5 unmissable museums for children in Emilia-Romagna

Emilia-Romagna is one of the most kid-friendly regions in Italy. And among the many things to do with children, museums are certainly not to be missed. There are, in fact, numerous places of culture and historical and scientific study that offer engaging and entertaining experiences for children. Here we have selected 5 child-friendly museums where you can spend an enjoyable day with the family.

Museum’s Palace in Reggio Emilia

Housed in a former Franciscan convent, Museum’s Palace is the headquarters of the Reggio Emilia Civic Museums. It has seen generations of youngsters grow up in its halls and is still able to amaze, thanks to new layouts and workshop spaces. There are collections and collections related to archaeology (Roman Mosaics, Chierici Museum of Palethnology, Portico dei Marmi – Roman section, Regium Lepidi Museum), ethnography, art history (Marble Gallery – Medieval section, Medieval Mosaics), natural history (Spallanzani Museum, Zoological, Anatomical, Botanical, Geo-mineralogical and Palaeontological Collections) and the history of the city. Children will be left speechless as they observe: a real stuffed sperm whale; the remains of the Valentina whale, a fossilised cetacean from 3.5 million years ago; and Baron Raimondo Franchetti’s collection of African fauna.

Otello Sarzi’s Puppet House in Corte Tegge

Corte Tegge, a hamlet of Cavriago (RE), is home to the House of Puppets, with a rich collection of puppets and marionettes, objets d’art and inventions, fruit of the inexhaustible imagination of Otello Sarzi (1922-2001), one of Italy’s most famous master puppeteers. As stated on the Fondazione Famiglia Sarzi website: ‘the vocation of the museum is to be a place that illustrates past and present, accompanies the projection into the future of glorious puppet theatre and stimulates visitors of all ages to participate, experience, interact and return’. In addition to protecting the immense heritage, the museum also offers temporary exhibitions, cultural initiatives, workshops (for adults and children) and performances inspired by the fairy tales that characterised the production of Otello Sarzi and his family.

Figurine Museum in Modena

Another museum that we recommend you visit in the company of your children is the Figurine Museum in Modena, the result of the passionate collecting work of Giuseppe Panini, founder in 1961 of the company of the same name and creator of the renewal of the figurine in a modern sense. Set up in the prestigious premises of Palazzo Santa Margherita, the museum brings together not only the figurines themselves but also other materials similar in technique and function such as matchboxes, letter seals, paper money, menus, calendars and albums published by the companies to contain the series of figurines or created as a hobby by collectors. Alongside the permanent exhibition, a showcase houses temporary exhibitions, aimed at exploring specific themes and making portions of the museum’s immense heritage known from time to time. There are also workshops and activities for children.

MuMAB – Ancient Sea and Biodiversity Museum in Salsomaggiore Terme

Located within the Parco dello Stirone e del Piacenziano at the Podere Millepioppi in Salsomaggiore Terme, the MuMAB – Ancient Sea and Biodiversity Museum tells the story of the ancient Po Valley sea. The museum space is divided into two sections: Geopaleontological, which offers a glimpse into the past, as it preserves one of the richest and most scientifically interesting palaeontological heritages recovered in the Po Valley Basin, which emerged thanks to the excavations conducted by Raffaele Quarantelli and other Salsomaggiore palaeontologists in the bed of the Stirone stream since the second half of the 1960s; and Biological, dedicated to the contemporary, which allows us to understand and appreciate how the most remote history of these places has also shaped the environment of today. The museum welcomes visitors of all ages with a focus on the education of the younger generations. It offers guided tours of the collection and educational activities on a variety of themes.

Mario Massaccesi National Toy Soldier Museum in Bologna

And finally, a visit to the Mario Massaccesi National Toy Soldier Museum in Bologna is not to be missed. Housed inside Villa Aldrovandi Mazzacorati, it tells the story of these toys ‘veterans of historic and ancient battles fiercely fought on the floors of living rooms and kitchens under the command of intrepid generals in short trousers’. It presents to the public more than 12,000 examples (but has about 30,000 more) produced from the early 19th century to the present day. The materials are of the most varied: paper, lead, tin, plaster, wood pulp, plastic, as well as the origin and type of production (one-off and mass-produced pieces). Among the curiosities are the painted cardboard toy soldiers that belonged to Giacomo Leopardi and the flat tin ‘Nuremberg’ specimens.

Photo Museum’s Palace in Reggio Emilia © Turismo Reggio Emilia | Otello Sarzi’s Puppet House in Corte Tegge © Fondazione Famiglia Sarzi | Figurine Museum in Modena © FMAV | MuMAB – Ancient Sea and Biodiversity Museum in Salsomaggiore Terme © MuMAB | Mario Massaccesi National Toy Soldier Museum in Bologna © Museo Nazionale del Soldatino Mario Massaccesi