The Carnival Museum is located in Viareggio within the homonymous town and has always been considered one of the greatest symbols of the Viareggio Carnival. Young and old enjoy themselves and the town is crowded during this period, but many people also visit during the rest of the year, to admire those that were the major works that in past and recent times have walked through the streets of Viareggio and also the history of the major masks both Viareggine and Italian.
The museum is open all year round with pre-established times based on the period and the cost of admission is very low. There are also some small creative workshops that are made available to school groups and organized groups.
A place dedicated to one of the most popular celebrations
There are many Italian museums: Italy is rich in artistic and cultural history and there are certainly places in which to savor them to the fullest. But, in addition to traditional museums, there are an endless series of “bizarre” or themed museums, such as music or, for example, the Viareggio Carnival Museum, a perfect place to rediscover the roots of a festival so heartfelt by people all over the World. Inside it tells the story of the biggest traditional masks of the Italian carnival and, of course, will be appreciated even by the little ones!
Viareggio Carnival Museum: useful info
The Viareggio Carnival Museum is located inside the “Cittadella” of Viareggio and is open to the public during the following time slots:
- Winter Hours (from October to May) – Saturday and Sunday from 4pm to 7pm
- Summer time (from June to September) – Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 pm to 11 pm. Extraordinary opening even in the morning, Saturday, from 10am to 12am.
The museum is closed during the festive days and the cost of admission, which can be purchased at the time of the visit, is really low.
In fact, consider that it is € 3 for the whole ticket and € 2 for the reduced, which can be bought by organized groups. Definitely a nice and unusual place if you are looking for ideas on what to visit in Italy. Children up to 14 years of age have free entry. Inside the museum are exhibited more than 100 years of history of the Viareggio Carnival, a nationally recognized event that has always been very popular and loved by adults and children. Inside the museum you can buy souvenirs but also art editions and exclusive volumes concerning the Carnival and the history of the city.
Carnival Museum: What to expext?
If you are thinking for something to see in Viareggio, you should know that the Carnival museum is spread over several floors, each consisting of about 300 square meters of area. At the beginning of the tour the winners of the last editions floats are present one by one, exposed to admire the structure and the colour solutions adopted, but also to be able to analyze the satirical meaning more closely. Also present are numerous display cases and showcases containing the great works of art of tailors and sculptors specialized in the production of costumes and masks, all strictly handmade.
Carnival Museum for schools
But there’s more: on the ground floor, one last gem. There is a workshop for working papier-mâché, with molds, materials and equipment needed to make new masks and new allegorical figures. This is a laboratory open to the public that can be used, with a guide to follow, by school groups and organized groups, who will have fun learning the techniques of working paper, lime and plaster, as well as gypsum, which have been handed down from generation to generation.
