Castello Sforzesco free: what, for whom and when
What’s always free
Everything outdoors. The Torre del Filarete, Piazza d’Armi, Corte Ducale, the Rocchetta courtyard, the moat and the passage to Parco Sempione: open from 7:00 to 19:30, no ticket, no reservation, even on Mondays. If an online offer promises castle entry, ask yourself if it means the courtyards—because in that case, they’re selling you something that already has an open gate. This is the case with the Last Supper tour with a castle walk, which honestly states: after The Last Supper, you walk through the courtyards; the museums are not included.
Free museums, for whom
At the castle ticket office, admission is free for under 18s, high school students, people with disabilities plus one companion, teachers with documentation, ICOM members and licensed EU guides. Discounts for ages 18–25, over 65s and university students. These are the box office rules: none of the online offers apply them, because they sell their own ticket with an audioguide or a guide. With children, the math is simple. Visiting with children.
Free museums, when
On the first Sunday of the month, civic museums are free for everyone; no need to book online, just walk in. On the second Tuesday of the month, they are free for under 25s. The Merlate panoramiche, from Friday to Sunday, are included in the museum ticket and follow the same rules. Opening hours and closures.
The first Sunday of the month is the busiest day of the year, every month. There’s a queue in front of the Pietà inside the museum. If you can choose, an afternoon from Tuesday to Thursday costs a ticket and offers quiet.
What isn’t free
Museums on regular days, for adults: a single ticket covers all routes, also available as an Open version valid for twelve months. The castle audio guide, available at the entrance. Guided tours of the Ghirlanda covered walkway, scheduled. And everything else you buy online: the ticket with audio guide in the app, the guided tour, private tours. None of these are required for entry; each adds something the ticket office doesn’t provide.
What works
- Courtyards open seven days a week, no ticket needed
- Under 18s always free at museums with a ticket from the desk
- One free day a month for everyone, one for under 25s
Good to know
- The first Sunday is the busiest day
- On Mondays, museums are closed, whether free or not
- Online offers do not apply the free entry available at the ticket office
If you still want to book something
It makes sense in two cases: you want a reserved time slot with the audio guide in the app, or you want a guided tour. For the first case, there’s the ticket with audio guide, to be collected at the office at Piazza Castello 1, not at the castle ticket office. For the second, there’s the small-group one-and-a-half-hour tour starting from the Pietà.
Museum ticket + audioguide appMilan: Castello Sforzesco entry ticket with digital audio guide
Small group · 5 languagesMilan: Castello Sforzesco and Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondanini tour
The ticket with audio guide, if you want it
Reserved entry to the museums plus two audio guides in the app, for the castle and the city, in six languages. Voucher to be exchanged at the office at Piazza Castello 1; you bring your own headphones and charged phone.
Frequently asked questions
Is Castello Sforzesco free?
The courtyards are, always. The museums cost, except for under 18s, the first Sunday of the month for everyone, and the second Tuesday for under 25s. How to buy the ticket.
Do you need to book for the first Sunday of the month?
No, and you can’t: that day tickets aren’t sold online, you just enter at the gate. Expect a queue. How the day goes.
Do children pay?
No, under 18s get free museum entry at the castle ticket office. At the castle with children.
Are online offers free on free days?
No, they sell their own ticket with audio guide or a guide, regardless of the ticket office schedule. The six options, explained.