What is currently closed at the Naples Archaeological Museum
Are you choosing how to get in?At the ticket office, the ticket costs €20 with no booking fee. What you find online adds an app, a guide, or skip-the-line access.
Compare the six optionsWhy this page has a date on it
Because the museum publishes an opening plan for the collections and changes it every few weeks. The table below is for the window August 7 – September 21, 2026: it is not a definitive list, and no third-party page, including mine, can be. The only source that matters on the day you go is the official opening plan, on the museum's website, museoarcheologiconapoli.it. I rewrite it here to make it readable, and I still tell you to open it.
The overarching notice that the MANN keeps fixed on every page is: “The Museum is undergoing extraordinary re-installation work on some collections and energy efficiency improvements… some exhibition sections or parts thereof are temporarily closed to the public.”.
The status of the sections, section by section
| Section | Where | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mosaics Collection | first floor | closed from 16 September to 30 November 2026 |
| Epigraphic Collection | rooms 151-157, level -2 | closed |
| Farnese Sculpture | ground floor | partial: only rooms 1-7 and 25-29, until further notice |
| Farnese Gems | rooms 9-10, ground floor | Saturdays and Sundays only, 9 AM–7:30 PM |
| Egyptian Collection | rooms XVII–XXIII, level -1 | open — closed on free days |
| Gabinetto Segreto | room 65, first floor | open — closed on free days |
| Villa dei Papiri | rooms 114-117, second floor | open only 10 AM–6:20 PM |
| Frescoes | rooms 67-75, 77, 78 | open |
| Temple of Isis | rooms 79-82, 84 | open |
| Plastico di Pompei | room 96 | open |
| Salone della Meridiana | second floor | open |
| Numismatics | rooms 51-56, first floor | opening not guaranteed |
| Magna Grecia | rooms 130-143, second floor | opening not guaranteed — closed on free days |
| Prehistory and Protohistory | first level and upper floors | first level always open, upper floors not guaranteed |
The most significant closure: the Mosaics collection
From 16 September to 30 November 2026 the mosaics gallery is closed. This isn't just any room: it's the one that contained the two viewing windows for the Alexander Mosaic restoration site, the last thing left to see of a work that hasn't been visible since 2021. During those weeks, the most sought-after piece in the museum is neither on display nor viewable under restoration. I've written the whole story, with dates, on a separate page.
“Opening not guaranteed” means something specific
It means the museum makes no commitment, and they state it: “it is not possible to guarantee the opening; in case of specific interest, visitors are invited to inquire directly at the ticket office before entering the Museum”. So: if you're going for the Magna Grecia or Numismatics, ask at the ticket counter before your ticket is validated. That's the only time the information is still useful to you.
Because immediately after comes the clause, which is verbatim: “Such an exceptional event cannot lead to a refund of the ticket already purchased”. No refund, neither full nor partial, if the section you wanted to see is closed. This also applies to tickets bought online. The six listings I compare on this site all have free cancellation up to 24 hours beforehand, which protects those who change their mind in time but not those who discover the closure on site.
The museum contradicts itself, and it's worth knowing
- The map versus the plan. The official printable map lists the Farnese Collection as “rooms 1-8, 11-16, 25-29” without indicating closures; the opening plan only guarantees 1-7 and 25-29. Anyone reading the map expects to find the Toro in room 16.
- The mosaics page versus the homepage. The official Mosaics Collection page still presents the Alexander Mosaic as the highlight of the visit, without a word about the restoration; the notice on the homepage says it's not visible. Between the two, the homepage is correct.
- The Toro Farnese is not under restoration. This circulates quite a bit, but it's not from any source. The correct phrase is: its room is not among those guaranteed to be open.
The three sections that close on free days
Verbatim: “On the occasion of free openings for everyone, for safety reasons the Egyptian collection, the Secret Cabinet, and the Magna Grecia section remain closed to the public”. These are three of the most sought-after sections, and they are unavailable on the first Sunday of the month. I provide the full list of free days here.
Due to the heat protocol, some rooms may close between 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM. The museum itself recommends visiting the second floor in the morning or late afternoon. The only three air-conditioned spaces are the Egyptian collection, the Villa dei Papiri, and the Parthenope exhibition.
What remains, and what you should buy knowing this
Even in the worst-case scenario, the frescoes, the Temple of Isis, the Villa dei Papiri, the Pompeii Model, the Salone della Meridiana, the Egyptian collection, and the Secret Cabinet remain open: that is, most of the reasons you would visit. Room by room, it's all here. At the ticket office, a ticket costs €20, with no booking fee; a live guide for two hours starts from €42 at the time of writing and is the only option that can tell you on the spot what is closed and where to go instead.
BestsellerNaples: National Archaeological Museum Ticket and Audio App
Live guideNaples: National Archaeological Museum Guided Tour
Priority entranceNaples: National Archaeological Museum with Digital Guide
Frequently asked questions
Which rooms are closed at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples?
In the window published by the museum for August 7 – September 21, 2026: the Epigraphic Collection is closed, the mosaics collection closes from September 16 to November 30, 2026, only rooms 1-7 and 25-29 of the Farnese Statuary are guaranteed, the Farnese Gems are only open on weekends, and Numismatics, Magna Grecia, and the upper floors of Prehistory have no guaranteed opening.
Does the museum refund the ticket if a section is closed?
No. The museum states: “This exceptional event cannot result in a refund of the ticket already purchased”. This also applies to tickets bought online. Asking at the ticket office before entering is the only defense you have.
How often does the MANN's opening schedule change?
Every few weeks. The museum publishes one date window at a time, and when it expires, it replaces it. This is why any list of rooms read on a third-party site should be compared with the official schedule the day before you go.
Is the Alexander Mosaic one of the closed items?
This is the most serious case. It is not visible because it has been under restoration since 2021, and the two viewing windows for the work site are in the mosaics collection, which is closed from September 16 to November 30, 2026. The full explanation is here.
Is it worth booking if rooms might be closed?
Booking on the museum's website costs nothing extra: the booking fee is zero. The six listings I compare here all have free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, so you can cancel if the plan changes in time. The price comparison is on the tickets page.