SUMMER AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CINEMA

The National Museum of Cinema will be open all summer (closed on Tuesdays). Exceptionally, it will also be open on Tuesday 12 and Tuesday 19 August, as well as on Thursday 15 August (Ferragosto).

Until 31 August, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Museum will have extended opening hours from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM (last admission at 7:00 PM), including on Ferragosto.

In addition to the rich permanent collection, visitors can explore the exhibition THE ART OF JAMES CAMERON, on display until 31 August. The exhibition offers a journey through six decades of James Cameron’s artistic expression. It features a remarkable selection of rare works from the legendary director’s private archive—an “autobiography through art,” as Cameron himself describes it.

On the Museum’s ground floor, until 8 September 2025, visitors can experience DONATO SANSONE. METAVERSI, the first solo exhibition dedicated to Donato Sansone — artist, animator, and creator of short films, music videos, commercials, and other audiovisual “tricks.” His surreal, provocative works, crafted using diverse techniques, transform various visions of reality into graphic and animated language.

Until 1 September 2025, CineVR2 presents Ecologie, a selection of immersive content entirely dedicated to artist and filmmaker Sara Tirelli, one of the most compelling voices in the contemporary European scene. This virtual reality program explores the aesthetic and political potential of immersive environments as poetic, perceptual, and critical spaces. Tirelli’s work blends choreography, video art, spatialized sound, and artificial intelligence to challenge our understanding of vision, memory, and identity in the age of technological simulation.

SUMMER TOURS AND ACTIVITIES 

The Museum’s regular guided tours continue throughout the summer, alongside interactive and engaging activities for all ages.

Guided Tour: “Discovering the Museum”
Every Saturday, Sunday, and holiday, and daily from 11 to 22 August at 11:00 AM (including Ferragosto).
A journey through the Museum’s wonders: from shadow theatre to the Lumière brothers, and the great protagonists of cinema history.
Duration: 1h 30m | Cost: €6.00 per person + reduced admission ticket
Advance booking strongly recommended [BOOK]

Guided Tour of the Exhibition “The Art of James Cameron”
Every Saturday at 3:00 PM
An exciting exploration of James Cameron’s creative process, showcasing rare and never-before-seen works from the director’s personal archive, illustrating the making of masterpieces such as The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic, and the Avatar saga.
Duration: 1h | Cost: €5.00 per person + reduced admission ticket
Advance booking strongly recommended 

Private Guided Tour: “Discover the Museum”
Available by reservation for families and small groups. Visitors can choose their preferred thematic route with the guide.
Explore the Archaeology of Cinema section, with its optical devices, techniques, games, and shows leading to the Lumière brothers’ Cinématographe, or The Cinema Machine, dedicated to the stages of filmmaking—from script to post-production, costumes to shooting.
Duration: 1h | Group size: 1–5 people | Cost: €85.00 (includes admission + activity)
Booking required – online only 

Special Guided Tour for Families and Small Groups: “The Art of James Cameron”
A private tour of the exhibition, offering an in-depth look at James Cameron’s extraordinary creative journey. After the tour, visitors are free to explore the rest of the Museum at their own pace.
Duration: 1h | Cost: €100.00 total (includes admission + guided tour for up to 5 people)
Booking required – online only 

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

Na’vi Language Workshop
Saturday 19 July and Saturday 23 August, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
In conjunction with The Art of James Cameron, visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the magic of Pandora with two special days dedicated to learning the Na’vi language. Each 30-minute workshop is themed—Greetings, Clans, Pandora’s Animals, Eywa—and offers an engaging introduction to Na’vi pronunciation, writing, expressions, proverbs, and beliefs.
Included with Museum admission. No reservation required.

Avatar Make-Up Sessions
Saturday 12 July and Saturday 16 August, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Thanks to the skill of professional make-up artists, visitors can be transformed into true inhabitants of Pandora: striking facial features, deep blue skin, tribal decorations, and more.
Included with Museum admission. No reservation required.

SUMMER CLOSURES

• Cinema Massimo will be closed from 10 July to 3 September 2025 (inclusive).

• The “Mario Gromo” Library-Mediatheque and the Historical Archive will be closed from 4 to 22 August 2025 (inclusive).