One of Naples' crowning museums, the artifacts here complement a visit to Pompeii in the same trip, since the collections span archaeological finds from Pompeii, Rome and beyond. From sculpture, sacred and funerary objects, mosaics, paintings, household items and furniture, to architectural models and decorative elements, there's plenty of intriguing objects to pique various interests. On a grey Sunday morning in April, I arrived at 10am, and was glad I didn't come later! There were two lines, one for those purchasing tickets at the entry and those with pre-booked tickets online in advance. The latter was a fairly short line, maybe about 10 people, while the former was about 20ish. When I left a couple hours later both lines had more than doubled in length. Inside, the exhibit halls begin with sculptures unearthed during archaeological finds, with the direction of visit encircling one of the smaller inner courtyards. They do an excellent job of providing Italian and English translations for didactic labels and descriptions, and I was able to learn much about a) the background and provenance of sculptures and other finds, b) key figures in archaeological excavations which discovered many of the pieces now housed here, and c) the history of this museum. The route of visit continues to a columned hall with some waiting area seating and contemporary local art pieces, (apparently where school groups rest before touring the museum with docents), which lead up a pair of curved stone staircases where you can look upwards at a central dome. On the second floor highlights include a collection of watercolor works from watercolorist Luigi Bazzani, who captured colorful paintings of Pompeii at the turn of the 20th century, a collection of elaborate furniture, and many rooms of artifacts from steles, ceramics, blown glass and tableware. Many colorful wall paintings found in villas and homes were transferred from archaeological sites to this museum. There's a curious collection of erotic art from antiquity called the Secret Cabinet* too. Unfortunately both these sections were closed: a) the mosaic floor where they previously allowed visitors to enter wearing cloth covers over shoes, and b) the sprawling mini replica of Pompeii that looked to be at least 12 x 15 feet. The latter I glimpsed thru a walkway that was cordoned off. The Sundial Hall, named after (you guessed it) a functional sundial installed in the SW corner of the room, was one of the most impressive rooms in the museum, originally serving as the Bourbon** Royal Library of Naples, then later as the National Library. The beautifully restored ceiling fresco depicts the Bourbon royalty as patrons of the arts. Among the most famous group of objects here are items from the Farnese Collection, begun by then Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1468-1549), who later became Pope Paul III. Theses works were displayed in various settings notably the Farnese palace, villa and gardens in Rome, then subsequently passed down to descendants. Farnese Hercules, Farnese Artemis, the Farnese Bull and the Farnese Cup are all sublimely sculpted pieces. The total time recommended is easily 2.5-3 hours, additional if you want to read more of the placards. Free lockers, coat check and bathrooms are available. Admission is €20.00 for regular tickets, €2.00 for 18-25 year olds, free for teachers, disabled and those with certain city passes including Artecard and Naples Pass. Hours: 9.00 am - 7.30 pm with last entry at 6.30 pm Closed Tuesdays. *did not post these pics as I didn't want to get flagged for posting explicit content! lol **Bourbon as in the royal dynasty that ruled southern Italy from 1734 until 1860. Not the whisky made with a higher percentage of corn from the southern United States. =) read more

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It was the highlight of our visit to Naples. We skipped it after seeing Pompeii over 10 years ago. There was no way that we were going to pass it up this time. This is where you'll find the original statues, artifacts, and frescoes unearthed from Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ancient Rome, and even more archeological sites in Italy. The experience was everything that I imagined it would be and more. Some people wonder whether they should visit it before or after seeing Herculaneum or Pompeii. In my opinion, it should be after. The location of where some of these pieces were found is still fresh in my memory. It all came back to me when reading the descriptions. I was also very amazed with the Farnese Collection. These statues are colossal in size. The Farnese Bull has to be the largest sculpture ever unearthed. It's so incredible when you see it up close and personal. Very impressive! It's a very well organized museum. Well worth the admission fee. There's a nice café inside as well as a bookstore. My only disappointment was that they had sold out of the English museum guides that I collect when traveling. They did have the Italian version. Do purchase your tickets online in advance. There was a line of people trying to buy tickets. The situation gets worse when a tour group arrives. Especially when there are 4 cruise ships in port. Also, make sure you scan the QR code to download the museum app for free audio guides and maps. It makes it so easy to find everything. Give yourself more than an hour. There is so much to see. It's a popular attraction for a reason. read more

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The Museo Archeologico Nazionale is the perfect compliment to a visit to Pompeii as many of the well preserved artifacts that represented life in a thriving Roman Empire in mid first century were brought here to protect them. The museum houses more than just relics from Pompeii but they were a great hi-light especially post Pompeii tour. read more

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If you visit Pompeii or Herculaneum, you must visit this museum to see the treasures found in those locations. Sign up for their free Wi-Fi so that you can download the map because there is very poor signage throughout the museum to help guide you. I was disappointed by the T-shirts they had available because they didn't show the name of the museum in a prominent way, only teeny little letters below an image. read more

Buy a ticket in advance or through a city card like Arte Card. Otherwise you'll be in a very long line waiting for entry. In any case this is an essential visit that you must enter. This is a world class museum. Inside you'll find a history of Pompeii and a bit of Rome. There are four floors with one being a basement. The mural gallery is a must on the first floor. The grand hall on the second floor is exquisite. The sculptures on the ground level are main attraction and absolutely beautiful. You can spend half a day looking at them alone. Small bags are allowed inside but they may ask you to keep your backpack in front of you. read more

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It takes about two hours to explore this archeological museum and it costs €20 per person for the entrance fee. The establishment seems lack of maintenance from outside, although it's still convenient to transportation. read more

Museo Archeologico Nazionale - Museums Near Me - Naples, NA

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A gem. Nasty ticket staff but the collecting is a great primer for Pompeii. Amazing and much better than my last visit. Comprehensive and well represented eras. Visit. Not much else in Napoli for art. read more

Museo Archeologico Nazionale - Aphrodite - Museums Near Me - Naples, NA

If you go to Napoli and you don't visit this museum, you have missed something fundamental in your trip. As besides the pizzas and street hustle and bustle, this museum is the gem of the city. It has the most extraordinary number of Roman artifacts predominantly brought from the Pompei excavations and a visit here is a must to complete the Pompei trip. The marble statues and the displays of ornaments are stunning . It is very large so plan several hours to visit. There is no AC so dress light in the summer. So glad we managed to squeeze the visit ! Deserves a second trip if the occasion arises! read more

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An amazing museum. Filled with all types of excellent artwork. Paintings, frescos, tile work, cameo, sculpture. Free entrance the first Sunday of each month. Multiple levels of beauty that will inspire and delight you. Home to some of the most important works recovered from Pompeii, this museum provides interest around every corner. Delightful garden area and cafe. Parking can be a bit of a bear but it is so worth it. I could spend a week here and not get tired. Just a lovely place to visit. If you come to Naples put this museum on the MUST DO list. read more

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This was an outstanding museum, with so much to see that we could barely scratch the surface read more

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As the best museum in the city of Naples, the question is not whether you should schedule a visit to this, the national archeological museum, but rather, should you schedule it before or after your visit to Pompeii? Unlike the museums of say, Florence, the museums of Naples are both less grand and less crowded. Part of that's a testament to the fact that they hold fewer Italian treasures and the other part is that Naples is far less opulent than some of its more northern neighbors. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale though, is the jewel in Naples' crown. Though less immaculate than other museums in Italy, its contents are remarkable. There's so much here that you don't just get tired of looking but you also inadvertently miss things you'd probably enjoy. It's fair to say your attention span will wane long before you've seen everything there is to see here and I mean that as a compliment to the museum. The collection is vast. Travel writer, Rick Steves, has apparently suggested that you visit this museum in advance of your visit to Pompeii. Though no travel expert, I visited following a day at Pompeii and I personally thought that was the optimal plan for me. It gave context to much of what I was seeing in the museum though I suppose the reverse could be true as well, should you visit the museum in advance. Either way though, visit the museum. It's a bit overwhelming but in a good way. read more

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One of the most interesting museums I've ever been to. It's nearly 80% Italian, and then a mixture of other things. Egyptian and Japanese believe it or not. There is a whole section on the history of Anime and Manga! A beautiful museum and MUCh larger than expected. It is a bit run down which seemed odd for a museum, but the pieces here are amazing. A lot of history in one spot. I was pretty tired when I was finished. Again, slightly run down, but that seems to be something that is pretty common in Naples. read more

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Such an extensive museum. There's so much to see throughout the museum. The collection and the pieces they have are quite unique. Makes for a perfect rainy day activity. read more

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We were able to see the displays and read the history quickly and move through at a reasonable pace.

Magnificent is inadequate to describe this Museo. I spent almost two hours in the Farnese Collection, which was well worth the 18€ admission alone. The Pompeii and Herculaneum artifacts are a must see! And don't miss the Gabinetta Segretto Sadly, the gardens were closed for renovation, and several pieces I wanted to see, like the Farnese Cup, were out on loan to other museums. Still, I put MANN on my Top 10 list of museums to visit. read more

Museo Archeologico Nazionale - Entrance (Entrata) - Museums Near Me - Naples, NA

The plasters of victims of Pompeii weren't displayed but hidden from the public. The fact you hide your best exhibit is just a poor decision. read more

4.5**** Where you can travel back in time from the days of Greek Gods and Goddesses, then to Egypt and get a glimpse of a Pharoah's life. Sure you can see it in a television documentary or read about it in a book. But when you're in Napoli try checking out their exhibits. Headsets with English narratives are available. Recommended since the descriptions are minimal and some displays don't have any. One lovely thing this place has a square garden surrounded by huge sculptures of men on horses. There are temporary exhibits as well, probably due to there being some construction of another showroom. Location is close to the marina and the bus stop is just outside the museum. It's a nice area to explore. read more

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Archeological museum was great, if you like museums. the museum is fabulous, not to be missed. Highlights were the reconstructions of the villas from Pompeii and many statues and busts. But half were reproductions. What was amazing were the huge almost incomprehensible carvings of Eros, and a gladiator holding a dead child. while this IS an original of immense size of a woman being tied to a horse with beasts, animals and all things humiliating was eye opening. Apparently they had to remove walls of 40' heights by 60' widths to get the monuments in place. Not only that, the Romans build rails to move the 40-60 ton structures into place (into the building even), and not without damage. You can see several parts were damaged in the move. But to me the real highlight was the newly opened Egyptian gallery which runs the entire length of 400' of the basement. And start at the beginning of the dynasties from (2500 BC?) and walk through time. Cool. ( Note: starting at the coat lockers going into the basement is the reverse of that intended by the curators.) Hard to find the real basement entrance at the end of a Roman period collection. Ask. It is a collection from the Borges who in the 1500's - q1600's absconded with tons of relics from intact sargoficaii to slave lists to the tiniest precious stone artifacts. I was amazed at a 1cm. x .5 cm. x . 5 cm. jade carving. Think of a stone about 2 rice grains wide by 4 rice grains tall. Whoa. Too bad the coin collections were closed. If like tel aviv museum this would be really cool. It is off the first floor at the staircase on right. Kids may like this. We shared a freelance tour guide which I thought was just OK. You can do without one here unless you have a reference for one. Ours in my opinion added little to my own self exploration. Allow 3 hours for museum types. 1.5 for those bored easily. read more

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An absolute gem of a museum that is actually a pleasant experience in the summer. Traveling through Europe in July you expect the hordes of tourists to steal the fun away from the prominent museums in a city. Not in Napoli. I visited on a weekday in July and I found the crowd dwindling a little after midday. The museum hosts marble statues, mosaics, paintings, and even a secret room. The highlight include a Hercules statue and a statue of a bull being chased. In the secret room, be prepared to see some questionable works, unfit for the eyes of a child. Alas, it was my favorite exhibit. WiFi is available and they provide a locker for your possessions on your visit. Make some time for the museum. ¡Provecho! read more

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Although our time in Napoli was brief, we stopped in here as our Rick Steves videoguide advised that we should see the museo prior to visiting Pompei. I really thought this place was amazing. You have to store your bags in the lockers, so be aware of that. They also have audioguides for a small fee and they are well worth it. As soon as you enter the main hall, you're almost overwhelmed by the scale of the sculptures. Everything is so big but the quality is not sacrificed by any means. I assume a lot of maintanence and restoration work has been down to keep the art is peak shape. There is a lot to see in this museum so of course there is a lot of walking. I liked that each type of art was separated in rooms. So it was easy just to go to green glass that was recovered from Pompei or blue glass or silver metal objects or mosaics. I've never seen such good quality. Well, actually I'm not sure I've even been to a museum that had such a large array of items recovered from an archaeological location. Everything was just amazing...except the tour groups. Good thing is that all the rooms are very spacious so even in a big tour group comes in, you still don't feel crowded. You can always head to the rooms on the other side of the open courtyard until they pass and circle back around to things you may have missed. I was even able to find a few post cards that I collect in the gift shop but I didn't really anything super unique in the gift shop. Anyway, this is definitely worth a stop. It's right on the corner above the train station. Check out the Catacombe di San Gennaro which is about 2-3 miles up the road. read more

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Took the funicular to Ferdinanda Park. Very nice and big. As we strolled down, we ran across this museum that was free. Got history, and on the ground floor, it had a very extensive Asian display of potteries, jade, and Asian artifacts. Best of all, this museum is free to the public. read more

This should definitely be at the top of your list of things to see if it is your first time in Naples! All of the best treasures found in Pompeii were brought here per directions from the King back in the 1700s. You do have to pay extra to see the naughty art in the secret room, but I found that if you just pay the regular rate, and then pretend that you don't speak Italian,Which you may not have to pretend, the man at the door may just let you in if you're nice. Be prepared, this is not a room for children! Not unless you want to pull them into an early puberty! However, 90% of the rest of the building is definitely family friendly! Some of the most amazing statues, frescoes, and other Italian art can be found here! You won't be sorry. :-) read more

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This is one of the top museums to be found on our fair globe. It is amply stocked with mosaics, paintings and especially sculptures from the nearby ruins of the Roman settlements at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Some of the most important works include the mosaic of Alexander of Macedon and the sculpture of the faun, (both from the villa of the faun in Pompeii) and sculptural groups like the Farnese bull and the roasting of the boar. Strictly speaking, many of the pieces on display are copies, two millennia old Roman copies of somewhat earlier Greek works. Following the Roman conquest of Greece, it became fashionable for prosperous Roman families to display art based on the pieces looted from across the Adriatic. One slight disappointment is the gift shop which does not feature much in the way of reproductions from the museum. Anyone with an interest in classical art or history should make a beeline for this museum. read more

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It was neat but we should of gotten a guide to better understand the history. Our mistake!!

This is a fascinating museum and a must-see if you've been to Pompeii or Herculaneum. When you visit either of those sites, you'll notice so many of the very valuable mosaics and artwork aren't actually on site. Most of those pieces are in this museum for preservation and display. All of the exhibits in the museum are worth checking out. My wife and I particularly enjoyed the Farnese collection - especially the Farnese Bull. We were in awe of it and could have spent hours looking at it in more detail. Unlike most well known Italian museums, this one had very few visitors when we were there. It was nice to not have to bump elbows to look at the impressive pieces. But Naples in general seemed to lack the large tourist crowd that is found elsewhere in Italy. The only downside to this museum is that it is not always fully open. There are sporadic closures of exhibits for parts of the day, presumably because there isn't staff to cover everything all at once. So if you are going to be in Naples for more than a day, go on the first day you're there and hope everything is open. If not, come back the next day. We went the first day and the Pompeii exhibit, which we were most interested in, was closed for the majority of the day. read more

How this museum doesn't have 5 stars, I do not know. The sculptures are incredible (Hercules is magnificent), erotic art was the most interesting exhibit we had seen on our trip (Think NC-17 in 100-170AD) and a very complete collection of various paintings and mosaics spanning hundreds of years. I wish I would have budgeted 2 hours instead of just 1 to kick back and enjoy the 10 euro investment (if you are not a super-geek 1.5 hours is about right). This is an ABSOLUTE must-see in Napoli!! Tip: Sculptures are on the first floor (Farnesi collection) to the right. They are a little bit hidden, but definitely a nice way to finish your visit. I would start on the second floor and work your way down. read more

This museum has cool things but I just wasn't able to see them =( Pros- - right off the metro - you can see things like the naughty "Secret Room" and the original "Beware of the dog" sign Well I deliberately got to Napoli earlier than intended just to go this museum to see those things. I looked on their website before I left. They have the little UK flag to translate the website into English however, it would just stay in Italian. Google Translate also wouldn't translate. I just assumed their standards exhibits would be open. I go there and I was told almost every exhibit is closed. WTF? Why?! I was told that because of having to shorten the amount of hours people there work or something, that they just decided to close exhibits earlier. They basically closed some of the more popular exhibits earlier. I asked if the admission would be reduced and was told no. What idiot would pay full price when you can see less than half the museum? The 2 workers I spoke to here were obnoxious. The last 3 days of my trip to Italy were a waste of $$$$. I spent 3 Euros to/from here just to see the front of the museum and have 2 Italian women be rude to me. If I'm back in Italy hopefully I would be able to go actually see what I want. read more

I did not realize until reading a travel book recently that many of the great frescoes and other items from Pompeii were moved to this museum about 200 years ago. So, this museum makes a great finish to your Pompeii trip. We visited Pompeii (on a Wednesday) until it closed at 5 p.m., then drove to the museum, which closes at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and you have to be admitted by 7 p.m. Honestly, with the crazy Naples evening traffic that was cutting it close, so I'd advise leaving Pompeii a bit earlier. That said, while the museum has other notable works of art besides the items from Pompeii, the Pompeii items alone are worth a 5 out of 5 rating. There are rooms and rooms of well preserved frescoes, with illustrations showing where they were placed in the rooms in Pompeii. Please note that the parking that is on museum property is for staff only, and there are no real parking lots nearby, so on advice of the museum guard we found street parking about 2 blocks away. read more

Definitely worth the trip! Super fun erotic art room and then go upstairs to see the giant hall. Stunning. Prettier than any European hall I've been in - breathtaking. Lots of statutes and stuff. And pretty affordable. Get the headset because there's some fun stories and info. read more

a very amazing museum! well worth a visit. fairly warm during the summer months. advisable that you go during the spring/fall time frame. AC would of made it a 5 of 5 stars. read more

Museo Archeologico Nazionale - Museums Near Me - Naples, NA

The museum itself was nice. However, summer time is way too busy. Lots of groups and people in general. They were also renovating areas so many places were closed or artifacts were missing. Also the ticketing staff were rude because of the slight miscommunication on how many tickets we wanted. Not the best experience but not the worst. read more

Absolutely the best sight in Naples and not to be missed if you are visiting Pompeii. All the treasures dug up at the site are here (including the naughty bits), as well as the amazing Farnese Collection of Roman statues. Set aside 2-3 hours to really explore this place. Rick Steves even has a free audio tour of the museum that you can download to your smartphone. read more

One of the best archeologic museum I have ever visited. I should recommand it! Don't miss it if you are in Napoli.

One of the most important archaeological museums. Located in the historical centre of Napoli, in a remarkable building it hosts prestigious collections of Greek and Roman art. The frescoes and mosaics collections include a number of masterpieces from the ruins of Pompeii, Herculaenum, Stabiae and the other Vesuvian cities. The Secret Cabinet, the Egyptian Collection and the Farnese Marbles are also unmissable! read more

It wasn't a bad museum, but it wasn't great either. There are many cool things to see here, but just as many in Pompei and other museums. The Italians don't put too much stock into the upkeep and maintenance of their historical sights and museums. A few sections were closed when I was there and maybe that was my disappointment. But there is so much to Naples itself and visiting the catacombs and many of the churches and the city itself is like walking in a museum at times. It was OK, something you should do, but not waste a whole day there. read more

If you want Roman history and plan to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum this is a 'Must Visit' too.The museum has exhibits from both sites and a lot more.There are mosiacs and various artifacts that are quite fabulous. They are not dull through weather damage like the ones still in situ. The ones in the museum are as beautiful as if they were painted yesterday. A vast amount of huge statues line the halls. They are in various marbles, often in more than one marble to give the effect of clothing, and others are bronze, though these are often more life-size than the huge marble statues. You can photograph and video to your hearts content. The great new is that the Secret Museum is now open (October 2011) and is well worth a visit. Again there seemed to be no objection to photos and video being taken of the fabulous erotic art which although Roman in date comes from all over the then-known world. It seems the Roman particularly liked Indian Erotic carved Ivory! One thing that is needed is a cafe as we couldn't find one. But there are benches where people were sitting having a break and there seemed no objection to people having something to eat and drink if they had known to take it with them. The museum has more on display than on our last visit (1999) and it seems they have opened more rooms. The building work preventing the use of the central garden area in 1999 is still ongoing as of October 2011 to they are running on 'Italian Time', but I hope one day to be able to picnic in the central garden area. read more