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National Museum of Magna Graecia

Home to the Riace Bronzes, two Greek warrior statues pulled from the sea off Calabria in 1972.

  • Reggio Calabria
  • Museum
Plan your visit
Where
Reggio Calabria
Best for
Riace Bronzes
Allow
2 hours
Tickets
From €10
Checked September 2026

In August 1972, a snorkeler off Riace Marina spotted what looked like an arm buried in the sand, and it turned out to belong to one of two full-size Greek bronze warriors, cast around the fifth century BC and lost to the sea for more than two thousand years.

Both statues spent years in restoration in Florence before Reggio Calabria's archaeological museum built them a room of their own: visitors pass through a climate-controlled anteroom first, so the display hall itself stays at a stable temperature and humidity. The museum around them holds one of Italy's richest collections of Magna Graecia material, from painted vases to architectural terracottas, but the Riace Bronzes, entered on their own after the wait, remain the reason most people come.

Four works worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The Riace BronzesGreek bronze statues, about 5th century BC

    Two full-size warriors lost to the sea for more than two thousand years; look at their eyes, teeth and hands.Their own hall, reached through a climate-controlled anteroom

  2. The Philosopher’s Head and the Basel HeadBronzes from the Porticello shipwreck, 5th century BC

    Two bronze heads from another wreck, strikingly lifelike and often overshadowed by the warriors.Underwater archaeology section

  3. The pinakes of LocriTerracotta plaques, 6th to 5th century BC

    Small clay plaques showing Persephone and Hades, offerings from a sanctuary of a Greek colony.Locri section, ground floor

  4. The mosaic of KaulonHellenistic mosaic with a dragon, 3rd century BC

    A floor mosaic with a sea monster from a Greek colony on the Ionian coast.First floor, sub-colonies section

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
From €10
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
2 hours
Best time
Right at opening, to shorten the wait for the Bronzes' hall
Getting there
The museum is at Piazza De Nava 26, a short walk from Reggio Calabria Centrale train station along the seafront Corso Garibaldi.
Accessibility
An external ramp and elevators reach every floor, including the exhibition spaces; visiting the necropolis section requires a staff escort. A video guide in Italian Sign Language (LIS) is available at the ticket office.

Reduced ticket (€2) for ages 18-25; free under 18. Entry to the Riace Bronzes' hall specifically can involve a wait beyond your booked entry time, since capacity there is managed separately. Last updated September 2026. Prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Book an evening slot when one is offered: the Bronzes' hall is quieter after dark.

Official website
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Good to know

How long should you spend at the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria?

About two hours. The Riace Bronzes take a while because visitors pass through the anteroom first, and the rest of the Magna Graecia collection deserves a slow pass.

Where can you see the Riace Bronzes?

They are in Reggio Calabria, not in the village of Riace where they were found offshore. Go at opening to shorten the wait for their hall.

Do you need to book the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria?

Not always, but the Bronzes’ hall admits visitors in controlled groups, so booking or an early start helps in high season. Check the museum’s notice before you go.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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