The Vatican Tickets

Discover the unique treasures of the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums established by Pope Julius II in the 16th century, houses masterpieces spanning several millennia, including classical sculptures, Renaissance art, and Egyptian artefacts. The Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's intricate fresco...

Founded On

1506

Founded By

Pope Julius II

Rome Vatican Museum Tickets

Quick Information

ADDRESS

00120, Vatican City

RECOMMENDED DURATION

3 hours

Timings

08:00–20:00

VISITORS PER YEAR

5000000

NUMBER OF ENTRANCES

2

EXPECTED WAIT TIME - STANDARD

2+ hours (Peak), 1-2 hours (Off Peak)

EXPECTED WAIT TIME - SKIP THE LINE

0-30 mins (Peak), undefined (Off Peak)

UNESCO YEAR

1984

Did you know?

Of the over 70,000 artworks in the Vatican Museums' vast collection, only about 20,000 are exhibited to the public. The remaining pieces are hidden away, safeguarded for preservation, space constraints, and ongoing expert research, making them an unseen treasure trove of art history.

To protect Michelangelo's iconic frescoes from the 25,000 daily visitors, the Sistine Chapel boasts a state-of-the-art climate control system, installed in 2014. This modern marvel replaced the 1990s system, ensuring optimal preservation against humidity and dust with minimal noise and air disturbance.

The Vatican Museums' Gallery of Maps, a 120-meter-long frescoed masterpiece completed in 1583, showcases 40 detailed maps of Italy by Ignazio Danti. These maps, exceptional for their time, predate modern cartography by centuries and display remarkable geographical accuracy.

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Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

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Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour with St. Peter's Basilica

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Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tickets

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Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Premium Small Group Tour

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What are the Vatican Museums?

Panoramic view of the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are a renowned collection of art and Christian museums located within the walls of Vatican City. With over 70,000 artworks, including paintings and sculptures, the Museums span more than ​54 galleries, showcasing an extraordinary range of artistic treasures.

Beyond their vast art collection, the Vatican Museums also house significant archaeological and ethno-anthropological works, such as Egyptian mummies and Etruscan bronzes. Visitors can explore some of the most artistically significant rooms, including those adorned with frescoes by Raphael and the world-famous Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo. The Museums also feature classical sculptures, tapestries, and masterpieces by Renaissance icons like Raphael, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Bernini, and Leonardo da Vinci. Additionally, they boast a Modern Religious Art collection with works by artists such as Carlo Carrà, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso.

Who founded the Vatican Museums?

The origins of the Vatican Museums can be traced back to the early 16th century. While Pope Nicholas V laid the foundation for what would become the Vatican, including founding the Vatican Library and commissioning the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in 1447, it was Pope Julius II who played a pivotal role in the birth of the Museums. In 1506, Julius II acquired the famous sculpture "Laocoön and His Sons" from a vineyard owner, marking the beginning of the Vatican Museums. Just a month after its discovery, the sculpture was put on public display in the Vatican’s Octagonal Court, setting the stage for the Museums' future growth.

Julius II also commissioned Raphael to redecorate what are now known as Raphael’s Rooms, further establishing the Museums as a center of art and culture.

Brief history of Vatican Museums

the sculpture 'Laocoon and His Sons'
  • 16th Century: Pope Julius II purchased the sculpture Laocoön and His Sons, which became the first acquisition of the Vatican Museums.
  • 1837: Pope Gregory XVI founded the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, followed by the Egyptian Museum in 1839.
  • 1910: Saint Pius X established the Hebrew Lapidary.
  • 1970: The Gregorian Profane Museum, Pio Christian Museum, and the Hebrew Lapidary were relocated from the Lateran Palace to their current home within the Vatican.
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The mission of the Vatican Museums

Since Laocoön and His Sons, the first acquisition of the Vatican Museums, was put on public display in 1506, its collection has expanded making it one of the most important museums in the world.

Art is evangelisation

The Vatican Museums is rooted in the belief that art is a powerful "tool of evangelisation". Art, in all its forms, serves as a medium to communicate the beauty of creation and deliver the message of Christianity. Historically, art has been used as a teaching tool, as seen in medieval cathedrals where stone sculptures conveyed catechism to those who could not read.

Museums open to all

To use art as a vehicle to spread the word of God, the Vatican Museums have been designed to be "a place of beauty and welcome." It is a space not only open to new forms of art but also to people from all walks of life. They are open not only to new forms of art but also to people from all walks of life. In the spirit of inclusivity, the Vatican Museums offer free admission to guests under 5 years old and to those with a disability over 74%, along with a companion. This commitment ensures that the Vatican Museums are truly open to everyone, reflecting their role as a living institution that embraces diversity and provides access to art for all, regardless of background or circumstance.

What's inside the Vatican Museums?

Vatican Museum Spiral Staircase

Spiral Staircase

The iconic spiral staircase, designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932, draws inspiration from Bramante’s double-helix design. Known as Scala Elicoidale, it features two separate flights, allowing for seamless passage in both directions.

Raphael Rooms Vatican Museum

The Raphael Rooms

The Raphael Rooms, a series of frescoed chambers in the Vatican Palace, epitomize High Renaissance art in Rome. These include the Sala di Costantino (Hall of Constantine), Stanza di Eliodoro (Room of Heliodorus), Stanza della Segnatura (Room of the Signatura), and Stanza dell'Incendio del Borgo (The Room of the Fire in the Borgo).

Gregorian Etruscan Museum

Gregorian Etruscan Museum

Founded in 1836 by Pope Gregory XVI, this museum showcases Etruscan artifacts across eight galleries, featuring vases, bronzes, sarcophagi, and more. It also includes a significant collection of ancient Egyptian relics.

Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo’s breathtaking ceiling, depicting scenes from Genesis, complements frescoes by Renaissance masters like Perugino and Botticelli, making the Sistine Chapel a masterpiece of religious art.

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Gallery of Maps Vatican Museum

Gallery of Maps

This 120-meter-long gallery, adorned with 40 painted maps by Ignazio Danti, offers a detailed depiction of the Italian peninsula, with Mannerist art gracing the vaulted ceiling.

Hall of Busts Vatican Museum

Gallery of Statues and Hall of Busts

Part of the Pio-Clementine Museum, this gallery is home to Greek and Roman sculptures, including the Sleeping Ariadne and the Barberini Candelabra, framed by frescoed landscapes.

Lapidiary Gallery

Lapidary Gallery

Located along the corridor linking the Vatican Palace with the Belvedere Palace, this gallery features over 3,400 ancient inscriptions on slabs, urns, and altars, creating a unique stone library.

Sala Rotonda Vatican Museums

The Sala Rotunda

Inspired by the Pantheon, the Sala Rotunda boasts colossal statues and intricate 3rd-century mosaics. The centerpiece is a massive red porphyry basin, with a circumference of 13 meters

Archaeological areas of Vatican Museums

Vatican Necropolis

Vatican Necropolis

The word “necropolis” has been derived from the Greek necròs (dead) and pòlis (city), meaning, a “city of the dead”. Since Roman law forbade cremation and burial within the city for safety and hygiene reasons, cemeteries were located along the roads outside the urban area.

One such necropolis was located along the stretch of the Via Triumphalis near the city. Archeological studies have found a large number of ancient tombs, collective and individual, that provide evidence of the practice of cremation and other pagan funerary practices.

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Vatican Villas & Gardens

Vatican Gardens

Vatican Gardens

The Vatican Gardens, or Giardini Vaticani, are private gardens within Vatican City, covering 57 acres with a Renaissance layout. The gardens are adorned with sculptures, fountains, monuments, and botanical treasures, some dating back to the 6th century. Visitors can also enjoy spectacular views of St. Peter’s Basilica's dome. Opened to the public in 2014 by Pope Francis, the gardens offer a serene retreat within the heart of the Vatican.

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Castel Gandolfo

Castel Gandolfo

Nestled 12 miles from Rome in the Alban Hills, Castel Gandolfo is a charming village overlooking Lake Albano. The centerpiece of this village is the ​Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, a 135-acre complex featuring a 17th-century villa, an observatory, and a farmhouse. Since 2016, the Papal Palace has served as a museum, offering visitors a glimpse into its rich history.

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Restoration & scientific services

1. Restoration, conservation, research

The Vatican Museums has in place several bodies dedicated to restoring and conserving the various works of art that the Museums house. The Conservator’s Office, for example, develops strategies to lower the risk threshold and improve the quality of the historical-artistic and archaeological property under the care of the Vatican Museums. The Cabinet of Scientific Research applied to Cultural Heritage, on the other hand, carries out diagnostic procedures to determine the processes of deterioration of works and identifies integral materials and production techniques.

There are also laboratories dedicated to the conservation and restoration of all artifacts preserved in the Vatican Museums based on the materials used. This includes the Tapestries and Textiles Restoration Laboratory, Painting and Wood Materials Restoration Laboratory, Ethnological Materials Restoration Laboratory, Stone Materials Restoration Laboratory, Metals and Ceramics Restoration Laboratory, Mosaic Restoration Laboratory, and Paper Restoration Laboratory.

2. Scientific services

  • The superintendence for architectural heritage has been entrusted with the responsibility of the conservation of the buildings within the walls of the Vatican since 2008. The office played a significant role in the restoration of the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square, the cloister of St. John Lateran, and the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova at Castel Gandolfo. It is currently involved in the restoration work of the Courtyard of the Pinecone.
  • The historical archive works towards preserving all documentation relating to the collections within the Museums as well as activities of the Institution from the second half of the eighteenth century to the end of the twentieth century. The Archive is accessible to internal Museum staff and, to external applicants who have been approved by the Directorate.
  • Collections Registry and Central Catalogue is a centralized office dedicated to compiling, maintaining, and updating catalog information relating to works within the Vatican Museums. The service of the Collections Registry is not open to the public.
  • Instituted in 1938, the Vatican Library contains journals and texts that document the works of the Vatican Museums collections. It is home to around 50,000 titles. The library is reserved for the staff of the Vatican Museums.
  • Photo library works towards the conservation, protection, enhancement, promotion, and study of an important photographic heritage. The collection includes the archives relating to the Museum's collections as well as photographs of historic photographs depicting views, landscapes, the city, and landmarks in Rome, as well as other Italian or foreign cities.

Online catalogue

Find information regarding the mobile works of art on display at the Vatican Museums with the help of the online catalogue. You can find data about the works found in the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, part of the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, Pio Clementino Museum, Lapidary Gallery, New Wing, part of the Gregoriano Profano Museum, Pius-Christian Museum, Pinacoteca, parts of the Ethnological Museum and the Carriage Pavilion, Christian Museum, Collection of Contemporary Art, Tapestries Collection, Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo and the Antiquarium of Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo.

The Online Catalogue is available only in Italian, at present, as it is still in the implementation phase.

You can access the buildings through a virtual tour of the Vatican Museums, as well.

Frequently asked questions about Vatican Museums

What is the Vatican Museums?

The Vatican Museums are a collection of art and Christian museums within Vatican City. Established in the early 16th century, they house one of the most significant art collections in the world, featuring masterpieces from the Renaissance, ancient Roman sculptures, and more.

Why is the Vatican Museum so important?

The Vatican Museums is home to one of the most largest art collections in the world, from across centuries and the world, from Egypt to Greece to Rome, from early Christian and medieval art to the Renaissance to contemporary art.

Do I need tickets to enter the Vatican Museums?

Yes, you need to purchase tickets to enjoy access to the Vatican Museums. You can buy Vatian Museum tickets ​here.

Where is the Vatican Museums located in Rome?

The Vatican Museums are ​located within Vatican City, on the west bank of the Tiber River.

Who founded the Vatican Museums?

Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century. Subsequent Popes added to the collection.

How long does it take to visit the Vatican Museum?

Set aside a minimum of 3 hours to tour the Vatican Museums.

What can I see inside the Vatican Museums?

There is a lot to see at the Vatican Museum, including (and not limited to) Raphael's masterpiece Transfiguration, the Pinecone Courtyard, the Laocoön sculpture, The Rotunda Room, The Tapestries Hall, The Maps Room, and The Sistine Chapel. For more details on what to see, check out our guide to ​what's inside the Vatican Museums.

Are guided tours available for the Vatican Museums?

Yes, guided tours are available and are an excellent way to gain deeper insights into the art and history of the Vatican Museums. Learn more about ​guided tours.

Can you visit only the Sistine Chapel?

While the Sistine Chapel is a highlight of the Vatican Museums, it is located towards the end of the museum route. Your ticket to the Vatican Museums includes access to the Sistine Chapel, but you’ll need to pass through the other exhibits to reach it. You can choose to spend all your time there or explore the rest of the museums before visiting the chapel.

Are the Vatican Museums worth visiting?

Yes, the Vatican Museums offer you a little sneak peak into the history and culture of Rome, as well as the world of Christianity and art. Whether you're an art lover, history enthusiast, or traveler, the Museums provide a rich and rewarding experience.

Are the Vatican Museums wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the Vatican Museums are accessible on wheelchair. They are equipped with ramps, elevators and wheelchair lifts.

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