Best museum in Rome. But if you do not have a reservations in advance you are NOT getting in. https://www.utrip.com/discover/italy/rome/galleria_borghese here is the info you need to book it. But go, please dont skip it! the first time i went to Rome I missed it and I was so bummed. It is one of the largest collections of great stuff out there and is so relaxing compared to other museums in Rome. After enjoy a nice walk in the park on a nice day or a relaxing glass of wine. read more

This is one of two museums on our Italian Adventure that completely changed how much I appreciate the art of sculpture. Buy your tickets online, show up at the appropriate time and you'll have two hours to wallow in all this spectacular art and history. It's best to head to the top floor when you enter. You'll have a little more elbow room as you work your way through the galleries. That is also where you'll find the majority of the paintings. The sculptures are on the lower floors. We were fortunate to have the whole room to ourselves as we admired Titian's "Sacred and Profane Love" . There is so much more detail in the painting that just doesn't show up in reproductions. The real highlight of the Borghese is all the sculpture by Bernini. "Apollo and Daphne" is a virtuoso performance in marble. It depicts Apollo trying to hold on to Daphne while she is turning into a tree. (Research the story for details.) How on earth did he carve all these delicate leaves and slender branches out of one piece of marble? There are a lot of those "How On Earth" moments. Some of the most spectacular sculpture in the world is there at The Borghese. Don't miss this! BTW - There is a nice cafe downstairs where you check your bags. You can grab breakfast or lunch there if you like. And be sure to allow some time to stroll through the park. It is absolutely beautiful. read more

This gallery does it right with the timed entrance! This experience was a lot better than the Vatican museum one. A whole lot better. No pushing and shoving and no immense body heat and humidity like the Vatican. You can really take the time to peruse art. I am no art aficionado, but I truly enjoyed this place. In order to appreciate it more, you have to know the back story regarding the prominent pieces. So either read about it beforehand, rent the audio guide, or hire a tour guide. Otherwise you will just end up walking around looking at pretty marble statues or pictures and be out of there in 30 minutes. I rented the audio guide for 5 euros, and listened to most of it so we were there for 75 minutes even though you are allowed 120 minutes. What can I say, I had a 6 year old dancing his butt off and running around these priceless pieces of art with a 55 year old husband snoring on a couch on the second floor waiting for me. Before this trip, I had never heard of Bernini, Caravaggio, or Canova. Now I know. Looking at Bernini's detailed marble sculptures, wowee. I never thought anyone could be better than Michaelangelo! The sculpture of Daphne and Apollo was really impressive, with the sculpted leaves coming from Daphne's hair and the fact that if you hit them they sound like noise you get from hitting crystal with a tool. This collection of art was another example of a Catholic head ( Cardinal Scipione Borghese)going buck wild with excessive art by living off the poor collecting taxes, being corrupt, etc with help of his uncle, a Pope. However, it's good that this villa and art is available for commoners like me instead of being privately owned and sold by descendants. We went to the Gallery yesterday on the 5th of April, and the next available ticket reservation is the 11th so one has to make their reservation a week or two in advance, maybe more in the busy summer season. I called to make reservations from the US a week in advance. It costs 16 euros, per adult, including the 2 euro reservation fee. The child was 2 euro, I think, without the 2 euro reservation fee. Anyway, it would be nice if the Vatican Museum had a set up like this with timed and limited entrance so one could not feel like they were part of a horrendous cattle call. Going to Vatican museum was one of the worse experiences of my life. That is telling you that the European/American recession that started 2008- 2009 is officially over if all these people can afford to come cross over to Italy and hog up the corridors of the Vatican museum! read more

This is the largest public park in Rome. It is to Rome what Central Park is to New York. A luscious green escape from the bustle of city life. There are paths through the park and plenty of places to stop for a picnic or to throw a frisbee or ball around. There is a beautiful lake in the middle where for a small fee you can hire a rowing boat and row around for a while. Extremely peaceful and relaxing it makes for a great setting for a day out with the family or a romantic stroll. The easiest way to get here from my point of view is by climbing to the top of the Spanish Steps and taking the road off to the left. The Borghese Gallery is situated at one end of the park and is a museum which holds a collection of sculptures with some important works by Canova and Bernini as well as a collection of paintings from several masters including Titian, Rubens and Raphael. The park also contain an amphitheater and a botanical garden. read more

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We loved this museum, primarily because of the statues. I'll be honest: I am not the biggest visual art afficionado. But the statues are truly amazing to see in person, and unlike paintings, you really can't appreciate the scope and magnificence of these works without seeing them live. It's worth the hassle of prebooking tickets and sticking to the rigid two hour schedule. Useful travel tip: it's a long walk here from pretty much anywhere else in Rome. Take a taxi! read more

Museum was great. Booked a small group tour thru 'trip advisor' for 65 euros it was not worth it! I would not do this again but maybe get the audio instead. The tour guide was knowledgeable but very difficult to understand. The microphone & our monitors were awful! They cracked & didn't work properly. The tour guide spent so much time explaining the paintings and sculptures and what they meant that it was boring and too detailed to enjoy. Like listening to a boring professor. 2 hours was too long for sure. The museum itself was great but many people & some alarm kept going off which was distracting. Do not bring a backpack or large bag as you have to lock it up in a cage. read more

Do not miss this - the park around the museum is a wonderful refuge from the crowds in Rome, and the Bernini sculptures are magnificent ("I see them all over Rome" you say! Well, here you can see the sculptor's developing talent.) Advance tickets are necessary to guarantee you get in, but it is possible to show up and perhaps there will be same day tickets. read more

We were lucky to have our hotel rebook our reservation after mistakenly factor travel time the first time. Hotel was gracious enough to call again for the following day. Well, it was better to book opening time since it is early enough before the crowds get large. We took a taxi from the Mercure Colosseo directly to the central park where the Galleria Borghese is inside. It was early enough that we wandered around until realize where to wait in line. Two NY lady tourists were behind us talking badly of all the other tourists asking if they were in the right line. They kept on tell others that they needed a reservation. Most of them already had them but just needed to know if this was the line. Finally when the line moved, I was putting away my camera and the lady told us to move it along. I mentioned it would just take a few minutes for me to put away my camera. She said the crowd wouldn't appreciate it. I was a little annoyed and told her that it would just take a second. Geez, I got the reply back that I needed to cool it. Whatever?!? Seriously, I hope they piss off another less forgiving couple. We managed to get our bags checked in and waited for the picture gallery opening in another 30 minutes. The doors opened 30 minutes early to speed up the check-in with ticket office. Yeah, we don't see the annoying NY lady tourists and are at the front of the line. Once you enter the 2nd floor, the picture gallery will take your breath away. There are room after room walls covered with paintings and also frescas on the ceiling. You are allotted an hour to the upstairs picture gallery before making your way downstairs to the gallery of sculptures and other art pieces. Take your time since your timed reservation only gives you 2 hours. We took a little over an hour since we needed to move on to see the Trevi fountain, Patheon, Spanish steps, etc. At the bookstore, I got the Masterpieces of Borghese which I would recommend. It outlines the more famous sculptures and paintings in the museum. read more

This is tied for my favorite museum in the world. It's just GORGEOUS! The setting is amazing. So dramatic. And they have these gorgeous modern couture dresses near some of the art, which really punctuates it. We went on a rainy Wednesday for the 5-7 pm shift, and there was something just magical about it. Make sure to book in advance. read more

I'm not going to write reviews of the fabulous places to see in Rome. My comments should be meaningless compared to all the information already out there. But a suggestion to visitors to the Borghese Museum: Rent the audio tour equipment! I can't imagine having toured these galleries without the accompanying details from the audio tour. read more

We had high hopes for this gallery as I made reservations online way in advance. We got there about 15 mins late and were waiting behind a French couple to get our tickets. The ticket lady was very patient with them and we saw them use their credit card to purchase their tickets. When it was our turn, I gave the lady my reservation info and she told us the price of our tickets but wouldn't take our credit card for some reason she explained in Italian which we didnt understand (reduced price was $17ish euros so it met min requirements) we gave her cash, and she shorted us the change. We think she kept the change for herself and she does that with others tourists. Afterwards we bought audio guides at the next booth in the gallery and the lady accepted our credit cards for $10 euros! However, she didn't give us earphones, so when I asked her for earphones she said to use it like a telephone. When we returned our audio guides, we saw the other people had earphones that they gave them. Not sure why we were targeted, but staff there is very disappointing. Be aware tourists! Also, they kick you out about 10-15mins before your time is up. Such a shame staff spoiled our time, it was a beautiful gallery but people that are hired to help us treated us poorly. read more

This museum is a hidden gem in a city of masterworks; it is well worth visiting. Just a bit off the beaten path - it is within walking distance of the piazza del populo yet many people don't know about it. Most of the collection was acquired under the auspices of Pope Paul V (Camillo Borghese 1550-1621) and his nephew Cardinal Scipione - and subsequently installed in the Galleria Borghese. Bernini is a constant presence in the museum, as are a number of other fabulous artists. This museum admits patrons by the clock, every two hours a new group of 360 patrons are allowed in and the previous group ushered out. This provides a wonderful and uncrowded viewing experience, but also puts a time limit on one's wandering the galleries. (As a hint, after you enter proceed up to the top floors immediately and you can slowly descend the galleries as time elapses.) Make your reservation before you show up and you don't have to battle lines to get in; admission is roughly 11€. You'll have to leave all packages with security, but this slight inconvenience is worth the end result. Nice coffee shop to patronize while you wait to enter; nice gift shop also. Not really a place for children. Don't miss this museum. read more

The art and sculptures were beautiful, for the most part, until I saw the atrocious so called modern "art" by Lucio Fontana which restricted me from taking pictures from the other exhibits. Luckily this garbage art is only a temporary exhibit so hopefully you can take pictures soon. Otherwise it would've been a 5. read more

The Borghese museum collection and the Borghese Gardens are beautiful. The museum is away from the majority of Rome's attractions and requires reservations to be made well in advance, so the museum is not crowded. I paid $40+ for skip the line tickets, which turned out to be a waste of money (though I highly recommend skip the line tickets for everything else!). The ticket itself is only €15. read more

incredible museum and collection. they took numerous of the berninis off display so only saw a few. poor poor management and staffing. read more

Situated on a sprawling green park (now open to the public), the Borgehese Gallery is a truly incredible collection of art. You need to make a reservation in advance of visiting, and can only spend two hours browsing the Cardinal's expansive collection. The house itself is a piece of art, too -- the floors, ceilings and original furnishings. The reservation system and time limit serve to keep the museum from being overcrowded (like the Vatican), which make the experience far more enjoyable. A must-visit if you're in Rome and love art and history. No photos allowed. read more

This art gallery is, simply put, spectacular! Other yelpers discuss the process of getting in so i will focus on why you want to go. First the rooms of the gallery are small and you can get rather close to the artwork. Standing a couple feet from a Caravaggio or Bernini is really amazing. Especially with the sculptures, seeing the level of detail Bernini created out of marble is truly awe inspiring. You can see the indent in Persephone's flesh from Hades fingers in the "Rape of Persephone." The cushion on which a Borghese lady recline looks sumptuous in spite of the fact that it is marble. I recommend that you see the gallery with a knowledgeable tour guide. We were part of a group led by a gentleman who worked at the museum in addition to working for a tour agency. He was able to point out details and techniques that the typical layperson would fail to observe. He had tremendous knowledge about the history of the museum, the family who collected the art and the artists who created the pieces. If I ever return to Rome (I threw my coin in the Trevi Fountain so I am optimistic on this point) this gallery is something I would tour again. It was one of the highlights of our trip. read more

A must see baroque sculpture and painting museum in Rome. Even if you're not a fan of sculpture this museum might make you change your mind. Unless you're an art historian get the audio guide it helped put it all in context. But you have to get your tickets days in advance. You can make them on line. read more

Defintely make a reservation online or pre purchase at the galleria before expecting to attend the gallery. Rick Steve's had said you must vheck everything, but that wasn't true for us today , September 17th . People we're taking pictures. (Another listed no-no). But, while in line we heard a manager tell a woman she should check her bag???So we went with very little baggage. Beautiful marbles Berninis. And Caravaggios, in particular. We took just 90 minutes due to the heat. I'm glad we went . read more

Heart-stoppingly, amazing Berninis and frescos!

I don't even like art and this place is legit! The sculptures are amazing and the paintings have incredible stories behind them. Get the audio guide! If you don't know the stories behind the art then you're missing the whole story behind them. This place was one of my favorite places in italy. Book tickets before you come to italy though because it's booked out at least a week. read more

in my opion it is the most beatiful place in the world. it is actully a park very big, lots of trees and road to hike or ride. and in the miccle of all this there is the galleria and the zoo which are very nice. but for me i like to just go there on a sunday with a book or a friend and enjoy the kids playing around and sun trough the trees. read more

Museo e Galleria Borghese - Museums Near Me - Roma, AG

I have booked the guided Tour of Galleria Borghese with OverRome a few days Ago. It turned out to be a really enjoyable experience. First of all they take care of you with kindness and efficiency to make your access to the Museum quick and easy ( very nice feeling of being priviliged). Then the visit is very interesting and instructive. The group is kept in small size so that you can stay very close to the guide and easily watch the artworks. The very friendly guide was very competent, you could say she knew the history of art very well by the way she easily explained complex concepts and by the way she put everything in the general context. Also she explained us how to watch the art works and thanks to her I have noticed important details I would have never appreciated in 1000 visits on my own. www.overome.com read more

This is the quintessential museum experience. From the limited number of people allowed in at one time (600, I'm told) to the strict 2-hour slot allotted to your visit, everything works to make for a memorable museum experience. Every museum in the world should be run like this one. read more

I was glad to have a skip the line ticket, as they sold out for months, but this museum gives you a two hour time limit, so you constantly feel rushed and due to the reputation of this museum you feel that you might miss something that is a classic. The physical dimensions of the museum are strange, employees speak broken English, and it is hard to find the staircase which goes upstairs, where it is all paintings, which I like. They have to limit the tours, as there are several, the museum is small, and when you go near a piece of art in a very small room, and the guide and tour group is surrounding a painting meaning it is important, rather than be able to look at the piece of art they will remind you that the tour is private and ask you to leave the room, as if my ticket doesn't entitle me to see the art because I am just a customer. The ticket also doesn't make clear that there are LONG lines at the coat room as they mandate bags be checked. They could put on the ticket, for example, that your scheduled time is 1PM but arrive at 12:30PM, but they don't and even getting there early 20 minutes early isn't enough time to actually start seeing the art until past the beginning time of the two hour time span. There are great works but unless you get a very expensive private tour you are treated as an imposer and the museum is not English language friendly. read more

The gallery itself would be five stars easily but the system for getting in and situated are ridiculously stupid. You have to reserve tickets in advance and print out a voucher (must be paper, smartphones are apparently not common in Italy...sarcasm) then you'll naturally go in the main entrance...wrong. You must go downstairs to the ticket office. Stand in line there and trade your voucher in for your tickets. You then have to check all your bags even a small purse even though you could put everything in the bag in your pockets. You then walk over to rent the video guide (highly recommended...basically required). But, they won't rent you one for about 10 more minutes even though all the employees are sitting there talking and carrying on. It's no wonder this economy is in the toilet-no work ethic. Anyway, you then get your radio guide and go back upstairs, but they won't let you in until it's your time which will probably be about 15 more minutes if you arrived 30 minutes prior to your assigned time which you are required to do. You stand in the hot sun until the employees finally let you in. By now you're wondering if all this moronic process is worth it. It is. This is one of the best galleries I've ever been in. Works of famous painters and sculptors abound. Titian's painting Sacred and Profane Love and Bernini's Statue David are mesmerizing. And there's many, many others. It's a shame that they only let you stay two hours before they kick you out and make room for the next herd of poor souls that have just gone through the idiotic opening ceremonies. Btw, the food in the cafeteria is over priced and terrible. read more

Overwhelmingly beautiful. You may want to pay extra for a guided tour. Definitely buy advance tickets. We went through Viator and it was seemless. You cannot take bags or purses in the gallery & they are serious about it. They will lock up your belongings for you. Do not miss this while you are visiting Rome! read more

Impressive museum, but 2 stars knocked off since the museum was closed for our 2 hour time slot. We purchased tickets 2 weeks in advance, so they had our e-mail address, but they didn't notify us. Fortunately we arrived early for ticket pickup and were able to go in for 45 minutes before they closed. read more

It is a really big park with some statues, bars, restaurant, a museum and little stands where you can rent a bycicles and more (u would need your ID). There is a wondreful panorama of the city and a really nice little lake where u can reant for at 3 euro per person for 20 minutes a little boat. read more