The Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (MuST) in Milan is Italy‘s largest science and technology museum. It covers 50,000 m² in a 16th-century Olivetan monastery, holding over 16,000 objects spanning Leonardo’s inventions, transport history, energy, communication, and space.
The current adult full price is €13 — many guides still show €10 (the pre-2025 rate). One critical note: the Enrico Toti submarine interior tour requires a separate advance booking and an additional ticket; the exterior is visible with standard admission but interior access is not included. Museum entry is at Via San Vittore 21; exit is at Via Olona 6/a. You can book through GetYourGuide in advance.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address (entrance) | Via San Vittore 21, 20123 Milan |
| Exit | Via Olona 6/a |
| Hours (Sept–late June, Tue–Fri) | 09:30–17:00 (last admission 16:00) |
| Hours (Sept–late June, Sat/Sun/holidays) | 09:30–18:30 (last admission 17:30) |
| Hours (summer, late June–early Sept) | Tuesday–Saturday only. |
| Closed | Mondays (except some holidays); 25 December; 1 January |
| Adult full price | €13 |
| Concession (ages 3–26; seniors 65+) | €8 |
| Under 3 | Free |
| Disabled visitors | Free |
| Submarine interior tour (additional) | €10 + advance booking required |
| Nearest metro | Sant’Ambrogio (M2 green) — 5-minute walk |
| Nearest tram | Tram 2, 14 (Via San Vittore) |
| Typical visit | 2–4 hours |
Museum of Science and Technology opening hours
Standard hours (September to late June): Tuesday to Friday 09:30–17:00 (last admission 16:00); Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 09:30–18:30 (last admission 17:30). The museum is closed every Monday except on certain Italian public holidays.
Summer season (approximately late June to early September): Open Tuesday to Saturday only — Sunday and Monday are both closed in this period.
The museum is closed on 25 December and 1 January. Tickets are valid for the entire day — visitors can leave and re-enter freely. Check the official website for any unexpected closures.
Admission prices
The full adult price is €13.. Several guides and aggregators still show €10 (the price as of May 2025) — the price has increased. All tickets allow free re-entry for the whole day and must be booked in advance (with a €1 pre-sale fee).
| Category | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (27–64) | €13 |
| Concession (ages 3–26; seniors 65+) | €8 |
| Under 3 | Free |
| Disabled visitors | Free |
| Submarine Enrico Toti (interior guided tour, additional) | €10 |
| Abbonamento Musei Lombardia | Free standard entry |
The submarine interior tour is not included in the base ticket. It must be booked separately in advance (additional €10) and operates on a fixed guided-tour schedule. Exterior viewing of the submarine is free with standard admission. Book through GetYourGuide to confirm your entry time.
Why visit the Museum of Science and Technology?
- 🔬 The world’s largest Leonardo da Vinci Galleries: 170 historical models, artworks, and ancient books reconstructing Leonardo’s inventions as an engineer and scientist — built in the 1950s from his original notebooks and displayed in the monastery’s main cloisters.
- 🎟️ Walk through a full-size submarine: The Enrico Toti (S-506) — the first submarine built in Italy after World War II — stands in the outdoor courtyard. The interior guided tour (€10 extra, advance booking required) passes through every compartment from the torpedo room to the control centre.
- 🌿 A real fragment of the Moon on display: The museum holds the only sample of lunar material publicly exhibited in Italy — a rock fragment brought back during the Apollo programme, displayed in the Space section.
- 📜 Full-size vehicles that can’t be seen anywhere else: The bridge deck of the transatlantic liner Conte Biancamano; the training brig Ebe (launched 1921); a Luna Rossa catamaran hull; a Vega orbital launcher — all full-size, all inside the museum.
- 💰 Tickets are valid all day with free re-entry: The museum’s all-day ticket policy means you can leave for lunch or a break and return freely until closing — one of the most visitor-friendly admission policies at any major Italian museum.
How to get to the Museum of Science and Technology
By metro, the nearest station is Sant’Ambrogio (M2 green line), a 5-minute walk south-east. From Milan Centrale, take M2 (green) directly (approximately 7 minutes, 5 stops). From Cadorna (M1/M2), take M2 two stops to Sant’Ambrogio.
By tram, lines 2 and 14 stop on Via San Vittore directly in front of the museum. These connect to the historic centre and the Duomo area.
Note on the exit: The main entrance is at Via San Vittore 21. At the end of the visit, the exit from the transport pavilions leads onto Via Olona 6/a, near Sant’Ambrogio metro. If you plan to collect belongings or return to the entrance, allow time for the walk around the building.
5 top Milan experiences to book today
- 🏛️ Combine the Duomo and Leonardo’s Last Supper in a skip-the-line small group tour.
- 🍝 Take a Milan street food tour and taste several beloved local dishes.
- 🚶 Discover Milan’s highlights and hidden gems on a private walking tour.
- 🏰 Enjoy a guided visit to Sforza Castle and learn more about Michelangelo’s Pieta Rondanini.
- 🍕 Make your own pizza and gelato at a Milan cooking class.
Parking at the Museum of Science and Technology
Several paid car parks are available in the Sant’Ambrogio area. Street parking is limited. The museum is well served by metro and tram from all parts of the city; driving is not recommended for visitors staying in the centre. The nearest multi-storey car park is on Via Olona, adjacent to the exit.
How long to spend at the Museum of Science and Technology
Allow 2 to 4 hours depending on interests. The Leonardo Galleries alone take 60–75 minutes; the Transport Pavilions (air, rail, water) add another 60–90 minutes; the Enrico Toti submarine tour (if booked) is approximately 45 minutes. Adding the Space section, the Energy section, and the Communication section approaches a full day. The museum’s official guidance suggests 2–3 hours for a highlights visit.
Accessibility at the Museum of Science and Technology
The museum is largely wheelchair accessible — all spaces can be navigated by pushchair or wheelchair except Sala Falck and the Enrico Toti submarine interior (narrow hatches and ladders make the interior inaccessible to wheelchair users). Lifts and ramps connect all accessible levels. The museum has worked with the Ospedale Buzzi’s child neuropsychiatrists to improve access and comfort for neurodiverse visitors. Accessible toilets are available throughout. Disabled visitors enter free.
What to see at the Museum of Science and Technology
The Leonardo da Vinci Galleries occupy the historic cloisters of the monastery and are the museum’s most distinctive section. Around 170 large wooden models built in the 1950s reconstruct Leonardo’s inventions from his notebooks — the aerial screw (helicopter prototype), the self-propelled cart, the giant crossbow, the revolving bridge, the hydraulic saw. Made before anyone had built modern replicas of this kind, these models remain among the most influential interpretations of Leonardo’s engineering legacy.
The Transport Pavilions form a vast separate building in the museum’s grounds. The railway section holds historic locomotives and carriages in the original 1906 Expo pavilion. The air section includes a 1909 Farman biplane replica, an original Macchi MC 205 V from World War II, and a Caproni CA.36 triplane. The water section holds the bridge deck of the transatlantic liner Conte Biancamano and the training ship Ebe (1921), both at full scale.
The Enrico Toti submarine (S-506) stands in the outdoor area between the transport pavilions. Italy’s first post-war submarine (commissioned 1968, decommissioned 1999) was transported through the streets of Milan to this site — a logistical feat documented in photographs inside the museum. The exterior is freely viewable with standard admission. The interior guided tour (€10 extra, advance booking required) covers every compartment, from torpedo tubes to the command centre and sleeping quarters.
The Space section holds a Vega orbital launcher (real, decommissioned), the Luna Rossa catamaran (the America’s Cup boat), and the only fragment of lunar rock on public display in Italy — a sample from the Apollo programme. The new iLAB Sostenibilità (interactive laboratory on sustainability, opened 2026) is in this area.
Practical tips for visiting the Museum of Science and Technology
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book the submarine in advance | The Enrico Toti interior tour (€10 extra) books up quickly on weekends and in summer. Book at the same time as your museum ticket — or when you arrive, immediately ask at the desk for available slots. |
| Note the summer reduced schedule | In late June–early September, the museum closes on Sundays. Many visitors assume it follows the standard Tuesday–Sunday schedule year-round. Check museoscienza.org before planning a summer Sunday visit. |
| Adult price is €13, not €10 | Several guides updated in 2024–early 2025 still show the old price. The current full adult ticket is €13. |
| Your ticket is valid all day | Leave and re-enter freely until closing. The museum is too large to cover in one continuous visit — mid-day breaks are practical. |
| Book in advance | Advance booking is required (€1 pre-sale fee) and guarantees your entry at your preferred time. Walk-up availability is limited on busy weekend days. |
Museum of Science and Technology FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the adult ticket price? | €13 full price. Concession (ages 3–26, seniors 65+) is €8. Many guides still show €10 — that price was correct as of early 2025 but has since increased. |
| Is the submarine included in the ticket? | The exterior is viewable with standard admission. The interior guided tour costs €10 extra and must be booked in advance. |
| Is the museum open on Sundays in summer? | No — in late June to early September, the museum is open Tuesday to Saturday only. Sunday is closed during this period. |
| Where do I enter and exit? | Entrance is at Via San Vittore 21. The exit from the transport pavilions is at Via Olona 6/a, near Sant’Ambrogio metro. Plan for this when collecting belongings. |
| Is the submarine accessible for wheelchairs? | No. The submarine interior (narrow hatches, ladders) is not accessible. All other museum areas except Sala Falck are wheelchair-accessible. |
Things to do near the Museum of Science and Technology
The Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio is a 2-minute walk east — the 4th-century church where Saint Ambrose baptised Saint Augustine in 387 AD. The golden altar, the Serpent’s Column, and the mosaics of the Capella di San Vittore in Ciel d’Oro make it one of the most historically layered churches in Italy. Entry is free.
The Basilica di San Vittore al Corpo is immediately adjacent to the museum’s main building. The former Olivetan church retains its Baroque interior with frescoes and gilded decorations intact; the side door provides direct access from the museum courtyard.
The Pinacoteca di Brera is around 20 minutes north on foot and holds Italy’s most important northern painting collection — Raphael’s Marriage of the Virgin, Mantegna’s Dead Christ, Caravaggio, Bellini. See the dedicated guide in this series.
Castello Sforzesco is around 15 minutes north on foot and holds Michelangelo’s last work — the unfinished Pietà Rondanini — alongside the civic museums. Entry to the castle courtyard is free; museums require a separate ticket.
The Navigli canal district is a 10-minute walk south — the most active evening area of central Milan, with two historic navigli canals, independent restaurants, and aperitivo bars. The area is quieter during the day and at its liveliest from 18:00.
Similar science and engineering museums to visit near Milan
The Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile, Turin is around 90 minutes south-west by high-speed train and holds the most important automotive collection in Italy, covering the full history of the car from 1896 with around 200 vehicles.
The Museo Aeronautico Caproni, Trento is around 2 hours north-east by train and holds the largest collection of historic aircraft in Italy, assembled by the Caproni family whose early designs are also represented at the Milan Science Museum.
The Museo di Storia della Scienza, Florence (Museo Galileo) is around 2 hours south by high-speed train and holds the world’s greatest collection of Renaissance scientific instruments, including Galileo’s original telescopes.
Planetario di Milano (Civico Planetario Ulrico Hoepli) is around 20 minutes north of the museum in the Indro Montanelli public gardens and hosts public astronomy sessions. The Neoclassical domed building is an attraction in its own right.
Museo della Tecnica Elettrica, Pavia is around 40 minutes south by train and holds a specialist collection covering the history of electrical engineering and telecommunications, complementing the Communication section at the Milan Science Museum.
More Lombardy travel
Other Lombardy travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- How fast are the direct Milan to Verona trains?
- Can you get tickets to see the Last Supper on the day?
- La Scala Theatre Museum, Milan: Practical guide for first time visitors.
- Plan your visit to Milan Cathedral.
- Lake Como kayak tour vs boat cruise: Which is the best way to see Lake Como?
