OUR
SERVICES
Restaurant, parking, outdoor area, shop e bookshop
OUTDOOR AREA
Explora’s outdoor area is a link to the city centre – we are just a short walk from Piazza del Popolo – and was created to share with the public a space entrusted to the cooperative, which has been managing it for over 20 years.
Large, open-access space offering children and families the chance to have fun in a safe, fully equipped area featuring an inclusive playground; free events and activities focusing on sustainability, the environment, science and art; STEM treasure hunts; and photography exhibitions resulting from European projects and awareness-raising events that showcase dedicated days and activities.
Playground
The playground is a special place for outdoor play: a safe, well-equipped space where children can socialise and test their skills. Alongside the pulley and the water play area, a large play structure has been designed to ensure that all children have equal access and can use the facilities equally.
Multifunctionality, a key feature of inclusive play, is expressed through mechanisms, sound features, easy access and a variety of play activities, encouraging group play and interaction.
The playground area is fitted with a safety surface to facilitate access and ensure safety.
Free events and activities
Focusing on sustainability, the environment, science and art, and taking place during special events and themed days, these outdoor events and activities are always free to attend, ensuring that even those who do not visit the pavilion can take part.
The events form part of a packed calendar of cultural events that the museum organises throughout the year, thanks to international, European and national projects or in collaboration with organisations and institutions.
STEM Treasure Hunt
The Treasure Hunt activity allows visitors to explore STEM subjects independently in an informal and playful way, enabling them to discover fascinating facts about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and combines physical play with a digital element, transforming the exhibition into a phygital experience.
Using any device, you can scan the QR codes placed throughout the garden and start the quiz challenge. Each correct answer provides a valuable clue to help you discover the secret ingredient and find it in the Explora garden.
Photography exhibitions
The walls of the entrance on Via Flaminia and the bookshop are adorned with works from the exhibition I bambini del mare/Children of the Sea, large canvases by the artist Sibomana created for the project Journey’s: Art Beyond Borders, co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. The canvases feature the faces of 10 children living in a reception centre on the outskirts of Rome. Sibomana’s technique combines black-and-white photography with brightly coloured painting, conveying a clear message: to promote integration between peoples, whilst reminding us that all children have the right to be happy.
THE BOOKSHOP
Games, books, gadgets
A child, a teacher, a book and a pen can change the world.
Malala Yousafzai
The Explora bookshop is a place where you can choose books, games and gadgets carefully selected to spark the imagination and deepen knowledge through play and experimentation, in true Explora style.
Looking for an original, fun and educational gift?
The bookshop’s selection is designed to engage young children, offering them a journey through the stories in a book, a chance to test their skills with quizzes and games of skill, and a moment to share with friends thanks to the many educational and board games.
Perfect tools for discovering and reaching worlds both near and far, stimulating the imagination and understanding reality.
Communication, cooperation and culture: we select from the best companies on the European market to ensure high-quality educational content and safe materials (FSC certified).
For further information, call 063613776 or email biglietteria@mdbr.it
More than just a bookshop: a place to share
The Explora bookshop can host book launches, small press conferences, exhibitions and creative or language courses – events that encourage children to read, explore and use their imagination, whilst inviting adults to keep up to date, learn more and build connections and relationships.
Don’t miss the Animated Readings, free events followed by activities and workshops, running from autumn to spring, usually at weekends.
A packed programme of events featuring the latest publications, selected in collaboration with publishers specialising in children’s literature.
Do you work in publishing, have you written or illustrated a book? Would you like to suggest a book for inclusion in the Animated Readings programme? Send an email to fsantini@mdbr.it!
PARKING
Parking reserved for Explora visitors is available at Via Flaminia 86, subject to availability, with access from Via D. A. Azuni or Via Flaminia.
Reduced rates for Explora visitors.
Purchasing museum admission tickets does not automatically guarantee access to the car park.
Car park opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday closes at 8.30 pm, Sundays and public holidays at 7.00 pm. On 24 and 31 December at 5.00 pm.
Car park closed on 25 December and 1 January.
Cars must be collected strictly before closing time.
Visitor rate: €2 for the first three hours – €4 for each additional hour or part thereof after the first three hours
Non-visitor rate: €6 per hour – €4 for each additional hour or part thereof after the first hour
Have you bought your museum ticket and used the car park?
Please remember to:
- have your parking ticket scanned at the ticket office or inside the museum;
- pay at the car park pay-on-exit machine or at the ticket office during opening hours;
- leave the car park within 15 minutes of payment.
RESTAURANT AND CAFÉ
Please note: from 1 June 2026, the museum café will be closed for renovation work.
Vending machines offering drinks and snacks are available in the lobby.
In addition, a drinking water fountain is always available in the pavilion.
We apologize for the inconvenience.