There is a story that Veronese locals tell with quiet pride: the world's first natural history museum was not in London or Paris, but here, in a pharmacy in Piazza delle Erbe. La Campana d'Oro, the apothecary shop of pharmacist Francesco Calzolari in the sixteenth century, housed a collection of plants, minerals and stuffed animals that some consider the earliest nucleus of what is today the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona. The legend can be measured — quite literally — across the sixteen rooms of Palazzo Pompei, on the Lungadige, less than ten minutes' walk from the Arena.
If you are planning a family visit this summer, however, there is one important update to know before you arrive.
What to see at the Verona Natural History Museum: the summer 2026 itinerary
Quick answer: the museum is regularly open, but the Sala di Preistoria Veronese has been closed since 4 June 2026 for renovation and redesign works. All remaining sections — Bolca fossils, mineralogy, zoology, botany — are fully accessible. For visitors with young children, the impact is minimal: the highlights of the visit remain untouched.
The true heart of the museum, for adults and children alike, is the room dedicated to the Bolca fossils. Fifty kilometres from Verona, in the Monti Lessini hills, this deposit has yielded over 250 animal species and 200 plant species dating back roughly 50 million years — to a time when a shallow tropical sea, dotted with lagoons and islands, covered this very land. Grey stone slabs display whole fish with every bone in place, and petrified trees standing over three metres tall. Children stop in their tracks in front of these panels with the same wide-eyed wonder they show before dinosaurs: it is the same sense of awe, on a different scale.
On the upper floor, the Pleistocene room presents a mammoth skull found at Quinzano, the skeleton of a bear similar to a grizzly, and the jaw of a cave lion. These are finds from the local territory, not loans from elsewhere. The impression is that this fauna once walked beneath the very streets of the city. Realistic visit duration: 60–90 minutes with children, at a relaxed pace.
Where to take the best photographs — and what time to arrive
Palazzo Pompei is a masterpiece by Michele Sanmicheli, commissioned between 1530 and 1550. The façade on the Lungadige, with the Doric columns of the piano nobile and the mascaron keystones above the windows, is already a photograph in itself. The best shot is taken early in the morning, before 10, when the raking summer light brushes the rusticated stonework of the ground floor from the west. No crowds, no cars in the way.
Inside, the atrium and the central courtyard offer a Renaissance geometry that few photographers think to exploit. The zenithal light filtering down between 11 and 13 creates an almost theatrical effect on the fossil slabs displayed in the entrance hall. Bring a wide-angle lens, or use your smartphone's portrait mode to isolate details: a fish spine pressed into stone holds up beautifully in close-up.
Inside the galleries, avoid flash photography (strictly prohibited). The artificial lighting is warm and directional — ideal for close-up shots of the stuffed animals in the zoology section, where a giraffe and a polar bear stand in statuesque poses that look as though they stepped out of a period film.
Local tip: arrive around 10 on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The museum is frequented almost exclusively by local families and researchers: no organised tour groups, no queues.
Opening hours, prices and how to get there — summer 2026
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:00 (last admission 17:30). Closed on Mondays. The address is Lungadige Porta Vittoria, 9. On foot from the historic centre: 12 minutes from the Arena, 8 minutes from Castelvecchio. By bus: direct AMT lines from the main railway station.
Tickets can be purchased online at museiverona.com (the official channel — avoid third-party sites with inflated prices). Full price: € 6.00. Reduced rate for over-65s and groups: € 4.00. Free admission for under-18s — confirmed for 2026. The VeronaCard includes entry. For educational activities with children aged 6 to 11, contact the education office: 045 8036353 (Mon–Fri 9:00–13:00 / 14:00–16:00, Sat 9:00–13:00).
The Preistoria room is closed: when will it reopen?
The renovation closure has been in effect since 4 June 2026, with no reopening date announced. Check the museum's official website before your visit if this section is a priority for you.
Is the museum suitable for very young children?
Yes. The routes are level or accessible throughout. Children up to the age of 4 are immediately drawn in by the rooms of stuffed animals. Bring a baby carrier if you have an infant: pushchairs are allowed, but the central courtyard has a few steps.
To stay close to the museum and the historic centre of Verona, the apartments at The Verona Stay are just a short walk from the Arena and the Teatro Ristori: a convenient base for exploring the city without depending on public transport.