# National Archaeological Museum of Naples > The Naples Archaeological Museum is one of the world's great museums of antiquity, holding the frescoes, mosaics and statues taken from Pompeii and Herculaneum and the famous Farnese sculpture collection. Here are the Farnese Hercules, the huge Farnese Bull and the Alexander mosaic from the House of the Faun. Entry is paid; allow 2 to 3 hours, ideally before you visit Pompeii. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/naples/naples-archaeological-museum - City: [Naples](https://yesgo.io/italy/naples), Italy - YesGo score: 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Paid; free on the first Sunday of the month - Opening hours: By day, closed Tuesdays - Highlights: Pompeii frescoes, mosaics, the Farnese collection - Metro: Museo and Piazza Cavour stations - Time needed: 2–3 hours - Location: Piazza Museo, at the edge of the historic centre - Coordinates: 40.85361, 14.25056 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **18th c.** — the Bourbons gathered collections and excavation finds here (source: English Wikipedia) - **Farnese** — Charles of Bourbon inherited the family's sculpture (source: English Wikipedia) - **Pompeii** — the town's frescoes, mosaics and everyday objects are here (source: English Wikipedia) - **Alexander Mosaic** — the huge mosaic from the House of the Faun (source: English Wikipedia) - **Egypt** — one of Italy's oldest Egyptian collections (source: English Wikipedia) ## History of the museum The museum fills the large late-16th-century **Palazzo degli Studi**, once the university. In the 18th century King **Charles of Bourbon** inherited a vast collection of ancient sculpture from his mother, Elisabetta Farnese, just as excavations began at **Pompeii** and **Herculaneum**. Treasures from both were brought to Naples, creating one of the world's most important archaeological museums. Today it holds what can't be left in the open: the most fragile frescoes, mosaics, bronzes, silver, everyday objects, coins and gems. That makes museum and sites a pair: at Pompeii you see the houses and streets, here what decorated them. ## The Farnese collection The ground floor holds the Farnese sculpture, found in Rome, mostly in the Baths of Caracalla. The star is the **Farnese Hercules**, a huge, weary hero leaning on his club, a Roman copy of an original by Lysippos. Beside it is the **Farnese Bull**, the largest sculptural group surviving from antiquity, several figures carved from a single block of marble. Another celebrity is the **Venus Callipyge**, 'Venus of the beautiful buttocks', glancing over her shoulder. Neighbouring rooms hold imperial busts, statues of gods and marble reliefs. ## What to see in the museum - **Farnese Hercules** — the giant with his club. - **Farnese Bull** — the largest ancient sculptural group. - **The Alexander Mosaic** — from the House of the Faun at Pompeii. - **Pompeii and Herculaneum frescoes** — gardens, myths, portraits. - **The model of Pompeii** — a 19th-century scale model. - **Egyptian rooms** — sarcophagi and figurines. - **The Farnese Cup** — a famous ancient cameo. > **Museum first, then Pompeii** If you're going to Pompeii, visit the museum beforehand: it holds the original mosaics and frescoes from houses you'll later see empty, which makes the site far easier to read. The Alexander Mosaic is restored from time to time, so check whether it's on display. ## Pompeii and Herculaneum in the museum The mezzanine and upper floor hold the finds from the towns around Vesuvius. **Mosaics** from the House of the Faun include the huge Alexander Mosaic, showing Alexander the Great charging the Persian king Darius. **Frescoes** show gardens full of birds, myths, portraits of couples and still lifes of fruit and tableware. Other rooms cover daily life: bronze tableware, jewellery, surgical instruments, scales and lamps. A large 19th-century **model of Pompeii** helps make sense of the town. Here too are the bronzes from Herculaneum's **Villa of the Papyri**: runners, dancers and philosophers. ## The Egyptian rooms and gems The basement holds the **Egyptian collection**, one of the oldest in Italy, begun in the 18th century, with sarcophagi, painted coffins, figurines of gods, amulets, papyri and everyday objects from the Nile valley. The rooms are small and quiet, a good break from the crowds around the big sculptures. Upstairs, look for the room of **carved gems** from the Farnese collection. Its masterpiece is the **Farnese Cup**, a large sardonyx cameo with an allegory of the Nile and one of the most famous ancient cameos. Coins, silver tableware and jewellery are displayed nearby. Short on time? Mark four stops on the museum plan, Hercules, the Bull, the House of the Faun mosaics and the Pompeii frescoes, and see them in an hour and a half. ## How to get to the museum 1. Metro line 1 to **Museo**, which exits right by the museum. 2. Metro line 2 to **Piazza Cavour**. 3. From Piazza del Plebiscito, 25 minutes on foot along Via Toledo. 4. From Napoli Centrale station, 10 minutes by metro. ## Tickets and tips Buy tickets on site or on the official website; entry is free on the first Sunday of the month, with long queues. The museum is closed on Tuesdays. The rooms are large and some are often closed for restoration or rehanging, so check the website. Start on the ground floor with the Farnese sculpture, then go up to the Pompeii mosaics and frescoes. Photos without flash are usually allowed. There's a café and a cloakroom for large bags. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Make sure it isn't a Tuesday - [ ] Buy a ticket online - [ ] Find the Farnese Hercules and Farnese Bull - [ ] See the House of the Faun mosaics - [ ] Study the Pompeii model before visiting the site ## Museums in Naples: compare and choose Museums in Naples rated by YesGo. - [Castel Nuovo](https://yesgo.io/italy/naples/castel-nuovo) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Courtyard free, museum paid - [Cappella Sansevero](https://yesgo.io/italy/naples/cappella-sansevero) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Paid, timed entry - [Royal Palace of Naples](https://yesgo.io/italy/naples/royal-palace-naples) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Square free, palace paid - [National Archaeological Museum of Naples](https://yesgo.io/italy/naples/naples-archaeological-museum) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Paid - [Museo di Capodimonte](https://yesgo.io/italy/naples/capodimonte) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Museum paid, park free ## Ancient Naples The Archaeological Museum, then the Sansevero Chapel in the historic centre. 1. [National Archaeological Museum of Naples](https://yesgo.io/italy/naples/naples-archaeological-museum) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Paid 2. [Cappella Sansevero](https://yesgo.io/italy/naples/cappella-sansevero) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Paid, timed entry ## Don't mix it up The Archaeological Museum and Capodimonte are different museums: the first is antiquity, the second painting in a former royal palace on the hill. ## Tips - Closed Tuesdays. - Come here before Pompeii. - Museo metro is at the door. - Allow 2 to 3 hours. ## Questions ### What is there to see in the Naples Archaeological Museum? The Farnese Hercules and Bull, the House of the Faun mosaics, frescoes from Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Pompeii model and the Egyptian rooms. ### How much is the Naples Archaeological Museum? Entry is paid and free on the first Sunday of the month. Prices are on the official site. ### When is the Naples Archaeological Museum closed? On Tuesdays. ### How do I get to the Archaeological Museum? By metro to Museo (line 1) or Piazza Cavour (line 2). ### How long do you need at the museum? 2 to 3 hours for the highlights. ## How we checked History and collection from English Wikipedia. Prices and hours weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: National Archaeological Museum, Naples and Farnese Collection - Official museum site, mann-napoli.it --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.