Florence museums with children among art, culture and history

Today we take you on a discovery of Florence, a child-friendly city. In this article we'll introduce you to Florence's family-friendly museums, a unique way to dive into Italian art and history with the little ones at home.
Florence is family-friendly because it enjoys a huge advantage over many other Italian cultural destination cities: in its beauty it still remains easily visitable on foot and by public transportation, and all the main attractions are located within walking distance of each other.

Which museums to visit with children in Florence?

Tip to keep in mind when planning your trip or weekend is to plan your days without overdoing the number of museums to visit. One museum per day, no more, booking any workshops scheduled on the days of your stay in Florence. By doing so, your children will have a pleasant memory of beautiful Florence.

Not all museums in Florence organize guided tours or activities for families, and it is also useful to take a look at how to access each museum since there are often long waiting lines. In this article we tell you about the family-friendly museums in Florence.

View of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo

The art museums

Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance, and there are beautiful, world-famous art museums here.
There are really a lot of them, we suggest you choose at least one, and keep the others for your next visit to Florence!

Uffizi Gallery with children

The Uffizi Gallery is located inside the first and second floors of the large building constructed between 1560 and 1580 to a design by Giorgio Vasari. Needless to say, the Uffizi is one of the most famous museums in the world.
Inside are collections of ancient sculptures and paintings from the Middle Ages to the modern age: you can admire paintings from the 14th century and Renaissance, the Medici family's collection of statues and busts from antiquity that includes ancient Roman sculptures and copies from lost Greek originals.
Devote at least half a day to the Uffizi.

Useful advice I can give you is to reserve the tickets and skip the line.

There are two ways to visit the Uffizi with children: plan the visit to the letter or live it without any expectations enjoying the day as a beautiful walk.
If you decide to plan the visit, a few days beforehand tell your children a few things about the Uffizi and the masterpieces there that should not be missed. Plan your day by booking a guided tour in the company of an operator who specializes in playful educational tours for families with children. Here to book
Uffizi Gallery tour with treasure hunt for children

Alternative, just as good, is to experience the Gallery without making plans for yourself: experience the Uffizi as a walk through timeless masterpieces.
The Uffizi has a section dedicated to families with children, here is the link to read about all the initiatives and services dedicated to them.
Every weekend from January to March, families will find activities dedicated to them at the Uffizi Galleries. There are both visits dedicated to the youngest (7 - 10 years old) and tours designed for the very young (11 - 14 years old). Always remember to make reservations.

Ponte Vecchio - The Old Bridge

Academy Gallery

The Galleria dell'Accademia, houses among its treasures Michelangelo's David. The grandeur and beauty of the world's most famous statue leaves even children breathless.
The Accademia Museum is a must-see destination for tourists from all over the world, so I advise you to buy tickets in advance.

Here you can find Accademia Gallery skip tickets

For those who love science

In the city where Leonardo and Galileo were at home, there are interesting museums dedicated to science and technological discoveries.

HZERO - The miniature train museum that enchants children and adults alike

If you are in Florence with children and looking for something amazing to do together, mark this name: HZERO .
In the heart of the city, just a stone's throw from everything, a truly out-of-the-ordinary museum awaits you, capable of enchanting the whole family at a single glance.

Here, the star is a giant model railroad: 280 sq. m. of meticulously constructed landscapes, nearly 1 km of tracks, more than 70 moving trains, and an infinity of details-mountains, stations, bridges, lights, and miniature cities-that seem to come to life before your eyes.

But HZERO is not just to be admired: it's an experience to be lived!
Children can explore the model "from the inside" with 3D viewers, play with the green screen station to take photos in the shoes of little railroaders, and try their hand at creative workshops and modeling classes designed to stimulate imagination and manual dexterity.
A place where technology meets imagination, perfect for spending a few hours together amid wonder, play and discovery.

Here you can find HZERO skip-the-line tickets

Museo Galileo with children

The Museo Galileo holds a very important collection of instruments designed and made by Galileo Galilei and the scientific collections of the Medici and Lorraine families. Visiting the museum you will be confronted with more than a thousand scientific instruments and apparatus through which you and your children will take a journey into the past from the 16th to the 18th century.

The museum organizes nice activities for children and families on weekends (in Italian). If you are planning a weekend with other friends remember that for groups of at least 15 people it is possible to book a guided tour.
If you feel like visiting the museum independently you can download the mini guide in the different languages on the official website. Use this guide to prepare your children for the visit and give it to them during the visit to make them even more involved in the day. Inside the museum you can orient yourself and your children with the maps along the way.

Here is a useful email for booking weekend activities at Museo Galileo weekend@museogalileo.it, while you can purchase Museo Galileo

A short distance from the Duomo is one of the most interesting museums dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci, devoted to the scientific discoveries and machines that the Tuscan genius designed: ii Leonardo da Vinci Interactive Museum in Florence
The museum has workshops and interactive experiences, perfect for kids who love science and construction.

Here for Leonardo Museum tickets.

Museum of Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio is the political symbol of the city of Florence. Arnolfo di Cambio designed this solid fortress in 1299 over the ruins of the Roman theater of Florentia, dating from the 1st century AD, which can still be seen along a circuit that winds through the Palazzo's underground level.

Palazzo Vecchio is suitable for families with children because it is one of the most dynamic museums in Florence. The secret paths and the tower will become excellent and fun sightseeing cues for the whole family. In the Salone dei Cinquecento you will have fun discovering the meaning of the symbols of the rhinoceros, weasel and turtles.
In this museum the Mus.e Association organizes daily activities for families. They are all by reservation and are diversified according to the ages of the children. These are activities that are presented in multiple languages (in Italian, English, French, Spanish).
During your visit, you will be provided with the Families Kit (recommended for children ages 6 and up) with a map and other necessities you will need to make your visit much more engaging.

Here you can purchase tickets for Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Strozzi

The Palazzo Strozzi is a true masterpiece of Florentine Renaissance civil architecture, commissioned at the behest of Filippo Strozzi, a wealthy merchant from one of Florence's most influential families.
Inside the palace high-level exhibitions are periodically staged, often designed to be enjoyed by the whole family thanks to the ample space and usability of the rooms.

Here you can buy tickets for Palazzo Strozzi

Stibbert Museum with children

The Stibbert Museum is located in the beautiful Villa di Montughi. The name of this museum comes from Frederick Stibbert, a wealthy Anglo-Italian collector and entrepreneur in the 1800s.
In this museum you will be able to see the weapons, armor, costumes, and objects from various eras and origins that Stibbert collected during his lifetime and donated to the city of Florence, along with the Villa, upon his death.
In the Sala della Cavalcata your children can admire life-size knights in armor on horseback. There are rooms devoted to Islamic arms and armor and others devoted to Japanese armor with nearly 100 complete suits of armor and other pieces that form one of the most comprehensive collections found outside Japan (the latter selection can be visited by appointment).
Surrounding the villa in which the Stibbert Museum is located is an English-style park with a pond, water features, small temples and caves. Suitable for a restorative break after visiting with children.

The museum tour is accompanied (but not guided) by janitors and runs about every hour for up to 25 people at a time.
Here to purchase tickets for the Stibbert Museum