The 16 Best Museums In Bari
Bari is the capital city of the Puglia region and an excellent place to visit for so many reasons. You will find that the food is amazing, attractions are plentiful, and the city is great for families. Whether you have flown into the city or you have traveled into the city by a different means, you will find that heading out to see what the city has to offer is easy. This is a very straightforward southeastern Italian city to navigate, and there is so much to do and see here.
There are many Bari museums that will draw you through the doors, and the best museums in Bari are all over the middle of the town. This is an important economic centre near the Adriatic Sea and the urban area is one of the most special places in Italy. This is one of the best places to experience Italy and you will find centuries of history here when you are in Bari, BA.
Once you have arrived in Bari, you will want to make sure that your luggage is taken care of. Put your suitcases and backpacks into safe storage at a Bounce partner in Bari. There are convenient locations near the scenic Polignano a Mare, Bari Airport, and Bari Central Station. Once your bags are stored, it’s time to enjoy mainland Southern Italy!
What are the best free museums in Bari?
There are many museums in Bari that are really enjoyable and special, but not all of them are free. This is a port and university city with lots of history. The metropolitan area is where a lot of the most enjoyable things to do are located, and you will love that this university city offers so much culture for you to take part in. Whether you are looking around in Old Town or you are in the metropolitan city area, you will find that there are museums to enjoy.
Basilica San Nicola
While getting into the interior of this museum is not free, you can enjoy seeing this lovely site from the outside for free. This basilica is the home of the relics of Saint Nicholas of Myra, who is also Father Christmas, but if you can't afford the fee to get inside, you can enjoy the area around the building as well the architecture here. This is a building that is Romanesque, and it offers you a great photo opportunity. You can also visit at night if you want to see how exceptional the building is when lit up.
Pinacoteca Corrado Giaguinto
Most of the month, this location is not actually free, but the entrance fee is very, very cheap. There are free days that happen on the first Sunday of the month, and this is one of the best free things to do in Bari if you can get the timing right. If you still don't want to pay the entrance fee, you can still get something out of a visit to this location. You will love the exterior of the building and the area around this museum as well.
This is the largest art gallery in Southern Italy, and it offers you access to lots of Apulia Region Art as well as Venetian paintings, Neapolitan works, and more. There are 50 prestigious paintings here to enjoy that date from the 19th century as well as classic works from the early twentieth century.
Which are the best museums in Downtown Bari?
Although it's easy to get around Bari, chances are most of your sightseeing will be centered around the downtown core known as Old Town.
Museo Nazionale Archeologico di Gioia del Colle
If you want to know what it would be like to live in a third-century city, this is the right place to visit. There were no actual cities then in the sense that we are familiar with today, but you will be able to visit this Norman-Swabian Castle and see what the lives of everyday people were like. There are toys, weapons, and iron age artifacts here to see, and people of all ages can have fun here and learn a ton about the city's origins.
Museo Archeologico Statale
There was a lot of art that was lost during the Second World War, and this museum was founded to help Italy recover from these losses. There is a Neanderthal skeleton here that might be the Man of Altamura. You will also love the reassembled artifacts that have been put back together that were damaged during the war. This is a very special place to visit, and you should put this on your list of things to do for sure when you are in Italy.
Castello Normanno-Svevo
The home of this collection is actually Houhenstaufen Castle which was built in 1132 by a Norman King. This location is lovely in its own right, and it is surrounded by a moat on all sides. This building offers up amazing views of the seaside, old town, and the courtyard. This is an amazing building that has temporary exhibits that are changed frequently. You get access to an amazing historical building which is the star of the show, but there are art exhibits to enjoy when you visit as well.
Piccolo Museo didattico del Cinema
This really enjoyable and small museum offers access to the history of film in all of its various stages. You can find out about the history of Chinese shadow screenings as well as work done by the Lumiere brothers. There are educational exhibits here as well, and a small group of curators manages the collection carefully and with a love for their art and craft. This spot is in a really great location downtown as well, so you can head right out for some of the best brunch options in Bari or other adventures from here if you wish.
Museo Civico di Zoologia
If you love animals and dinosaurs, this is the right place to visit. There is so much to see here, and you can spend a lot of time wandering and having fun looking at all the exhibits. This is one of the great things to do with kids in Bari, but you can have a lot of fun as well if you are visiting with a spouse or friends.
Make sure to visit the lion house and see the hippos as well as the ocean exhibits. This is a zoo that offers all the right features of a museum as well. Kids will love the blend of live animals and fossils, and dinosaur skeletons that are displayed. You can easily spend a lot of time in this spot which makes your entrance fee very affordable considering how much there is to do.
Museo Diocesano
This museum is located on the first floor of the Episcopio, the Archdiocese of Bari. There are cultural and heritage pieces here that are related to the Christian history of Bari. There are Latin Christian pieces here as well as memorials and artifacts from the Cathedral. The building has five sections that each offer unique learning opportunities.
There is a lapidary, an actual art gallery, a treasure hall, a sacred vestments room, and then an area dedicated to Exultet rolls. Like so many of the places on this list, there is just as much to enjoy about the museum site, and you could come here just to see the location instead of the art. But, the art and exhibits are a definite bonus!
Museo Nicolaiano
This location is a great place to see art dedicated to the Basilica of San Nicola. There are three exhibition rooms to see here. The Angelo Docente room, the Ruggero II room, and the Diavolo Wood Hall. There are also temporary exhibitions to peruse. You can check what is going to be on temporary display before you go by visiting their website.
Baart Gallery
Baart Gallery is located right in the very heart of Bari. It is a new location that gives you access to all kinds of art. You might see everything here, from graphic art to classical art and sculpture. This gallery also helps support interest in the arts as a whole and delivers a lot of art history for visitors as well.
While a bit different than the other more serious museums in this city, you will enjoy the more modern and unique collection here.
Museo Civico di Zoologia
If you love animals and dinosaurs, this is the right place to visit. There is so much to see here, and you can spend a lot of time wandering and having fun looking at all the exhibits. This is one of the great things to do with kids in Bari, but you can have a lot of fun as well if you are visiting with a spouse or friends.
Make sure to visit the lion house and see the hippos as well as the ocean exhibits. This is a zoo that offers all the right features of a museum as well. Kids will love the blend of live animals and fossils, and dinosaur skeletons that are displayed. You can easily spend a lot of time in this spot which makes your entrance fee very affordable considering how much there is to do.
Museo Diocesano
This museum is located on the first floor of the Episcopio, the Archdiocese of Bari. There are cultural and heritage pieces here that are related to the Christian history of Bari. There are Latin Christian pieces here as well as memorials and artifacts from the Cathedral. The building has five sections that each offer unique learning opportunities.
There is a lapidary, an actual art gallery, a treasure hall, a sacred vestments room, and then an area dedicated to Exultet rolls. Like so many of the places on this list, there is just as much to enjoy about the museum site, and you could come here just to see the location instead of the art. But, the art and exhibits are a definite bonus!
Museo Nicolaiano
This location is a great place to see art dedicated to the Basilica of San Nicola. There are three exhibition rooms to see here. The Angelo Docente room, the Ruggero II room, and the Diavolo Wood Hall. There are also temporary exhibitions to peruse. You can check what is going to be on temporary display before you go by visiting their website.
Baart Gallery
Baart Gallery is located right in the very heart of Bari. It is a new location that gives you access to all kinds of art. You might see everything here, from graphic art to classical art and sculpture. This gallery also helps support interest in the arts as a whole and delivers a lot of art history for visitors as well.
While a bit different than the other more serious museums in this city, you will enjoy the more modern and unique collection here.
Are there any cheap museums in Bari?
Museo Civico Bari
This specialty museum is not huge, so the entrance fee will not break the bank. This museum was opened in 1913 to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Murat District. There are all kinds of artifacts here, including wooden sculptures, silver art products, paintings, and so much more. There are also some educational exhibitions about scholars of note from Bari.
Planetario Sky-Skan
Planetario Sky-Skan is a full-size planetarium, and you will enjoy live science, live exhibits, and more when you visit this location. You will be wowed by the display of the exhibitions on the huge dome. This spot has evolved over time to include increasingly impressive displays with new technology.
Despite the fact that there is no classic art here to see, you will be wowed by the artistic representation of science that they produce.
Museo Archeologico di Santa Scolastica
The Museo Archeological was home to a Benedictine monastery and an annexed 16th-century bastion. There has been recent restoration work done here, and you will be able to see so many lovely exhibits when you visit. This spot will not break the bank, and you will love seeing works from the Middle Ages through Protohistory.
This location is open Tuesday to Saturday for most of the day, which makes it a great choice if you have exhausted some of the early-day things that you wanted to do and still have hours left to explore. There are even themed exhibits here that rotate, so each visitor gets a different experience.
Cittadella Mediterranea Della Scienza
For a larger and more informative science museum experience than you can get at other locations in the city, head to the Cittadella Mediterranea della Scienza. This is a location that is meant to encourage interest in science and discovery. There are lots of cultural events held here that can be fun to enjoy. There are also workshops that are affordable and really accessible. You can enjoy this location with kids and people of all ages and interest levels in science.
Associazione Culturale Doppleganger
This museum is right in the heart of the city, and it's a spot dedicated to modern art. The location is historical as well, so you will get another of the classic Bari experiences where the building and the collection are equally interesting. This collection is curated with great attention to detail, and it is maintained by a passionate cultural association.
Museo di Scienze Della Terra Di Bari
This is a simple and informative location that is not meant to impress but to inform. The Museo di Scienze offers revolving exhibits as well, so you will be able to see the regular exhibits that are placed here but also the temporary ones that are put out from time to time. This spot has been collecting artifacts since the 1950s, and you will be able to see fossils, minerals and rocks, and other interesting artifacts.
There are guided tours here for a reasonable price, and this is probably the best way to enjoy this spot. That way, you won't miss out on any of the information.
Conclusion
Bari is a great choice for a vacation for so many reasons. There is so much to do here and so much to see, and museums seem to be around every corner. You can easily spend most of the day in museums if you wish, but there is a lot to do and see besides the museum scene. Make sure to visit the downtown museums if you want to head out for a drink or a great meal right after you're done. There are also museums that you can spend all day in if you don’t have any other plans.
Make sure that you place your luggage in secure storage in Bari before you start enjoying the museums that are on offer in this amazing city. Most of the museums that you can visit are just as beautiful as the collections that are housed inside them. This city is full of history, and it is one of the loveliest cities in Italy to visit. Happy touring!