I’ve been acquainted with Turin, Italy, for about two years now, and Museo Egizio was one of the first museums I ever visited here. How could it not be? After the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, it’s the most important Egyptian museum. It also bills itself as the oldest museum in the world dedicated entirely to Egyptian artifacts. This past year, it celebrated 200 years of existence!
If that isn’t enough, consider the fact that it has over 30,000 items displayed, including the sculpture-filled Gallery of Kings. Your time in Turin wouldn’t be complete without a visit to this museum. Let’s dive into what you should know before you go.
What Is Museo Egizio?
Museo Egizio is one of the biggest and most important Egyptology museums in the world. It is also one of the most visited museums in Italy, and for good reason! While you walk through, you’ll be overwhelmed by the amount of artefacts and the sheer depth of knowledge. The museums transports you from the Paleolithic Era to the Coptic Era, telling the story of Egypt through papyrus scrolls, statues, a temple, sarcophagi, and more.
Where Is It?
Museo Egizio is in Turin’s city center (Via Accademia delle Scienze 6). Just past Piazza San Carlo and to the right, next to Palazzo Carignano and Eataly, and right before Palazzo Madama, it truly is in the heart of the city. You’ll probably be able to find it easily without using your phone; there are signs and ads nearly everywhere directing you to the museum, and the big brick building has giant banners to help you find it. There will likely be street performers and people selling things right outside as well, as it is a highly frequented location.
If you are arriving from Porta Nuova, take the exit on the left (Via Nizza) and walk in a straight line toward Piazza Castello (toward the green park area across from the station). If you stay on that street, you will reach the museum in around 5-10 minutes by foot.
Once you walk through the entrance, the ticket office (biglietteria) will be immediately to the right. When I went recently, they also had employees in front of the entrance to help direct visitors.
When Should I Go?
The museum is open all seven days a week. On Monday, it is open from 9-2. Every other day, however, it is open from 9-6:30. My recommendation, having gone both on a Saturday and a Tuesday, is to go during the week if you have the chance. Weekends are very busy for the museum–to the point where it was almost hard to wade through the crowd. During the week, it will likely still be busy (especially with school groups), but it shouldn’t be too overwhelming.
I also recommend setting aside a large chunk of time for this museum. Like I mentioned, it is ENORMOUS. If you want to study every single object there, you’ll never leave.
How Much Does Museo Egizio Cost?
As of the writing of this article, it is obligatory to purchase tickets online before going. The ticket prices, according to the official museum website (as of January 2025), are listed here:
- Regular ticket: 18 euros
- Reduced ticket (people who are 70+, some journalists): 15 euros
- Student ticket (ages 15-18, university students): 3 euros
- Junior ticket (ages 5-14): 1 euro
- Family ticket (two adults, two minors): 36 euros
- Child under age 5: free
If you have the Torino + Piemonte card, possess the Abbonamento Musei, are a member of Museo Egizio, are/are accompanying a person with a disability, or fall into any of the extra categories listed here, you can get in for free. You also get in for free on your birthday and on various holidays, all listed on the link provided.
In my experience, the museum does check ID if you want the student ticket, or, presumably, the birthday ticket. It’s no big deal, but make sure to have your student card or ID with you in case.
Finally, there are also guided tours available in several languages for an additional cost. You can book these online. During my visits, these tours have seemed popular, although I have never taken one myself.
Important Details
The museum has all of its rules pretty clearly marked and available at the link above. The most important of these is that you cannot bring a backpack into the museum. There is a locker room available in case, but I would recommend leaving your backpack at home if possible. Small purses (smaller than 30x40x15 cm) are allowed, and I had no issues with bringing mine in.
As I mentioned above, the museum is large and warrants a significant amount of time to enjoy everything. Make sure to plan ahead and work it into your schedule. The good thing is that the museum is in the center of the city and is close to other museums and some excellent restaurants and stores. While you could easily spend a half day in there, you’re close enough to Palazzo Madama, Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Carignano, and Piazza San Carlo where you can walk there in under ten minutes.
Reflections on Museo Egizio
Like many people from the Percy Jackson generation, Rick Riordan’s The Kane Chronicles inspired my love of Ancient Egypt. When I was little, I spent hours going down the wormhole with my illustrated children’s encyclopedia and family computer. I wanted to know everything about each deity and pharaoh. Daily life in Egypt fascinated me. Hieroglyphs were something that I spent my free time drawing on pieces of paper. When there was an exhibit about Tutankhamen in San Francisco, I went crazy over it.
You can imagine how Torino’s Museo Egizio was a childhood dream come to life. If quite literally any of the things above interest you, you’ll be content in the museum. It’s so full of artefacts that you almost lose your sense of wonder because you become accustomed to the splendor by the end.
Interesting Connections
For me, Turin’s longstanding connection to Egypt is fascinating as well. All of us who studied ancient civilization typically bounced from Mesopotamia to Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Because of this, it was very interesting for me the first time I stumbled across the museum and started exploring the connection. The story starts in the 1600s, when the first presumed Egyptian artefacts arrived in Turin. In the 1700s, King Charles Emmanuel III sent the archaeologist Vitaliano Donati on an expedition to Egypt. Donati returned with several artefacts, thus beginning a collection that continued to expand over the next centuries. This article provides an interesting history of Museo Egizio and Turin’s connection to Egypt.
Beyond the historical aspect, the cultural connection between Ancient Egypt and Italy is interesting. Both have a compelling focus on death, immortalization, and culture. If you’ve ever spent a significant amount of time in an Italian city (beyond just visiting tourist sites), you’ve probably seen numerous advertisements for funeral services. There’s a fixation with this, and the ties with Egypt’s culture of immortalizing and caring for the dead, ushering them to the afterlife, and memorializing them makes sense, all things considered. Additionally, when we look at all of the innovations, art, and cultural artefacts, we can understand why Turin, once the seat of Italian government and culture, has had such a long-standing interest in the Egyptian history and culture.
A Final Word About Museo Egizio
A visit to Turin isn’t complete without a visit to Museo Egizio. Enjoy the well-curated journey back through time and the ability to reflect on your place in the universe. Have you been? Let me know what you thought!
