In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Sforza Castle courtyards, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Monumental Cemetery, Sant’Ambrogio, San Maurizio and Pirelli HangarBicocca cost nothing. The first Sunday of the month is free at the Sforza Castle museums, the Museo del Novecento, the Archaeological Museum, the Civic Aquarium, the Natural History Museum, the GAM and the Gallerie d’Italia, and at Brera with a reservation. The next are 1 November and 6 December 2026. The Last Supper is free that day only with a ticket released online the Wednesday before. What only looks free: the Duomo, which is free only on listed days, the Highline roof walk, Torre Branca and the Palazzo Lombardia belvedere, which opens on listed dates. Monday shuts the monuments: the Monumental Cemetery and the civic museums. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the centre walking tour with the Last Supperad is from €79 and the night walkad from €44 (GetYourGuide).
What is free
- The Sforza Castle courtyards, every day 7:00 to 19:30. The museums inside cost €10; the Sforza Castle page has them.
- The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a public arcade with no ticket. It is covered below.
- The Monumental Cemetery, Tuesday to Sunday 8:00 to 18:00. It is covered below.
- The basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, free to enter; only the Ambrosius treasury museum charges.
- San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, free, closed on Mondays.
- Pirelli HangarBicocca, free, Thursday to Sunday only.
- The Triennale, where entry to the building is free and a ticket is needed for some exhibitions.
- The Palazzo Lombardia belvedere, free on listed dates.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Free · always open as a public arcade
The Galleria connects Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Scala. There is no ticket to walk it. Two paid things sit inside. The Osservatorio of Fondazione Prada, open daily 10:00 to 20:00, costs €10 on its own or €15 as part of the foundation’s Milan ticket. The Highline Galleria, entered at no. 11/12, is a walkway over the roof with a panoramic lift, an exhibition and a terrace on top of the entrance arch, from €15 for a booked slot, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00. Best views in Milan has the Highline.
The Monumental Cemetery
Free · Tuesday to Sunday 8:00 to 18:00, entry until 30 minutes before closing · Piazzale Cimitero Monumentale
The Cimitero Monumentale covers 245,000 square metres and is run by the Comune. It is closed on Mondays. On 1 January, Easter Sunday and Monday, 1 May, 2 June, 15 August and 8, 25 and 26 December it opens 8:00 to 13:00. The Famedio, the “Temple of Fame” on the front of the cemetery, was designed by Maciachini and holds the remains of eight people, with Alessandro Manzoni in the centre sarcophagus, brought there in 1883. Its crypt, entered from the entrance porticoes, holds Dario Fo and Franca Rame, Giorgio Gaber, Alda Merini and others. Metro M5 to Monumentale, trams 12 and 14 and buses 70 and 94 stop nearby.
The Famedio at the entrance of the Monumental Cemetery. Photo: Góngora, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches
Free · hours vary
The churches of Milan lists the hours. Sant’Ambrogio is open daily, San Maurizio Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:30, and San Bernardino alle Ossa daily, with a donation box and the ossuary shut on Sundays. San Maurizio is run by Touring Club Italiano volunteers, so it can close on a day without them.
The atrium of the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio. Photo: Radosław Botev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 pl.
Pirelli HangarBicocca
Free · Thursday to Sunday 10:30 to 20:30, last entry 19:30 · Via Chiese 2
Pirelli HangarBicocca is closed Monday to Wednesday and admits visitors free; a free booking is possible. Anselm Kiefer’s The Seven Heavenly Palaces is the permanent installation. On show are Aki Sasamoto’s XYZ to 17 January 2027 and Luciano Fabro’s Abitare lo spazio to 21 February 2027.
Free days and free ages
The first Sunday of the month is free for everyone at the Sforza Castle museums, the Museo del Novecento, the Archaeological Museum, the Civic Aquarium, the Natural History Museum and the GAM. It is also free at the Gallerie d’Italia, and at Brera and Palazzo Citterio with a reservation. The next are 1 November and 6 December 2026, and 3 January 2027.
- The Last Supper: the free first-Sunday tickets are released online at 12:00 on the Wednesday before, five to a purchase, and the museum does not promise availability. The Last Supper page has the dates.
- The Duomo: the museum is free on the last Sunday of the month, booked from the Tuesday before. The cathedral and the museum are free, with booking, on Wednesday 4 November 2026, Tuesday 2 February 2027 and Thursday 18 March 2027. The terraces are never free.
- Second Tuesday of the month: the civic museums are free for visitors up to 25.
- Under 18: free at the Sforza Castle museums, the civic museums and Brera every day.
- GAM and the free Sundays: the GAM takes no bookings for the free Sunday, so you queue.
What is not free
- The Duomo. The Combo Stairs is €22. Milan Duomo tickets has the prices.
- The Last Supper. €15, named, booked. Free only on the first Sunday of the month, with a ticket.
- Highline Galleria, from €15, and Torre Branca, €9.
- The Palazzo Lombardia belvedere on the 39th floor, 161 metres up, is free but opens only on dates the Lombardy Region lists. The next is 8 November 2026, 10:00 to 18:00, at the entrance in Nucleo 1 of Piazza Città di Lombardia.
A free day
A weekday from Tuesday to Sunday works. Start at the Monumental Cemetery when it opens at 8:00, then San Maurizio from 10:00, the Sforza Castle courtyards, the Galleria and Sant’Ambrogio. On the first Sunday of the month, add a civic museum or the Museo del Novecento. On a Monday, the cemetery, San Maurizio and the civic museums are shut, so use the courtyards, the Galleria and Sant’Ambrogio.
What to book in Milan has the closed days for every sight. The Milan historic centre walk and the Navigli and Ticinese walk put the free stops in walking order. Best museums in Milan has the prices behind the free Sunday. Milan with kids sorts the paid sights by age. Milan City Pass: is it worth it? says when a pass beats the free days. Milan walking tours compares the guided and free walks. 3 days in Milan builds the plan round the free Sunday. For a bed, see where to stay in Milan.
Common questions
What are the best free things to do in Milan?
The Sforza Castle courtyards, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Monumental Cemetery, the basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, the church of San Maurizio and Pirelli HangarBicocca are free every week. On the first Sunday of the month the civic museums, the Museo del Novecento and the Gallerie d'Italia are free too.
Which Milan museums are free on the first Sunday of the month?
The Sforza Castle museums, the Museo del Novecento, the Archaeological Museum, the Civic Aquarium, the Natural History Museum, the GAM, the Gallerie d'Italia, and Brera with a reservation. The Last Supper is free that day for tickets released online the Wednesday before at 12:00. The next first Sundays are 1 November and 6 December 2026, and 3 January 2027.
Is the Monumental Cemetery free?
Yes. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00 to 18:00, with entry until 30 minutes before closing, and closed on Mondays. On 1 January, Easter Sunday and Monday, 1 May, 2 June, 15 August and 8, 25 and 26 December it is open 8:00 to 13:00.
Is the Duomo free?
Only on listed days. The cathedral and the Duomo Museum are free, with booking at duomomilano.it, on Wednesday 4 November 2026, Tuesday 2 February 2027 and Thursday 18 March 2027. The museum alone is free on the last Sunday of the month, booked from the Tuesday before. The terraces are never free, and worshippers go in free to pray.
Is the Palazzo Lombardia belvedere free?
Yes, but it opens to the public only on listed dates. The next on the Lombardy Region's calendar is 8 November 2026, 10:00 to 18:00. The 39th-floor terrace is 161 metres up.
Is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II free?
Yes. It is a public arcade with no ticket. The Highline Galleria rooftop walk above it costs from €15, and the Osservatorio of Fondazione Prada inside it costs €10.
What is free in Milan for under-25s?
The civic museums, including the Sforza Castle, the Museo del Novecento and the Archaeological Museum, are free for visitors up to 25 on the second Tuesday of every month. Under-18s are free at all of them every day.
