Visitor guide · Milan · updated in October 2026
The Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology is not a museum of paintings. It is an immense campus where the master’s drawings take three-dimensional form, and locomotives, aircraft, 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 connects his notebooks with practical problems: lifting a load, moving water, organising a city, manufacturing, fortifying and flying. The galleries avoid the cliché of the “genius who invents alone” and place his ideas alongside those of Quattrocento engineers.
But the name of the museum can be misleading. You won't see a major manuscript like the Codex Atlanticus, held at the Ambrosian Library, or a painting by Leonardo’s own hand. The core of the visitor route is a collection of historic models made in the 20th century from precisely identified drawings, complemented by early books, Lombard artworks and immersive installations.
History of the place
A monastery turned into a laboratory of memory
The museum opened on 15 February 1953 in the former Olivetan monastery of San Vittore al Corpo, restored after wartime destruction. The complex retains two cloisters inspired by Renaissance architecture. The industrialist Guido Ucelli championed a national museum connecting industry, research, heritage and education.
Leonardo has been the museum’s guiding figure since it opened. A major exhibition at the time displayed models built from his manuscripts. The current display, completely redesigned and opened in 2019, preserves this museum heritage while correcting overly heroic or anachronistic interpretations.
A national museum, not an isolated "Leonardo Museum"
Leonardo’s name expresses a method: observe, draw, experiment and connect different fields. The rest of the museum extends that ambition with authentic industrial objects, from the 19th century to the space age.
The heart of the visit
How to explore the Leonardo galleries
The route covers more than 1,300 m², beginning in Florence in the 15th century, exploring the culture of Tuscan engineers and then following Leonardo to Sforza Milan. The rooms address war, work, production, flight, waterways, architecture and the master’s influence on Lombard painting.
Do not look for a sequence of “famous inventions”. Instead, examine the dialogue between three levels: the reproduced original drawing, the researchers’ interpretation and the physical model. The differences between them are what make the visit 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;
- contemporary museum displays that also explain 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 paintings by Leonardo’s own hand;
- a catalog of inventions that emerged without predecessors or context.
Six stops not to be missed
Leonardo's ideas taking shape
1. The giant crossbow gives physical form to a spectacular weapon in the Codex Atlanticus, the scale of which is as much a demonstration for a patron as a buildable project.
2. The aerial 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 demonstrates the intuition that air can provide resistance. 4. The ideal city connects circulation, hygiene, canals and separate levels. 5. Construction machines reveal Leonardo as an observer of workshops. 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
This is Italy’s largest science and technology museum. After the Leonardo galleries, full-size objects radically change the scale of the visit: trains, ships, aircraft, a power station, telecommunications and space exploration.
The showpiece
The submarine S 506 Enrico Toti
Launched in 1967, the Toti was the first submarine built in Italy after the Second World War. It arrived at the museum in 2005 after a spectacular journey along Lombardy’s roads. The exterior is included in the general admission ticket; going aboard requires a separate guided slot, in Italian.
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Rail
Four tracks, steam and electric locomotives, historic rolling stock and the story of Italy’s technical unification. Photo: Andrea Fasani, CC BY 4.0.
Milanese transport
The orange tram among the locomotives shows the interplay between technology, the city and everyday use. 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 aircraft of the 20th century, the pavilion presents the experiments that preceded mastery of flight.
Sea
The training sailing ship Ebe, the ocean liner Conte Biancamano, ship models and the catamaran Luna Rossa form one of Italy’s major maritime 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 essentials of Leonardo
- Leonardo galleries on the 2nd floor
- Ideal city, flight and waterways
- Cloister and Seven Sages
- A large object: Toti or railway pavilion
The best balance
- Explore the Leonardo galleries at leisure
- Space and telecommunications
- Break at the cloister
- Rail, air and sea pavilions
- Exterior of the Toti submarine
In-depth visit
- The four-hour route
- A pre-booked tour of the Toti
- Regina Margherita power station
- Temporary exhibition or i.lab
- Back to favorite models
Practical information 2026
Opening hours, tickets, access and booking
This data was rechecked on the official website on October 1, 2026. Public holidays, activities and slots at Toti may change the organization: always consult the museum calendar before your trip.
Hours in effect
Tuesday–Friday: 9:30 am–5 pm. Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 am–6:30 pm. Closed on ordinary Mondays, 24 and 25 December and 1st January. Last admission one hour before closing.
Tickets
Full price: €13. Reduced price: €8. Permanent exhibitions, including the Leonardo galleries, are included. Some experiences require a booking or an additional payment.
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 in Area C, the central zone with restricted traffic. The Carducci car park on Via Olona offers one free hour after validating your ticket at the Olona building.
Accessibility
The Leonardo galleries and permanent exhibitions are physically accessible. The Toti’s interior has access barriers and is unsuitable for wheelchair users or people with severe mobility difficulties.
A Leonardo day in Milan
How to connect the museum to original works
The museum explains Leonardo the engineer; the other Milan stops reveal the painter, draughtsman and court artist. The four locations below form a coherent route, but spreading the visit over two days is preferable if you want to explore both the national museum and The Last Supper properly.
Extend the visit
Explore Leonardo in the shop
The museum models illuminate technical projects; the shop collection returns to paintings and compositions from Leonardo’s studio. The links below lead to verified, active pages.
Explore the collection
Hand-painted reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci
The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, Lady with an Ermine, The Annunciation, both versions of The Virgin of the Rocks and the Madonnas: explore the available reproductions and their sizes.
See the entire Leonardo da Vinci collectionSee the reproduction of The Last Supper · See the 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 Leonardo galleries and one large pavilion. Allow 3–4 hours to understand the museum without rushing. A Toti tour and several workshops can fill a whole day.
Are there any original works by Leonardo?
The museum is not a gallery of paintings by Leonardo’s own hand. It mainly displays historic models based on his drawings, along with artworks, books and installations explaining his period and method.
Were the machines built by Leonardo?
No. The models are modern reconstructions, often made around the museum’s opening in 1953. The labels identify the reference folio and the model’s designers.
Do the Leonardo galleries require a separate ticket?
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.
Real photo of the place
Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan
This photograph shows the church and convent where The Last Supper is kept, one of the essential places in Leonardo da Vinci's Milanese journey.
Photo: Yair Haklai — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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