National Science Museum Leonardo Da Vinci

What might seem like an ordinary science museum is really so much more. Officially called the National Museum of Science and Technology and named for long-time Milan resident Leonardo da Vinci, it features a range of displays and maintains an innovative edge.

Established in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, the collection began to be accumulated and the museum opened in 1953, inaugurated with an exhibit on Leonardo (of course!) It has grown to contain 15,000 objects of technical, scientific and artistic significance. The museum also encompasses the tasks of conservation and restoration.

The primary section is the Leonardo da Vinci displays, with models, manuscripts, designs and drawings, and interpretive displays of his civil works and innovations. There are areas dedicated to instruments, the technological development of machines, telecommunications, space travel, musical instruments, time pieces (clocks, etc), and food production technology. An area highlights transportation innovations, including air, rail, naval and submarine, with a helicopter simulator. Displays of polymers and plastics, metals and energy production further one's knowledge of these more recent developments.

The Leonardo Science Museum in Milan is open daily from 9:30 AM til 7:00 PM, though on Saturdays it remains open until 9:00 PM. Closed Mondays. Admission is €10; €7.50 for children and seniors. There is a bookstore and snack bar in the museum. Entrance is on Via San Vittore, while the display path winds through the large complex and exits on Via Olona. The closest metro stop is Sant'Ambrogio.