Palazzo della Pilotta — Attraction in Parma

Look, it's a cool museum. Go check it out if you're in Parma. The library and theatre alone are worth it.

However, we had a very strange visit. We came on a free Sunday so I can't complain too much but we were chastised by staff multiple times for things like: One staff member told my friend it was ok to take her backpack in if she wore it on her front, then another staff member chastised her for not checking the bag. While she checked the bag, I was chastised for sitting on steps outside the entrance (there was no signage advising not to do this). We were chastised multiple times for walking through the rooms in the wrong direction (there was virtually no wayfinding throughout the whole museum, very odd for a building that has clearly been recently renovated, and it was not busy so walking in any direction wouldn't have caused any problems for anyone). When watching a show in the theatre, my pregnant friend who was starting to feel a bit tired from all our walking in the wrong direction trying to find our way so she sat on the floor and was chastised for doing so - apparently the reason is that if one person sits on the floor everyone will, although literally not a single other person (out of the maybe 20 people floating around the cavernous theatre) had sat down on the floor.

I think if the staff had seemed helpful it wouldn't have been so bad but they all seemed very angry and impatient and if you care so much about people walking in a particular direction you could just put up some signs instead of blowing a fuse.

This is about the 15th museum I've visited on this trip and never have I experienced anything like this. Is this a bizarrely long rant? Perhaps. At least it gave my friend and I something to laugh about for the...

This was truly a wonderful experience!

Starting from a call to check if visiting the museum with a newborn is doable and talking to one very kind lady, to being welcomed so warmly and taken care of the whole time I was inside the building and mesmerized by the incredible artworks and history, to closing the museum and sent out with such good wishes… You’ve got some amazing people, palazzo della Pilotta! Art is art and 3D mapping entertainment was great but relationships are what matter most, and employees are what made my fascinating visit even more special!

About the spaces though… Very clean and very well maintained, including service areas. Baby strollers and handicap accessible, there’s baby changing pad, lifts, areas to sit down from time to time. Some halls were a little too cold but most were well heated and made the visit extra enjoyable. Taking pictures is allowed as long as a flash is not used.

Starting from the biblioteca, I already wanted to remain in the museum not for hours but for days! And I’m not even a book warm 😄 Moving onto teatro Farnese and wonderfully surprised with the 3D mapping show I had a big smile on my face the entire day. As of the collections.., you must go and see them yourself as there are no words that could describe so many talents and “operas”! Look out the windows from...

My wife and I are vacationing in Parma, and the Palazzo della Pilotta was easily one of the highlights of our trip. If you’re in the city, this is a must-see. The size and history of the place are incredible—you walk through its massive courtyards and immediately feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

Inside, it’s packed with treasures. The National Gallery has masterpieces by Correggio, Parmigianino, Canaletto, and even Leonardo da Vinci. The Farnese Theatre is unforgettable—an enormous wooden Renaissance theatre built in 1618 and later rebuilt after WWII. It still feels dramatic just standing inside. We also really enjoyed the Archaeological Museum, which takes you from local finds all the way to ancient Egypt, and the Palatina Library, which holds thousands of priceless manuscripts. There’s even a Bodoni Museum dedicated to one of history’s greatest printers.

A practical tip: the first Sunday of every month is free admission, which is when we went. The entire complex is open Tuesday through Sunday from morning until early evening, and it’s closed on Mondays.

What makes the Pilotta special is that it isn’t just a palace—it’s a cultural world of its own. Art, history, books, theatre—it’s all here under one roof. For us, it was one of those “this is why we came to Italy” moments. If you’re in Parma,...