Castello Sforzesco hours: courtyards and museums
Day by day
| Day | Courtyards | Museums | Merlate panoramiche |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 7:00–19:30 | Closed | Closed |
| Tuesday–Thursday | 7:00–19:30 | 10:00–17:30 | Closed |
| Friday–Sunday | 7:00–19:30 | 10:00–17:30 | 10:00–17:00 |
| First Sunday of the month | 7:00–19:30 | 10:00–17:30, free | 10:00–17:00 |
| Second Tuesday of the month | 7:00–19:30 | 10:00–17:30, free under 25 | Closed |
| 25 Dec, 1 Jan, 1 May | Check | Closed | Closed |
On Mondays
This is the mistake I’ve seen most often at the ticket office: people arriving on Monday morning by train for the Pietà Rondanini. On Mondays, the museums are closed—all of them—and so is the ticket office. The courtyards are not: you enter from the Torre del Filarete, cross the Piazza d’Armi, see the Corte Ducale and the Rocchetta, and exit into the park. It’s a well-spent, free half hour, but it’s not a museum visit. What you can see without a ticket.
The last two hours
Between the ticket office closing at 16:30, the last entry at 17:00, and the museum closing at 17:30, there’s a difference that matters if you arrive late. At 16:30, you can no longer buy a ticket at the door; anyone who already has one—even if bought online—can enter until 17:00; at 17:30, the rooms are cleared. In practice, to see the Pietà and the Museo d’Arte Antica at your leisure, you need to be inside by 15:30. How much time each route takes.
The tourism board sign lists an opening at 9:00; the castle and online offers say 10:00. Trust the 10:00 time.
Opening hours for online offers
Tickets with audioguides follow the same days and hours as the museums, with voucher collection at the office at Piazza Castello 1—not at the castle ticket office; they’re also closed on Mondays, 25 December, 1 January, and 1 May. The small-group guided tour lasts an hour and a half and is booked for a set time; the Last Supper tour has a fixed time that cannot be changed, with a mandatory arrival five minutes early. The quietest time for the museums is Tuesday to Thursday afternoons; the busiest is late Saturday morning and the first Sunday of the month. The best time of year.
Museum ticket + audioguide appMilan: Castello Sforzesco entry ticket with digital audio guide
Small group · 5 languagesMilan: Castello Sforzesco and Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondanini tour
Timed entry with audioguide
Museum ticket with reserved time slot and two audioguides in the app, for Castello Sforzesco and Milan. Valid on museum open days: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–17:30, last entry 17:00.
Frequently asked questions
What time does Castello Sforzesco open?
The courtyards at 7:00, the museums at 10:00 from Tuesday to Sunday. How to get there by 10:00.
Is Castello Sforzesco open on Mondays?
Courtyards: yes, from 7:00 to 19:30. Museums: no. What you can see for free even on Mondays.
Until what time can you enter the museums?
Last entry at 17:00, ticket office closes at 16:30, rooms close at 17:30.
When is it free?
First Sunday of the month for everyone, second Tuesday for under 25s, always free for under 18s. All free entries.