Visiting Milan
Milan and its surroundings are historically related to scientific, technological, and industrial endeavours of many kinds. From important scientists and historical research centres to major sites for the national industrial development, Milan holds a rich heritage related to science and technology. Here, we put together a list of some of the museums and heritage sites that represent such histories.
These are just sightseeing suggestions in case there is time between panels.
Science, technology, and natural history
Museo Civico di Storia Naturale
Located in the Porta Venezia gardens together with the Civico Planetario Ulrico Hoepli, the Museo civico di storia naturale is the oldest civic museum in Milan. It hosts natural history collections related to zoology, palaeontology, and mineralogy, some of which have been part of the museum since 1838.
- https://museodistorianaturalemilano.it/
- Tickets: full 5€, reduced 3€, free admissions apply
- How to get there: M1 stop “Palestro”, tram 9, or suburban lines stop “Porta Venezia”
MUSA - Museo Universitario delle Scienze Antropologiche, mediche e forensi per i diritti umani dell’Università di Milano
The MUSA (Univerisity Museum of Anthropological, Medical, and Forensic Sciences for Human Rights) is part of the University of Milan museums. “Born from Labanof (the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology at the University of Milan), MUSA aims to spread the role of Science in combating violence and protecting human rights. Main actors are the disciplines, such as anthropology and forensic medicine, concerned with studying the body in all its forms to reconstruct identity, life and death in the past and in the present.”
- https://musa.unimi.it/
- Tickets: Free admission
- How to get there: M2 stop “Piola”, M4 stop “Argonne”, tram 5, 19, 33 and bus 91
Museo per la storia dell’Università di Pavia
The Museo per la storia dell’Università di Pavia hosts important university collections dedicated to some of the major Pavia scientists in the fields of physics and medicine, including Antonio Scarpa, Luigi Porta, Camillo Golgi, and Alessandro Volta.
- https://museoperlastoria.unipv.it/
- Tickets: full 5€, reduced 3€, free admissions apply
- How to get there: the Museum is in university building in the city centre of Pavia (strada Nuova, 65), a 15-minute walk from the Pavia train station. Pavia can be reached in about one hour through the suburban train (S13) or regional trains departing from Milano Porta Garibaldi, Milano Bovisa Politecnico, Milano Centrale, and Milano Rogoredo.
Industrial heritage and technics
MADE IN POLIMI – Exhibition space of the Politecnico di Milano
Made in Polimi is an exhibition space dedicated to telling the Politecnico’s past, present and future through the inventions and patents, objects and products, buildings and infrastructures devised and designed by engineers, designers, and architects of the Politecnico.
- https://www.biblio.polimi.it/en/locations-and-times/made-in-polimi
- Tickets: Free admission
- How to get there: The space is located in the Rectorate of the Politecnico in Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, close to: M2 stop “Piola”, M4 stop “Argonne”, tram 5, 19, 33, bus 91
Museo della Tecnica Elettrica, University of Pavia
The Museum of Electrical Technology is one of the museums of the University of Pavia and is dedicated to the history of electricity and its applications. Some highlights include an alternator from the Paderno d’Adda power plant, a Milan city tram, a particle accelerator, a wind generator and Eta Beta, a nuclear fusion generator resulting from an important Italian scientific project.
- http://museotecnica.unipv.eu/home-eng/
- Tickets: full 6€, reduced 4€, free admissions apply
- How to get there from Milan: Pavia can be reached in about one hour through the suburban train (S13) or regional trains departing from Milano Porta Garibaldi, Milano Bovisa Politecnico, Milano Centrale, and Milano Rogoredo. From the Pavia train station: bus 3 (direction Colombarone; stop “Ferrata – Cascinazza – Maugeri”) or bus 6 (direction Cascina Pelizza – E.Tibaldi; stop “Abbiategrasso – Ist. A.Volta”)
Villaggio operaio di Crespi d’Adda (Bergamo) – Crespi d’Adda’s workers village
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the workers village of Crespi d’Adda was established in the 19th century by Cristoforo Benigno Crespi who placed a textile factory close to the river (a source of hydroelectric power) and built a village for its workers around it, with facilities of all kinds. The village lived its moment of splendour until the First World War, but kept on being populated throughout the 20th century. Today, it is possible to visit the village with its museum, the cotton factory, and the hydroelectric plant.
- https://visitcrespi.it/en/
- Tickets: all visits to the village are guided tours and must be booked in advance at https://shop.visitcrespi.it/. Visiting either the village and museum or the hydroelectric plant costs 6€, both of them are 10-12€.
- How to get there from Milan with public transport (getting there by car is advised):
- M2 stop “Gessate”; bus Z310 from M2 Gessate to Trezzo sull’Adda (stop “via Battista via Marconi”); from Trezzo sull’Adda to Crespi d’Adda it is a 25-minute walk through the Parco Adda Nord.
- Alternatively: bus line Z301 from the Lampugnano bus station in Milan to the stop “A4 Capriate (Brembate)”; V bus (direction Crespi d’Adda Osio) from “Capriate S. Gervasio A4” to Crespi d’Adda (stop “Capriate San Gervasio, Veneto”).
Industrial Design
Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada is a Milanese institution devoted to contemporary art, cinema, photography, philosophy, dance, and architecture. It was established by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli in 1993 and counts two locations in Milan: the main building in Vigentino (Milan south) and the Osservatorio in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Together with the permanent exhibitions, Fondazione Prada offers plenty of temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and a rich offer of events and films.
- https://www.fondazioneprada.org/?lang=en
- Tickets: full for both venues 15€, reduced 12€, free admissions and concessions apply
- How to get there:
- Milano Largo Isarco: M3 stop “Lodi TIBB”, tram 24, bus 65
- Osservatorio: M1, M3 stop “Duomo”, tram 2, 3, 12, 14, 15, 16, 23, 24, 27, bus 54
ADI Design Museum
ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale) is the Italian association for design. Established in 1956, every year since 1954 it awards the Compasso d’Oro, a prestigious prize in design. The Museum opened in 2021 and hosts both temporary exhibitions about design and the permanent gallery showcasing the whole repertoire of projects of the Compasso d’Oro award.
- https://www.adidesignmuseum.org/en/
- Tickets: full 15€, reduced 12€, free admissions apply
- How to get there: M2 stop “Garibaldi”, M5 stop “Monumentale”, tram 2, 4, 12, 14, bus 57, 70, 94
Triennale Milano
Triennale Milano is a Milanese institution offering exhibitions of art, design, architecture and fashion, together with theatre, performances, concerts, talks and meetings. It originates from the Milan Triennial, an international exhibition dedicated to art and design. Starting from Spring 2025, it will host new temporary exhibitions.
- https://triennale.org/en
- Tickets: Prices may vary depending on the exhibition. See: https://tickets.triennale.org/
- How to get there: M1, M2 stop “Cadorna – Triennale”; bus 85, trains to the Cadorna station