is on-hand to explain what you’re looking at or how to view the illusion or exhibit in the best way.
Location – Borgo degli Albizi, 29 (between the Duomo and the Bargello Museum). See it on a map here.
Buying Tickets – You can purchase tickets online in advance, or show up and buy them in the museum’s ticket office. The museum is one door over. We were told the busiest days are on the weekends and on major holidays).
Gift Shop – You can buy simple illusions souvenirs in the museum (near the exit) or in the ticket office.
English Available? – Yes. All of the exhibits have great English explanations. And, the staff spoke English with us.
Bag Storage – You can store small bags (backpack size) in the free museums on the ground floor of the museum.
Helpful Tip: For the most up-to-date hours and ticket info, see the Museum of Illusions official website.
What’s Inside the Museum of Illusions?
I meant to make a list of the exhibits, but I got so caught up in our visit, I forgot! Here are some of the exhibits we enjoyed the most:
- Holograms
- Diffraction
- Zoetrope
- Perspective
- 2-D room
- Room tilted at 90°
- Plasma ball
- Mirror play
- Monochromatic room
- Playing with lights and shadows on the wall
Good To Know: Each exhibit is different from the others, so you really do want to see everything (compared to some other museums where you just pick out a few things to see).
Who Will Love Florence’s Museum of Illusions
This museum is a good choice for you and your group if:
- You need a break from traditional art museums of Florence… aka. you’re all Renaissanced out.
- You enjoy interactive exhibits. You’ll move around and try things at every exhibit. It’s not a passive experience.
- You’ve got kids who can grasp some scientific concepts. I can see younger kids (like my 4 year old) enjoying all of the tinkering, but they won’t really understand what they’re seeing. Still, if adults in your group are interested in visiting, it’s an easy place for kids to tag along and still have fun.
- You want to learn and be able to ask staff to explain things or help you with the exhibits. We found all of the staff to be kind, helpful and proactive in assisting us with the exhibits. And I appreciated having the info placards that explain what you’re looking at and the science behind it.
- You want to take some fun photos and videos. My older son was thrilled with his video of him climbing up the wall to the ceiling in one of the exhibits.
Looking for more interactive museums in Florence? You may want to check out the Leonardo da Vinci Interactive Museum.
Who Should Skip a Visit
You may want to give this museum a pass if:
- You’re on a budget (it’s quite pricey for the length of time you spend inside the museum)
- You’re looking for museums and exhibits unique to Florence (this is a chain in Italy and there are similar style museums in other parts of the world).
- You’re looking for a toddler or preschool-friendly museum. While it’s true little ones can enter and they’ll have fun tinkering, they won’t really understand what they’re looking at. If the adults in your group really want to visit, then it’s worth it.
How Long a Visit Takes
We visited on a quiet February afternoon, and we saw about 5 others while we were at the museum. We spent 1 hour and 15 minutes exploring the museum. We looked at every exhibit. I can’t see it taking much longer than that, unless you visit on a busy day and need to wait to try some of the exhibits.
Museum of Illusions – Visiting with Kids
Tickets – There are family tickets available if you’ve got at least two adults and two kids with you. If you’re just one adult with two kids, it’s cheaper to buy separate tickets.
Strollers – You can move easily in the museum with a stroller. The exhibits are fairly spread out and you can use the elevator to move between the ground and upper floors.
Toilets & Diaper Changes – There’s a bathroom available and one of the rooms even has a changing table.
Water – There’s no water available in the museum, but you can bring your own.
Trying the Exhibits – The museum has added stools to certain exhibits so even little ones can reach and try everything. It’s a very welcoming space for kids!
Breaking Things – Sometimes with younger kids I worry about them being gentle and not breaking things or touching the exhibits. They can definitely participate in the exhibits at this museum, but there are still props and things that could break, so it’s important to still keep a close eye on them.
Take Notes – Write down thethings you want to learn more about. For example, my boys want to learn more about perspective (the chair exhibit below) and optical toys (like the zoetrope).
Eat Before You Visit – The museum doesn’t have a café or any snacks available.
Consider Alternatives for Young Kids – If you’ve got small children and multiple adults, one adult could take the little ones to the Pinocchio Museum (one street over, about 200 meters away). It’s more suitable for small kids.
Get Gelato After – If you want gelato after your visit, you’re not far from some of my favorite gelato shops in Florence, like Perchè No?.
Final Thoughts on Our Visit
We enjoyed our visit to the Museum of Illusions. When I asked my kids what they thought of it, my 10-year-old said it was ‘ganzissimo’ – super cool. They loved the change of pace from typical Italian museums.
As the paying mamma, I didn’t think it was amazing value (I paid €44 for the three of us), but seeing how engaged they were, it was well worth it. I wouldn’t return with them, because it’s a small museum and we saw/experienced all of it. I would, however, return with my 4-year-old in a couple of years.
You may also want read
Florence with Kids – Complete Guide
Things to Do in Florence with Kids
Kid-Friendly Museums in Florence
Where to Stay with Kids in Florence
