As of February 1, 2026, Rome has introduced a new fee system for its Civic Museums and some of the capital’s monuments. The goal is twofold: to make cultural heritage more accessible for residents and to improve the sustainability of tourist flow management. Citizens of Rome and the Metropolitan City will have free access to museums that until now charged a fee, while tourists and nonresident visitors will have to pay symbolic fees, such as 2 euros to enter the Trevi Fountain. “We want to strengthen the protection and enhancement of the Capitoline cultural heritage, while ensuring a fair and sustainable model,” said Mayor Roberto Gualtieri.
Free museums for Romans
Among the museums that will become free for residents are the Capitoline Museums, the Mercati di Traiano – Museo dei Fori Imperiali, the Ara Pacis Museum, the Centrale Montemartini and the Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi, along with numerous archaeological areas such as the Circus Maximus and Largo Argentina.
Only some smaller facilities will remain free for all visitors, including the Museum of the Roman Republic and Garibaldian Memory, the Museum of the Walls, and the Alberto Moravia House Museum.
Museums currently free but subject to non-resident fees include the Giovanni Barracco Museum of Ancient Sculpture, the Carlo Bilotti Museum – Villa Borghese Orangery, the Pietro Canonica Museum and Villa Borghese, and the Napoleonic Museum and Villa of Maxentius. The introduction of the fee for non-residents will also be a tool to support the maintenance and preservation of the collections.
Trevi Fountain: 2 euros for tourists
Experimentation launched in 2024 on visitor flows led to the decision to introduce a €2 fee to access the inner perimeter of the Trevi Fountain. The site records up to 30,000 daily accesses and peaks of 70,000, with more than 9 million visitors annually.
Access will remain free for residents, MIC Card holders, people with disabilities and children up to age 5. Work to improve flow management, including new fencing, began Jan. 2 and took place at night so as not to interfere with visits.
Tickets can be purchased both online and at SmartPOS locations and affiliated ticket offices, with no surcharge for pre-sale. All proceeds will be reinvested in the maintenance and enhancement of the monuments, in synergy with the Caput Mundi program (Pnrr).
MIC Card and simplified access
The MIC Card remains the central tool for museum enjoyment: holders will have unlimited access to the Civic Museums, skip-the-line and reductions on temporary exhibitions and special events. Residents without MIC Card will still be able to enter for free with valid ID, while tourists without holders will have to pay for regular tickets.
