Museo di Storia Naturale Giancarlo Ligabue

Natural History Museum

Natural history museum featuring artifacts from Venetian expeditions.

Civic Museums Virtual Tours With Kids

Sestiere Santa Croce

Show on map

San Stae (6-min walk)

Waterbus Guide

msn.visitmuve.it

Visit official website

+39 041 270 0303

Call now

Standard admission is €10. Free entry with the official city pass.

See tickets & passes

Additional resources

What makes it special

Historic building

Fondaco dei Turchi, originally constructed for the Pesaro family in the 13th century, later became the residence for Venice's Ottoman Turkish population, hence its name 'dei Turchi'. The main commodities imported from the East by the Turks and traded here were wax, crude oil and wool.

700M years in 3 sections

'On the tracks of life' delves into fossils and paleontology, 'Collecting to astonish, collecting for research' explores the evolution of naturalist collecting during various Venetian expeditions and 'The strategies of life' investigates form and function in living things.

Appeal

Part of the museum's appeal lies in its beautifully crafted and creatively curated exhibits, some of which even include interactive stations.

Large creatures

Spot the fossil of a 7-meter (23-foot) long Ouranosaurus nigeriensis and the skeleton of a 18-meter (60-foot) finback whale.

Natural History Museum : The centerpiece of the museum: a fossilized Ouranosaurus nigerensis, unearthed during an expedition in the Nigerian Sahara

Open Gallery for more insights

Why visit Natural History Museum

Spark curiosity and a love of exploration in young visitors.
Embark on a journey through the rich complexity of living forms.
See an example of a Wunderkammer, a Renaissance 'room of wonders' filled with rare and curious treasures from far-off lands.
Trace Venetian explorers’ daring journeys deep into Africa.

Natural History Museum : Objects collected during Giovanni Miani's 1859 expedition in search of the Nile's source

Open Gallery for more reasons

Tickets & Passes

Skip-the-line tickets

To avoid queues and secure your entry, buy skip-the-line tickets online.
- Choose a provider:
- Musei Civici Venezia
- GGet Your Guide
- TTiqets
Official City Pass

Enjoy direct access to this museum and other top spots, such as the Doge's Palace, with the value-packed Venezia Unica city pass.
- Choose a provider:
- Venezia Unica
- GGet Your Guide
- TTiqets
See details and benefits

Connect the dots

Site of another popular museum

Before becoming a natural history museum in 1923, the Fondaco housed what is now the central Museo Correr.

Explore Museo Correr
Another Fondaco

Another historical warehouse is Fondaco dei Tedeschi ('of the germans').

Once the only shopping mall in Venice, it's currently closed.

More about Fondaco dei Tedeschi

Start exploring

Virtual visit

Explore the museum's collections on Google Arts & Culture, from the comfort of your current location.

Start virtual visit
Caution with younger kids

Some exhibits might be disturbing for younger kids, i.e. the taxidermy section, some mummified remains or the famous mermaid-monkey.