The Venice Museum Pass is one of many options for tourists to save money and easily see several of the cities sights-but it can be confusing. What is it? Is it worth it? We visited all of the museums on the list and can share what we've learned.
What is the Venice Museum Pass?
The Venice Museum Pass is a ticket to 11 MUSEUMS throughout Venice. It gives you PRIORITY ENTRANCE (no waiting in line) for ONE VISIT to EACH MUSEUM. You do not need to have a timed ticket to visit any of the attractions and the pass is valid for 6 months.
Which Museums are Included?
The following museums are all included in the pass. We went to each one and I've included our thoughts and experiences. I've also numbered them in order of our favorites.
Keep in mind that we were visiting with our 8-year-old twins (that are very used to being dragged to museums and sometimes secretly liking them). Visiting with younger kids would be tough in some of these—think breakable glass sculptures everywhere. And visiting without kids would definitely allow more appreciation for some of the more obscure museums. Anyway, here we go:
1. Doge's Palace (aka Palazzo Ducale): This is by far one of the busiest and most popular attractions in Venice—and an absolute must-see. It is directly next to St. Mark's Basilica and at the end of the Grand Canal.
This was our clear favorite from the list and the only one I had actually heard of. Even if you don't get the museum pass, make sure to visit this spectacular home of the Doge (Venetian ruler) and the Venetian government.
To give you an idea of how opulent this palace is—St. Mark's Basilica was its CHAPEL. It is difficult to absorb how spectacular the architecture, rooms, and frescos are (but you should definitely try).
The tour also gives you access to the old prison and the Bridge of Sighs. Even if you haven't been to Venice, you will likely recognize this infamous bridge. Having the chance to cross inside it was memorable. It is called the Bridge of Sighs because prisoners sighed while seeing the beauty of Venice for the last time through its cut-out windows.
2. Ca'Rezzonico:
The Rezzonico Palace is in the Dorsoduro neighborhood of Venice, right on the Grand Canal, and not far from the Accademia Bridge.
As implied by the name, it is the palace of the Rezzonico family and displays their 17th century paintings, furniture, and sculptures. I love touring old palaces and marveling at how the wealthy lived. I find it much more interesting than the endless priceless art by famous Venetian painters; here you can get both.
My favorite part of this palace (and probably why I put it second) was the Murano chandeliers. I've been obsessed with Murano glass ever since my grandparents first brought me there and I dream of having a chandelier (a very very small one) someday. There are several in this palace and they are all incredible.
The kids' favorite part was the fountain with a 40-year old koi fish being fed by the security guards. The massive fish had long outgrown the space, but the guard shared that no one knew what to do about it. At least the fish had the company of several tartarghe (turtles).
3, 4, 5. Correr Museum, Archaelogical Museum, and Monumental Rooms of the Marciana Library (St. Mark's Square):
As far as we could tell, these are all one museum. I'm not sure why they are listed separately on the Venice Pass website.
After awkwardly waiting in line for what turned out to be a COVID testing center, we finally found the entrance to the Correr Museum. It is in St. Mark's square opposite the cathedral. Once inside, we were able to access all three areas. They were not very busy (which is a plus but definitely made us wonder about how interesting it would be).
These rooms house the City of Venice's art collection and it is impressive! The history of the Doge and the Venetian Navy are fascinating. I particularly liked the map room and the kids gravitated to the armor and weapons display. Overall, it gave us a greater appreciation for Venice's powerful position in history and the world.
6. Museum of Natural History:
Finding your way in Venice can be very difficult, even with Google Maps. The Museum of Natural History was definitely hard to locate. Thankfully, there were old-fashioned signs on nearby buildings that led the way. It is tucked away near the Grand Canal between the ferrovia (train station) and the Rialto bridge.
The kids love natural history museums (and a break from Venetian art) so we were excited about this one. Overall, it has some very interesting exhibits. Many, unfortunately, only have descriptions in Italian. While there was still a lot to learn and see, we definitely felt like we were missing important pieces. A highlight was the ghost story told to us by one of the museum employees about a skeleton and the St. Mark's bell-ringer. The kids still talk about it.
7. Ca' Pesaro International Museum of Modern Art:
This former palace now houses a modern art museum. The building is a spectacular example of Venetian architecture directly on the Grand Canal. The museum's cafe offers an unobstructed view if you have time to stop for a drink or snack.
We almost didn't visit because we usually don't understand or appreciate modern art. Our expectation of modern art was different than the actual exhibits at Ca'Pesaro. The collections from the 19th and 20th century were fascinating and fun to compare to the Renaissance art that we saw everywhere else in the city.
We felt immediately at home when we entered a room with The Thinker by Rodin. It made us miss the Nelson-Atkins Museum in KC and home.
There were a few installations of the modern art we were dreading (like an egg on a shelf in front of a painted circle?). It feels wrong when those pieces are placed in the same room as art like The Thinker that probably took years to create; but, I admit that I might just be missing something.
There was a special exhibit by Rashiq Shaw, a London-based artist originally from Kashmir. His art was mesmerizing and shockingly colorful. I couldn't look away. As you observe them, the pieces reveal more and more detail that wasn't immediately obvious. I was grateful for the opportunity to expand my horizons.
8. Murano Glass Museum:
Given my obsession with Murano glass, I'm sure you're wondering why this didn't end up higher on the list.
First, I'm trying to weigh my family's opinion in the ranking too and they are far less excited about glass. (My Mom and her best friend used to take all the kids to a glass museum in West Virginia when we met there as kids. We still talk about it and felt like it was torture! I'm happy to be carrying on the family tradition;) Second, the museum doesn't feature a glass blowing demonstration. It's what I was most hoping to see and what I remember most from my childhood. I probably should've known that this wouldn't be included, but I didn't. Third, it was hotter than hell the day we went to Murano and the vaporetto (water bus) was unbearably crowded. It soured the whole journey.
Having said all of that, there are some beautiful pieces displayed here. A special exhibit had several works out on pedestals and not in glass cases. It made me nervous, but we (and all the art) survived.
(Just FYI, if you want to see a demonstration, you can pay a nominal entrance fee to see one of the masters actually blowing glass. It was incredible and extremely hot, but again my favorite part of Murano. Many of the locations are near the bell tower and the vaporetto stops.
9. Palazzo Mocenigo Museum
I was excited to see another palazzo of a famous Venetian family. Several of the Mocenigo family members served as Doges of Venice. They were also involved in the textile industry.
In fact, this museum now serves as the Study Center of the History of Fabrics and Costumes. It also features an exhibit on the art of perfumes. While it's always nice to see the inside of a palazzo (and more chandeliers), the exhibits didn't interest us much. We were in and out fairly quickly.
At one point, we saw Ollie sitting on an upholstered couch and both Henri and I yelled out in horror! It turned out to be the waiting area for the bathroom. That shows you how little we know about antiques and textiles.
10. Carlo Goldoni's House
This place is just weird. Thank goodness, it was also very small. Mr. Goldoni liked puppets and created a creepy puppet room in his palazzo (I forgot to take a picture). Also, there was a special exhibit of glass that I was sure the kids were going to inadvertently destroy.
11. Burano Lace Museum
The lace museum on the island of Burano features rare samples of this ancient art. We were in the museum for approximately 3 minutes. While most people might be able to appreciate the beauty of these delicate pieces, we just weren't.
What's NOT Included? (A lot)
I've written previously about my deep love for Venice and also made my plug for slow-traveling here. Most people don't get to see a fraction of what the city has to offer. We didn't even after two and a half weeks (but we'll be back!).
Several of our favorites and some of the most important destinations in the city are not included in the Venice Museum Pass. It won't get you in to see:
St. Mark's Basilica
St. Mark's Basilica Museum
St. Mark's Campanile (bell tower)
Peggy Guggenheim Museum
Gallerie Dell'Accademia
The DaVinci Museum
Venice Naval History Museum
Is the Venice Museum Pass Worth It?
Despite the fact that it doesn't include everything, my answer is still YES! But only if you plan to be in Venice more than one day. If not, there are too many must-see sights that aren't included to make it worth it.
The price is right. Adult passes cost approximately 40 Euro and children (6 and older) are 25. If you visit even two of the museums, the pass would likely pay for itself. You're going to have to add on admission to some the others listed above, but you will still save money.
Plus, you get to SKIP THE LINE. While we only found this necessary at the Doge's Palace (there weren't any lines anywhere else), it was an incredibly nice perk and saved a lot of time.
Where Can I Buy the Venice Museum Pass?
We bought ours online here. But you can also buy it at the ticket window of any of the museums.
There are other passes available throughout Venice, such as the Venice Unica City Pass, which include access to public transportation and a selection of sights. We avoided the vaporetto at all costs because it was always so busy and because we love walking, but this type of pass may be useful for some visitors.
That's it for now. Thanks for reading. Wishing all of you a moment to look upon something beautiful today.
Love,
Steph