It's the Roman theater of Ancient Ostia. What's not to love? It was built by Agrippa under the reign of Augustus back in the 1st century BC. It was rededicated after it was expanded to 4000 seats in 196 AD. It was the work of Septimius Severus and Caracalla that prompted the rededication per the inscription on the plaque on the theater that still exists today. We weren't able to step inside or step up to the viewing area due to construction and/or restoration. I'm assuming they are fixing the crumbling steps since it's currently used as an amphitheater-type concert venue. I think it would be cool to visit it in the evening as a spectator in a venue. The theater was built to be a part of a corporate complex called Piazzale delle Corporazione. The theater is prominently displayed as you're walking through the square. This is where you can get great photo opportunities during its restoration. We enjoyed our visit here. It's a great way to actually see ancient Roman city life and imagine what is was like in that century. read more

See all

Rome's OG Netflix. This semi-circular masterpiece could once seat up to 4,000 people, all crammed in to laugh, cry, and judge each other in togas. Now it mostly hosts echoes and pigeons, but if you're lucky, you might catch a confused tourist trying to re-enact Julius Caesar. It was built by Agrippa (yes, that Agrippa--Augustus' bestie) in the 1st century BCE. Still more structurally sound than some 21st-century buildings. She's undergoing a little restoration. Amazing! read more

Teatro di Ostia - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Rome, RM

See all

HIDDEN GEM! In our 3 weeks in Italy and Greece, we saw Ruins upon Ruins upon Ruins...but this was probably the best! If not, definitely the most FUN! Unlike the rest, you get to climb, wander, and explore all over these sprawling ruins. Very little is blocked off! My wife and I, in our mid 30s, were acting like children in a giant playground. This is the most underrated and underappreciated site in Rome. NO CROWDS! The fact that I am the first yelper to write about this, and add it to Yelp, says enough! EASY TO GET TO! 1) Take Metro B, get off at the Pyramide station 2) Hop on the Lido Metro. 3) Get off at Ostia Antica station 4) Cross over the blue bridge and just keep walking straight ahead. Depending on where your hotel is it and when you catch the metro, its probably a 30-60 minute trip. Wear sunscreen and bring water, you'll be here for awhile! :D BONUS: Despite us already having used the 2 free passes with our Roma Passes, the lazy ticket lady gaves us free passes anyway! :D (I think its normally 10 euro) read more

See all

Pompeii too far? Too crowded? Far too crowded? Ostia Antica is a splendid option and much more manageable than the vastness of Pompeii. The ancient port city of Rome, Ostia Antica is an easy metro ride from Rome. And all you need is a metro ticket to ride all the way so the trip is extremely inexpensive. The stop is only about a hundred yards or so from the gates of ancient Ostia...and sort of in the middle of nowhere, but signs point out the location. A couple of restaurants line the road in case you are hungry. There is also a restaurant located on the grounds of the ruined city and the food is actually fairly decent. A museum and bookstore are located near the restaurant also, but I wouldn't spend your time in the museum when the open air city is a museum in itself. Get a map...it is easy to get lost in the maze of ancient streets and you'll also want to know what you are looking at. Like Pompeii, large chunks of Ostia are still waiting for excavation, but what you can see? At the entrance you'll stroll past the columbariums (small pigeon-holed structures) which once held the cremated remains of Ostians. Yeah, first stop is the cemeteries which once lined the roads outside of Roman cities. Continue past apartment buildings, neighborhood baths with windows to chat with neighbors strolling by, a nicely preserved theater, the forum with its main temple, shops and cafeteria, private homes with their marble toilets. Truly wonderful. In winter, which is when I travel to Rome, Ostia can be virtually empty. Last time I was there, there were about five people and no guards. I was free to wander the backstreets at my leisure, even pausing once to kick at same grass and finding there was a beautiful mosaic under the turf and mud!!! Warning...give yourself time. Ostia is large and it takes an entire day to do it right and enjoy yourself. If you don't want to eat at the restaurants, bring a picnic meal with you and dine amongst the ruins. Love this place... read more

See all

Visited this place a few days ago, so much to see here and not overly busy, which makes a change for Rome. Entry to here was quite cheap with a cafe, shop and toilet located inside the complex. There are taps around the site and a few places to buy drinks. There is a Main Street running through the town. It is more fun to explore I found, with lots of houses, caves and buildings that are all accessible to the public. There is a lot of information available on at each exhibit although I would recommend a tour guide if you are visiting here with little knowledge about the site. The amphitheatre is very impressive with much of it still intact, you must take time to see it if you are visiting here. Definitely worth a visit, just watch out for the uneven pathways and crumbling stairs. read more

See all

I've went there once, when my former class had it's study programm in Rome, must have been May 2007. I loved it! No large signs that it's forbidden to step off the sidewalks, no big red lines you weren't allowed to cross. Acutally, you can walk through the old, ancient buildings the way you'd like to. The feeling of history surrounds one. read more

Teatro di Ostia - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Rome, RM

Great amount of history in one field trip! From the buriel grounds to the baths, the crumbling architecture is spectacular. There are so many things to see here; a necropolis, an ancient marketplace where merchants would sell their wares, a theater for plays and games, the social grounds, a fire department, and the tile mosaics on the ground seem to be everywhere. Our tour guide told us that the floow of the theater could be filled with water for water games this must have been a spectacular event! This is an all day event so be prepared to spend the day. There is a shop on-site as well as a restaurant and coffee shop. We didn't eat there but the food we saw others eating looked good. read more

See all

Awesome is all I can say. This place is stunning on all levels. The price is very reasonable to get in, and you could spend an entire day here. I only had about three hours, and I still think I only saw about 50% of everything. One thing that was really nice is the amount of people--you will go long periods without running into a soul, and this was during the busy summertime. They, also, have a little cafe, which was a lifesaver. I needed drink after all that walking around. As others have mentioned, you should bring comfy shoes--you will need them. The only negative I found was the wifi. It didn't work at the front gate even though it was supposed to. I couldn't call Uber, which sucked, but the train is nearby and runs regularly. read more

Ostia Antica is great fun for all ages!!! The four of us visited on a friend's recommendation, and were so glad that we made the trip. Wear sensible shoes (the footing is uneven everywhere), bring a water bottle (there are plenty of taps to refill it) and prepare for the intense sun! And make sure you have charged camera batteries and space on your memory cards. You will likely be here ALL DAY exploring what was once probably the most bustling port town in the Roman Empire, from dazzling mosaics that lined the floors or former bathhouses, a labyrinthine necropolis ("City of the Dead," aka cemetery), a beautiful theatre (still occasionally used for concerts!), the mill and bakery, with many intact grinding stones (Ostia once made most of the bread consumed in Rome), and countless other finds. There is so much to explore, and the access and photo opportunities are both fantastic. And you can get there from Rome and back for 3 euro per person (1.50 per trip). Admission to the ruins is 8 euro per person, plus 3 euro for the museum and special exhibits. We paid the full 11 each but never even made it to the museum because we had so much fun wandering the ruins all day. Unless your guidebook offers some details about Ostia Antica, I'd also suggest springing for the 2-euro map. There is an audioguide as well, but our guidebook (which offered lots of background info) said it was pretty dry, so the four of us chose not to spring for it. Keep an eye out for the gatti degli scavi (cats of the ruins)! :) The cafeteria is surprisingly good for a "museum cafe," with options for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free eaters (at least the day we were there). Slightly privy for what it is, but not ridiculous. Our guidebook also recommended bringing "a covert picnic." Snacks would be a good idea. We ended up stopping at the cafeteria again late in the afternoon for caffe and gelato as a pick-me-up before the train ride back to Piramide. Other ideas while you're enjoying a crowd-free day outside of Rome: hop back on the train at Ostia and head out further toward to beach! (There are 4 beach stops.) Or when you're changing from train to metro at Piramide, leave the station to check out the actual pyramid across the street, for which the station is named. It's actually a tomb, and has been incorporated into the walls of the Protestant cemetery where British Romantic poets John Keats and Percy Shelley are buried. You can also check out some remnants of the city walls, including the Porta Ostia, the gate that faced Rome's trading post to the south. Beware that, depending on the day and time you go, you could hit some crowds on the train rides back into Rome, and that the schedules are different on weekends and holidays. Have fun!!! read more

Rick Steves and the DK Eyewitness Guides BOTH highly recommend this site. They are usually right on the money, and this is no exception. I was a Cultural Anthropology major at UC Davis, with minor in Archeology. So you can probably imagine my having "Archeological Orgasms" over this place. We °could° have spent an entire whole day at this place, but it was on the last day of our week in Rome, and my wife was getting sore feet. Be sure to take enough food for a picnic, as there are plenty of places to kick back and put your feet up. Like the other guy said, "Forget Pompeii..." this is much closer and there is more to see. Unlike the site near Naples, this one was not buried in hot lava, so it was easier to dig up. Most of the site has been excavated in the past 20 to 30 years, so its not on everyone's radar. Very few tourists make it our this far. But if you do, consider yourself part of an exclusive club! If you bring kids, be sure to put some kind of electronic GPS tagging on them, as it is very possible they might get °lost° in the maze of tunnels and ruins. Its like a giant labyrinth. (actually, some parents might like this idea, hehehe) read more

Ostia Antica is a nice side trip on the outskirts of Rome, for about 11 euros a person plus the cost of a Metro ride. There aren't many tourists here, so it's a great location to take pictures of the ruins. It's a great look into an ancient Roman city, seeing how street planning worked in those times. I absolutely adored seeing the theater there. Plan to spend at least half a day here if you really like to walk about and see Roman ruins. read more

Teatro di Ostia - Great example of Roman city planning - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Rome, RM

This is a really cool piece of Rome history! This is the first port city in Rome on the Tiber river. Built in ~700 BC, the ruins are still partially intact today. The coolest thing that amazed me was the outdoor amphitheater with seating for thousands and the beautiful mosaic tile floors that are still intact today (in the bathhouses). And the ancient toilets that are still there! It's so cool how the ancient Romans used aqueducts for their water needs. The opulence of the buildings can be seen today still. There was a lot of decoration used on the buildings and the buildings themselves were a work of art. A lot of the public buildings had commerce on the main level and then living quarters above. There's little signs on the paths that help direct you around to the different parts of this town. It was much larger than I had originally figured and the walking tour around the city took us a couple of hours. They have a little cafe to get food and drink and a nice place to sit and enjoy it either inside or out on a patio. There's a gift shop too. There's a particular book in this shop that caught my eye. It has overlay pages included to show you what a ruin looked like in its heyday. They include a picture of the current ruin and then you lay the transparency over the top to see what it historically looked like. This is super cool for visual people. The ruins have been preserved, but it's sometimes hard to imagine what might have been thousands of years ago. read more

See all

This one of my favorite places in and around Rome. Its an enormous site with very few tourists. Once you get past the necropolis and into the city proper it's easy to just slip away and not see anyone else, making feel like you have the entire place to yourself. While it's not as well preserved as Pompei or Herculaneum it still gives you a really good sense of what it might have to been like to live here a couple thousand years ago. There aren't a lot of amenities around, and there aren't many water fountains. So given that you can easily spend a whole day load up on provisions. That said there is a snack shop and restaurant just outside the gates. There is a snack shop inside too but I haven't seen it yet. Also aside from the trees there is very little cover. So in the summer with the strong Mediterranean sun don't forget a hat or umbrella. Also getting here is simple, and even though it's outside if Rome it will only cost you a standard bus/metro ticket. read more

Teatro di Ostia - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Rome, RM

See all

Well worth the €8 - I was compelled by the uneven path the site offered us. I'm baffled at how uneven the grounds were and how people from ancient times would get around! Very impressive. Nevertheless, we spent at good 3 hours roaming around the site without any supervision and without any expectations and we really had a great time. If you need to get away from the city and sirens without spending too much money, James Franco would probably most definitely recommend Ostia Antica. 〰〰 read more

We are back at our hotel enjoying a beer after a really wonderful visit here. We started early and got in free with the Roma Pass. It was 10 dF cooler than Rome (July). It is really a delight if you have any interest in the Romans. The museum is good and so too the cafeteria. No crowds. Bring sunscreen, water, hats. You can fill your bottle at the many water spots. I especially liked seeing the public latrine, with running water. read more

A less well visited ancient city. This one was abandoned when the river changed its course and it became a swampy area. It was eventually filled in with silt. The mosaics in the piazza were very well preserved showing he purpose of the different stores. read more

Molto bella!!!! Bring comfortable shoes(like hiking shoes) because the road is very steep.

We took the train down from Rome, and it was Closed on Mondays. November 21, 2016. I don't know how to get a definite schedule for Ostia Antica. read more

If you cant make it to Pompei then check out this place. Its only 45 minutes or less by train outside of Rome. Totally worth it.

Great day trip from Rome to see a beautiful, well preserved ancient city. Highly recommended, far less tourists than Pompeii and from a similar era in history. read more

"Ostia Antica....so simple to get to and so amazing!" We decided to skip the tour and took the train ourselves out to Ostia Antica just outside of Rome. All you need is an all day ticket for the bus metro and train...4 Euros at any Tabac (like little convenience stores that are all over the place). Then you get to Pyramid station and just behind it is the Roma Porta San Paolo Train station....this is the beginning of the line so all of the trains go the correct way (toward Lido). Use the same ticket (all day ticket) to take the train to Ostia Antica stop....about 30 min. Upon exiting the train you go down the stairs that will take you to the other side of the tracks and you follow the exit sign. If you need to go to the bathroom do it at the train station before you leave, it is outside on the platform near the tracks. There will be no other bathroom until halfway through the ruins at the snack bar and museum area. When you exit the train station it looks a bit in the middle of nowhere....however directly in front of you is a blue bridge (sky blue bridge) you will not miss it because it is the only thing around. Cross the bridge and continue walking straight for about half a km (super easy walk) on a sidewalk. Then you will be in the parking lot near the entrance. It is 7 Euros a person to get in and an additional 2 Euros if you would like a map...Get the map you will want it as the place is really big. Remember to keep your day ticket because you can use it to get back to Rome also when we went there was nobody at the station to sell you a ticket to go back. Anyway it is amazing and huge. Here are the facts......Ostia is an ancient port town that is about 30 min outside of Rome. It was founded by Ancus Marcius in the 7th century BC. Archaeologists have unearthed artifacts as far back as the 4th century BC. It is amazingly well preserved you could spend days seeing everything. It is a great trip to bring kids because they can climb all over everything so it will keep them happy as well. To date some of the amazing finds include the Ostia Synagogue (the oldest Synagogue found in Europe), the oldest discovered public toilets and many other pretty practical things. We had a great time and if anyone is ever in Rome it should definitely be on your list especially if you do not have time to go to Pompeii. read more