MACRO Museum

Founded

1999

Decq extension

2010

Focus

Contemporary

Entry

€6 / €4

Visit time

1–1.5 hr

Bus

38, 80, 89, 92

Why Visit MACRO?

Most visitors to Rome see no contemporary art at all — they assume the city ends, culturally, around 1700. MACRO is the quickest and affordable cure. €6 ticketed exhibitions combine with a changing programme of free performances and talks, one of the most ambitious pieces of contemporary architecture in Italy by Odile Decq, a rooftop restaurant terrace, and almost no other tourists. If you only have one hour for the present tense in Rome, spend it here.

Affordable Tickets in 2026

Regular exhibitions cost €6 full price / €4 reduced. Since 2020 the city's 'Museum for Preventive Imagination' programme has also brought a changing schedule of free performances, talks and special events — one of the best-value cultural visits in Rome.

Odile Decq Architecture

The 2010 black-and-red glass extension by Pritzker-shortlisted French architect Odile Decq is itself a reason to visit — Rome's boldest contemporary building alongside MAXXI.

Rooftop Terrace

A panoramic rooftop with rotating outdoor sculpture, operated as a restaurant/terrace — access depends on its own opening hours, so check ahead if the view is a priority.

Quiet & Local

In an elegant residential district off the tourist trail. You'll share the museum with Roman art students and Salario locals — the perfect break from the centre.

What to See at MACRO

MACRO has no fixed permanent collection on display — what you see depends entirely on the current programme. But the architecture and the spaces are constants, and a visit always includes the same key elements.

The Red Atrium

Odile Decq's flowing 'piazza' atrium — a fluid red interior public space that connects the original brewery to the new extension. The single most photographed contemporary interior in Rome.

Cantilevered Auditorium

A small red auditorium suspended in the central void of the atrium — used for talks, lectures and live performances, but worth seeing as architectural sculpture even when empty.

First-Floor Galleries

Large white-cube exhibition rooms inside the original brick brewery — the main spaces for the museum's rotating programme. Soaring industrial ceilings, original cast-iron columns, contemporary lighting.

Rooftop Terrace

A rooftop restaurant/terrace accessible by lift or stairs, with rotating outdoor sculpture installations and views over the Salario rooftops. Access depends on the terrace's own opening hours, which can differ from the museum's.

Cinema

A small basement cinema running art-house, experimental and documentary screenings on an irregular schedule. Tickets sold separately; check the website for the current programme.

Café-Bistro & Bookshop

The ground-floor café inside the red atrium — coffee, breakfast pastries and a short lunch menu, no museum ticket required. The adjoining bookshop is one of central Rome's better contemporary-art bookshops.

Original Brewery Brick

The exposed late-19th-century red-brick walls of the original Peroni factory — kept visible throughout the conversion as a deliberate dialogue between industrial heritage and contemporary intervention.

Rotating Programme

6–8 exhibitions a year — from major international solo shows to small experimental projects by emerging Italian artists. The programme refreshes roughly every six weeks.

The Odile Decq Extension — A Closer Look

In 2007 the City of Rome ran an international competition to radically expand MACRO inside what remained of the original Peroni complex. The winner was the Paris-based French architect Odile Decq (b. 1955), already celebrated for the Banque Populaire de l'Ouest in Rennes and shortlisted multiple times for the Pritzker Prize. Her MACRO project opened on 30 May 2010.

Decq's intervention is a deliberately bold, almost violent dialogue with the historic brick. From the outside, a cantilevered black-steel-and-glass volume wrapped in her signature blood-red appears to hover above the original Peroni façade on Via Nizza. From inside, the visitor enters a flowing red 'piazza' atrium — an interior public space that connects the brewery's ground-floor halls to the new upper galleries via curving red ramps and a glass-floored lobby.

The architectural set-pieces are the cantilevered red auditorium suspended in the central void, the rooftop restaurant terrace (open according to its own hours), and the way Decq has refused to hide a single original column of Peroni cast-iron — every piece of late-19th-century industrial fabric is left exposed and lit theatrically.

Critics rank the MACRO extension alongside Zaha Hadid's MAXXI and Richard Meier's Ara Pacis as one of the three defining contemporary buildings of 21st-century Rome — and of the three, it is by far the cheapest to visit.

Programme & 'Museum for Preventive Imagination'

In 2020 MACRO was relaunched under a deliberately enigmatic new curatorial concept — the Museum for Preventive Imagination (MPI). Devised by then-artistic director Luca Lo Pinto, it effectively retired the old permanent collection model in favour of an entirely programme-driven, exhibition- based museum — closer to a contemporary kunsthalle than a traditional municipal art gallery.

In practice this means: 6–8 rotating exhibitions a year across all the spaces, ticketed at €6/€4 with a changing programme of free performances and events alongside them, and a refusal to display a fixed 'masterpieces' collection. The programme cycles through major international solo shows, monographic projects on under-recognised Italian artists, archival exhibitions, performance series, and the occasional collaboration with private foundations like the Cerasi (Palazzo Merulana) or Trussardi.

The model is divisive — some Romans wish MACRO would simply show its collection — but it has made the museum genuinely experimental again. Always check museomacro.it before visiting, since the active exhibitions can change every six weeks.

MACRO vs MAXXI — Don't Confuse Them

The two museums are easy to confuse — both opened their major contemporary buildings in 2010, both are in Rome's modern districts. They are not competitors but complements: MACRO is experimental and affordably ticketed, MAXXI is canonical and ticketed. If you have one day for contemporary Rome, see both.

Tickets & Hours 2026

🕐 Opening Hours

• Tue–Fri: 12:00–19:00
• Sat–Sun: 10:00–19:00 (last entry 18:30)
• Closed: Mondays, 25 December, 1 January, 1 May
• Note the late opening Tue–Fri (12:00) — mornings on weekdays are not possible.

💶 Tickets

• Regular exhibitions: €6 standard / €4 reduced
• Free events: A changing programme of performances, talks and special events
• Cinema: €7 standard / €5 reduced (separate)
• Reduced: Ages 7–26, over 65, students, teachers
• Free: Under 6, ICOM, MIC card, disabled visitors with carer
• Roma Pass: Check current terms, as MACRO is not always included

MACRO combines €6 ticketed exhibitions (€4 reduced) with a changing programme of free performances, talks and special events under the 'Museum for Preventive Imagination' concept — always check museomacro.it before your visit.

Official Info

MACRO is a city-run experimental museum without a standardised ticketing platform. Always check the official site for current exhibitions, opening adjustments and any temporary closures before you go.

MACRO Museum — Tickets & Info

Admission: €6 (normal) / €4 (reduced) / Free for children under 6. Tickets can be purchased at the museum entrance or through the official website. Check for current exhibitions and any temporary closures before your visit.

Open Tue–Fri 12:00–19:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–19:00 · Closed Mondays · Last entry 30 min before closing

Best Time to Visit

Best Time of Day

Tue–Fri at 12:00 (right at opening) — you may have the entire Decq atrium to yourself for the first half-hour. Saturday late afternoon (16:00–18:30) is also calm and golden.

Best Day

Tuesday to Friday are quietest. Weekend mornings see local families; weekend afternoons attract Roman art students. Closed Mondays — never plan a Monday visit.

Best Season

Year-round — perfect rainy-day stop in winter, and the rooftop terrace makes it especially rewarding in spring and autumn. August is quieter than central museums but the Salario can be very hot.

Visitor Tips

Always check the website first: MACRO has no permanent collection on display — what you see depends on the active programme. Check museomacro.it before you go.

Don't miss the rooftop: The rooftop restaurant/terrace is worth seeking out, but access depends on its own opening hours — check before you go. Take the lift to the top floor and follow the signs.

Visit the auditorium: Even when no event is on, the cantilevered red auditorium is one of the most striking interior architectural objects in Rome.

Photography: Allowed throughout without flash or tripod. The red atrium is wildly photogenic.

Combine with Quartiere Coppedè: 15 minutes' walk north — Rome's surreal 1920s Art Nouveau quarter is the perfect contrast.

Combine with MAXXI: Tram 19 connects the two — together they make a full contemporary-art day.

Café & bookshop: Open without a museum ticket — drop in for coffee in the red atrium even if you don't have time for the show.

Vs Other Modern & Contemporary Art Museums in Rome

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Coming on a Monday

Closed Mondays. MACRO is part of Rome’s municipal cultural system. Tue–Sun only — no exceptions.

Confusing it with MAXXI

Different museum, different neighbourhood, different ticket. MACRO is Via Nizza (Salario), €6/€4 for regular exhibitions; MAXXI is Via Guido Reni (Flaminio) and €12.

Arriving on a Tue–Fri morning

The museum doesn't open until 12:00 on weekdays. If you want a morning visit, come on Saturday or Sunday (10:00 opening).

Not checking the programme first

There is no permanent collection — what you see depends entirely on the rotating shows. Always check museomacro.it before going.

Skipping the rooftop

Panoramic and often quiet, but access depends on the rooftop restaurant's own opening hours — many visitors don't realise they should check ahead. Take the lift to the top floor.

Expecting a quick centre visit

MACRO is in the Salario, a 25-min walk from Termini and well off the Colosseum trail. Plan it as a deliberate half-day with Quartiere Coppedè or Villa Torlonia.

Colosseum & Forum Tickets Nearby

MACRO is a perfect affordable contemporary contrast before or after the Colosseum and Forum. From Via Nizza, take Metro Line B at Castro Pretorio south to Colosseo (4 stops, 12 minutes). Both require advance booking in 2026.

Colosseum Priority Entrance

Best for: First-time visitors

Skip-the-line access to the Colosseum with entry to Roman Forum and Palatine Hill included. Perfect for first-time visitors.

• Skip-the-line entry
• Colosseum access
• Roman Forum included
• Palatine Hill included

🎟️ Compare Prices:

Colosseum Guided Tour

Best for: History enthusiasts

Expert-led tour with professional guide sharing gladiator history, architecture secrets, and ancient Roman stories.

• Professional English-speaking guide
• Skip-the-line entry
• In-depth historical commentary
• Small group experience

🎟️ Compare Prices:

Colosseum Arena & Underground

Best for: Unique experience seekers

Walk where gladiators fought on the arena floor and explore the underground chambers where they awaited their fate.

• Arena Floor access
• Underground chambers access
• Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
• Expert guided tour included

🎟️ Compare Prices:

Pair Your Visit With

Highlights at a Glance

• €6 ticketed exhibitions with a changing programme of free events
• Odile Decq's dramatic 2010 black-and-red glass extension
• Cantilevered red auditorium suspended in the central void
• Rooftop restaurant terrace with rotating outdoor sculpture
• Converted late-19th-century Peroni beer factory
• 6–8 experimental contemporary shows per year
• Cinema with art-house and documentary programme
• Café-bistro in the red atrium — no ticket required

How to Get There

By Bus

• Bus 38, 80, 89: Stop on Via Nizza directly outside the museum
• Bus 92 from Termini: 10 minutes to Via Nizza — the easiest option from the centre
• Bus 60, 62: From the Colosseum / Piazza Venezia in 20–25 minutes

By Metro

Metro Line B → Policlinico (15-min walk east) or Castro Pretorio (15-min walk north). From the Colosseum, 4 stops north on Line B then walk.

By Tram

Tram 3 or 19 stops at Viale Regina Margherita / Nizza, a 5-minute walk south from MACRO. Tram 19 is also the easiest connection between MACRO and MAXXI.

On Foot

From Termini: 25 min north via Via Nizza (flat, residential, pleasant). From Villa Borghese: 25 min east via Corso d'Italia. From Quartiere Coppedè: 15 min south via Via Tagliamento.

By Taxi

From the historic centre: €12–€15, about 12 minutes outside rush hour. Ask for "MACRO, Via Nizza centotrentotto".

Where to Stay Near MACRO Museum

Looking for convenient accommodation near MACRO Museum? Stay within walking distance to make the most of your visit.

Related Attractions

Villa Farnesina

Renaissance villa with Raphael's Triumph of Galatea frescoes

Explore

Castel Sant'Angelo

Ancient mausoleum turned papal fortress with panoramic city views

Explore

Ostia Antica

Rome's ancient harbor city—preserved ruins 30 minutes away

Explore

Temple of Venus and Roma

Rome's largest ancient temple—Emperor Hadrian's masterpiece

Explore

Villa d'Este

Renaissance masterpiece with 500+ fountains in Tivoli

Explore

Santa Maria del Popolo

Renaissance church with two Caravaggio masterpieces

Explore