Milan · tour guide updated in July 2026
The museum where Leonardo becomes an engineer
The Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology is not a painting museum. It is a huge campus where the master's drawings take on volume, then where locomotives, planes, ships, space and telecommunications tell the story of five centuries of invention.
The direct answer
Is the museum really worth the visit?
Yes, especially if you want to understand Leonardo beyond The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. The visit links his notebooks to concrete problems: lifting a load, moving water, organizing a city, producing, fortifying, stealing. The galleries avoid the cliché of the "genius who invents on his own" and place his ideas among those of the engineers of the Quattrocento.
But the name of the museum can be misleading. You won't see a major manuscript like the Codex Atlanticus, kept at the Ambrosian Library, nor autograph painting. The heart of the route is a collection of historical models made in the 20th centurye century after precisely identified drawings, supplemented by ancient books, Lombard works and immersive devices.
History of the place
A monastery that has become a memory laboratory
The museum was inaugurated on February 15, 1953 in the ancient Olivetan monastery of San Vittore al Corpo, restored after the destruction of war. The complex preserves two cloisters inspired by Renaissance architecture. Industrialist Guido Ucelli is leading the project of a national museum capable of linking industry, research, heritage and pedagogy.
From the opening, Leonardo served as a tutelary figure. A major exhibition then features models constructed from his manuscripts. The current presentation, completely redesigned and opened in 2019, preserves this museum heritage while correcting overly heroic or anachronistic readings.
A national museum, not an isolated "Leonardo Museum"
Leonardo's name expresses a method: observing, drawing, experimenting and connecting different areas. The rest of the museum extends this ambition with authentic industrial objects from the 19th centurye century in the space age.
The heart of the visit
How to read the Leonard galleries
The route of more than 1,300 m² starts from Florence in the 15th centurye century, passes through the culture of Tuscan engineers, then follows Leonardo into Sforza Milan. The rooms address war, work, production, flight, waterways, architecture and the influence of the master on Lombard painting.
Don't look for a line of "famous inventions". Instead, look at the dialogue between three levels: the original reproduced drawing, the researchers' interpretation and the material model. It is in this gap that the visit becomes fascinating.
What you see
- historical models manufactured mainly in the 1950s;
- interpretations based on identified folios;
- works, books and objects that place Leonardo in his time;
- a contemporary museography which also exposes uncertainties.
What you don't see
- machines built and tested by Leonardo himself;
- proof that each project would have worked on a real scale;
- a collection of autograph paintings;
- a catalog of inventions that emerged without predecessors or context.
Six stops not to be missed
Leonardo's ideas taking shape
1. The big crossbow materializes a spectacular weapon of Codex Atlanticus, the scale of which is as much a demonstration for a patron as a buildable project.
2. The overhead screw shows Leonardo's fascination with air resistance. The museum recalls that the artist himself was mainly considering a small model: the available driving power did not allow the flight of a life-size machine.
3. The parachute makes the intuition of an air capable of offering resistance understood. 4. The ideal city connects circulation, hygiene, channels and separation of levels. 5. Construction machines reveal a workshop observer. 6. The final section brings together Lombard painting and late drawings to remind us that the engineer and the artist are one person.
Far beyond Leonardo
Other collections that justify half a day
The museum is the largest scientific and technical museum in Italy. Once you have visited the Leonard galleries, the life-size objects radically change the scale of the visit: trains, ships, planes, power stations, telecommunications and the conquest of space.
The object-show
The S 506 submarine Enrico Toti
Launched in 1967, the first submarine built in Italy after World War II, the Toti joined the museum in 2005 after spectacular transport by Lombard roads. The exterior is visible with the general ticket; boarding requires a separate guided slot, in Italian.
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Rail
Four lanes, steam and electric locomotives, historical equipment and account of the technical unification of Italy. Photo: Andrea Fasani, CC BY 4.0.
Milanese transport
The orange tram placed in the middle of the locomotives shows how technology, city and daily uses respond to each other. Photo: Antonina Dattola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Telecommunications
From telegraph to television, familiar devices become a story of networks, gestures and design. Photo: Antonina Dattola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Space
Lunar rock, Vega launcher, Merz-Repsold telescope and instruments tell the story of the observation and then the exploration of the cosmos.
Air
From Forlanini's experimental helicopter to XX planese century, the pavilion shows the tests which precede the mastery of flight.
Sea
Sailboat school Ebe, transatlantic Conte Biancamano, naval models and catamaran Luna Rossa make up one of the great Italian naval collections.
Energy and materials
The Regina Margherita thermoelectric power plant, chemistry, metals and new materials explain how an invention becomes an industrial system.
Choose your pace
Three itineraries depending on the time available
The site is larger than it looks from the street. The buildings follow one another around the cloisters then towards the transport pavilions. A route that is too ambitious quickly turns the visit into a race: choose two or three priorities before entering.
The Leonard Essential
- Léonard Galleries at 2e floor
- Ideal city, flight and waterways
- Cloister and Seven Sages
- A large object: Toti or railway pavilion
The best balance
- Leonard Galleries without rushing
- Space and telecommunications
- Break at the cloister
- Rail, air and sea flags
- Exterior of the Toti submarine
In-depth visit
- 4 hour course
- Reserved visit to Toti
- Regina Margherita Central
- Temporary exhibition or i.lab
- Back to favorite models
Practical information 2026
Timetables, tickets, access and reservation
This data was verified on the official website on July 30, 2026. Public holidays, activities and slots at Toti may change the organization: always consult the museum calendar before your trip.
Until September 13, 2026
Tuesday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Last entry one hour before closing.
From September 15, 2026
Tuesday - Friday: 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Closed ordinary Mondays, December 24 and 25 and 1er january.
Tickets
Full price: €13. Reduced price: €8. Permanent exhibitions, including the Léonard galleries, are included. Some experiences require a reservation or extra charge.
Transport
Metro M2 or M4, Sant'Ambrogio station. From Cadorna: one station via the M2. From Linate: M4 direct to Sant'Ambrogio.
Car
The museum is located in Area C, a central area with restricted traffic. The Carducci car park, via Olona, grants one hour free after validation of the ticket to the Olona building.
Accessibility
The Léonard galleries and permanent exhibitions are physically accessible. The interior of the Toti has barriers and is not suitable for wheelchairs or people with severe motor difficulties.
A Leonardo day in Milan
How to connect the museum to original works
The museum explains the engineer; the other Milanese stages show the painter, the designer and the court artist. The four places below form a coherent route, but it is preferable to spread the visit over two days if you really want to see the national museum and The Last Supper.
Extend the visit
Find Leonard in the store
The museum's models shed light on technical projects; the store's collection goes back to the painted works and compositions of the workshop. The links below correspond to verified and active pages.
45 works in the collection
Hand painted Leonardo da Vinci
The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, The Lady with the Ermine, The Annunciation, the two versions of The Virgin of the Rocks and the Madonnas: explore the available reproductions and their formats.
See the entire Leonardo da Vinci collectionSee the reproduction of The Last Supper · See it Portrait of a musician
Frequently asked questions
Prepare your visit without unpleasant surprises
How much time should you allow?
Two hours are enough for the Léonard galleries and only one large pavilion. To understand the museum without running, allow 3 to 4 hours. A visit to the Toti and several laboratories can occupy the day.
Are there any original works by Leonardo?
The museum is not a art gallery of autograph paintings. It mainly presents historical models based on his drawings, as well as works, books and installations which explain his time and his method.
Were the machines built by Leonardo?
No. The models are modern reconstructions, often created around the 1953 opening. The cartels indicate the reference folio and designers of the model.
Is the Léonard galleries ticket separate?
No. Permanent galleries are included in the general museum ticket. However, the visit aboard the Toti submarine requires an additional fee and a reservation.
Is the museum suitable for children?
Yes. Large objects, interactive devices and i.labs are particularly suitable for families. Check the calendar: many activities are offered in Italian and require a reservation.
Can we visit the museum and The Last Supper on the same day?
Yes, as the two places are relatively close, but book The Last Supper first. Keep at least three hours for the museum and allow a margin between the two entrances.
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