One of Naples' crowning museums, the artifacts here complement a visit to Pompeii in the same trip,…read moresince 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. =)

It was the highlight of our visit to Naples. We skipped it after seeing Pompeii over 10 years ago…read more 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.

Known as Cappella Sansevero Art Museum, or Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà, this Neapolitan…read morebuilding contains a diverse collection of ornate sculpture visible for just 7Euro. Adhering to a strict photography policy, circumvented only through time and patience, expect to spend an hour in the two small chambers, mesmerized by the ornate netting on Il Disinganno and breathtaking Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino. Downstairs guests will also find two anatomical studies of human vasculature that long pre-date the "Bodies" exhibits touring globally

Visited in April 2026, and was really blown away by the detail in the marble sculptures. The way…read morethe sheerness of the fabric captured all the folds and wrinkles over the forms of the Christ and Modesty sculptures was stunning. My mind can't even begin to comprehend how Genoese sculptor Francesco Queirolo carved the life-like roped fishing net texture and structure draped over the two human figures out of solid stone for Disillusion. He certainly was a virtuoso in this art form. The other statues in the room were incredibly elaborate and detailed as well. As other reviews have mentioned, the chapel has a strict no photography policy, there are multiple security guards posted around this room and they watch with hawk eyes so don't even try. The "anatomical machines" portion of the exhibit was two open bodies one male, one female, preserved for scientific study, showing possibly the most complete real life version of the human cardiovascular system including veins and arteries. Fascinating, though could present an ick factor for those that aren't into seeing explicit internal organs. Open daily 9am-7pm except Tuesdays. Regular admission is €12.00 for adults, €6-8 for students, handicapped, youth 10 yrs and over. Free admission to 9 yrs and under. Audio guides are available for an additional €3.50 fee. Regular admission feels steep for essentially access to 1.5 rooms, given the amount of people, had to dock a star. A lot of info available on their website below, I don't think you need the audio guide if you can read thru the descriptions in advance, though cell service isn't great inside, so wouldn't recommend trying access it live. https://www.museosansevero.it/en

A very small art museum We only spent 1/2 hour here. As with all modern art museums, you will some…read morepieces you like and some you hate. But, they do make you think.

Madre, Naples' sole contemporary art museum, won't be to everyone's liking. Three in my party…read moreenjoyed the experience; one did not. I was in the majority but I come with bias, harboring an affinity for contemporary art while knowing full well that this is not what anyone comes to Naples to experience. Certainly not among the best of contemporary art museums, Madre spans 3 floors and much of what's on display can be walked through quite quickly. A few things with English write-ups below them caused me to stop and linger but many more things caused me to walk on by while observing. Truth be told, you could be in and out of here quite easily inside of an hour if you don't slap on headphones to listen to something or pause to see if what's written is of interest to you. Madre is an "ok" museum that's maybe worth a visit if you're in the area with nothing else on your calendar.

Castel Nuovo was one giant construction site when we were here…read more Of course, it's been under construction for nearly nine hundred years. From Charles I House of Anjou, to the Kingdom of the two Sicily's (1266), to the Kingdom of Naples. It was also used by Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, who lived there for a short time in 1535. But no Italian history would've complete, without the involvement of de' Medici family of Florence. Seemed Alfonso V of Aragon (1443), had established a royal court here after conquered the throne of Naples and as with most little boys, he needed his to be, er um...grander. He intended for the Castel Nuovo to compete with the one in Florence by Lorenzo de' Medici. Ultimately he ended up completely rebuilding the entire fortress. A famous architect friend once observed to me, that it's important to be able to distinguish between "good" and "better." LOL The castle is very imposing. It has five huge turret like towers, that can be seen throughout Naples. Our driver couldn't figure out how to drop us off because of all traffic on Via Nuova Marina, so we settled for the nearby Galleria Umberto mall (see review) instead. LOL. See photos.

The Nuovo castle looks better from the outside and going inside, other than the second floor open…read moreview facing the harbor. The museum exhibits are lack of maintenance and all presenting in almost darkness. It's still worth the €6 entrance fee to explore.

A must see in Napoli. Don't miss the museum - it's worth it. an plan enough time to sit, see and…read morerelax

I had an unfortunate experience there. My daughter was posing for me to take her picture in the…read moregardens and without thinking sat on a bench. A worker only needed to say "Please, don't sit on the benches. Thank you." Instead this lady began a tirade, telling us to have some respect, insulting us and going on and on. So rude and just awful, she was.

This was another highlight during our visit of Naples. It's not to be missed if you're a WWII buff,…read moreor have any personal connections to this era. We purchased the standard tour (there are 3) which starts at the entrance of Vico del Grottone. It's close to the Piazza del Plebiscito. There are timed entries. We just happened to get there just before the guided English tour at 11:00am. The timing was perfect. I would rethink this one if you have mobility or night vision issues. The very first thing you'll do is walk down a very high, narrow, and dimly lit stairway with pumice walls surrounding you. I'm pretty sure our tunnel guide said it was 90 steps down. The good news is that you won't have to climb up at the end. You'll exit out into a covered parking area along Via Monte de Dio. Our guide was so passionate & knowledgeable. I think his name was David. He also made sure that every question was answered. It's quite a long & rocky history of why the King had it built, and the obstacles they had building around the aqueducts and holding tanks. The vision was never fully realized after the fall of the Bourbon monarchy. It was abandoned until WWII when it was used as a shelter from bombs. It's an incredible story, and you can see how the residents of Naples lived under the brutal conditions of war. Some lived there longer because they had nowhere else to live after houses were destroyed. We were very impressed with how well the tunnels were restored, and hearing about how all these secrets (artifacts) were uncovered. It had been hiding under Naples all these years until being rediscovered some time in 2005. I don't think it even opened to the public until 2010. It was a very memorable & unique experience. Very much worth the small admission fee. Definitely seek it out if you are in Naples. It only takes an hour, and it's well worth the time.

An inspiring tour to take. Long history of use in Naples. Started hundreds of years ago and used…read morethrough WWII and after. Excellent tour guides. Multiple tour options ranging from easy to more involved requiring hard hats. Unique antiques shop included as part of tour. Well worth the price of 10€ to see this amazing underground area.

In Italy there's a popular custom of setting up Christmas nativity dioramas for the holidays and…read morebeyond, and this area over centuries became the place to go. This street is famous for its nativity scene decorations and figurines, many in the form of miniatures. I could feel my jaw dropping walking by, admiring the deft handiwork of skilled artisans, many who've honed their traditional craft for generations. On a weekend in April I visited with curiosity, since in the States, it's not common to see enclaves of such specialized holiday producers showcasing and selling their goods year round. The closest I can think of are certain Christmas "villages" or really cluster of Christmas retailers in places like Bronner's in Frakenmuth, Michigan. Via San Gregorio Armeno is a far cry from the glitzy decked out lights and fake snow, more like its low key vintage-styled European uncle. The street is only about a block and a half or so, with probably two dozen stores. Among these, mixed in are many peripherally related souvenir shops, selling imported souvenirs aimed at tourists looking for cheap trinkets. However you can generally discern the ones with locally produced items, often with makers working on pieces inside the store. Even as I walked along and admired the nativity figurines, some no taller than a couple inches, the minutiae of smallest details captured in the fold of a garment, or a twinkle of an eye, I wondered how long these shops could sustain with competition from foreign made copycats, tightening purse strings, and lessening interest from younger generations to go into this type of cottage industry. While this question isn't an easy one to answer, I hope there will be those that continue to appreciate these stories and support their work.

I LOVE it here. Its called Christmas Alley by the Americans. Its blocks and blocks of stores and…read morevendors selling all sorts of wonderful things. We first went in the fall and it was lively, but nothing like visiting in the middle of December! Italians come out in droves to pick out new additions to nativity scenes and trees. There are some touristy shops too but thats part of the fun. Lots of pride and workmanship go into these items and it is a beautiful thing to see. The tiniest details are so interesting to see. You can also grab snacks from many vendors along the tight winding streets. This is a must do thing if you come to Napoli!

What a really fun concept. We purchased our tickets online but the scanner and code did not work. I…read moreshowed my email to the man at the register and he provided us with two tickets. No hassle. Two tickets will get you 3 special flavors and two obligatory flavors- Nutella (Nutella seems pretty big here?) and a milk chocolate. When you vote you get a 6th free sample. We then tested all 8 flavors. I was so fortunate to start at number two. Please see my photos for details. The chef(?), what do you call a gelato creator?, was so friendly. She explained the contest to me and then described her gelato. When I first read the description online o thought hers was going to be too much. Lots of ingredients, hazelnut, pistachio, chocolate, orange. But wow the Orange really pops with the gelato. Hands down my favorite. My number two slot goes to the parmesan and honey creation-- number 5. Who knew Parmesan cheese could taste so good with honey? Very unique these flavors really balance each other. Very nice and passionate gelato creator. Number three pick goes to number three gelato Fig and lemon. Well done. Unique. The lemon really stands out. There is a cooking demonstration where they will teach you how to make gelato and then provide you with samples. In Italian however. You can also watch them make gelato in a huge truck. The gelato fair is in Naples for 4 days then travels on. I highly suggest going if they are in your city. I'm glad we took the time out of our vacation to try this!