must-visit in MilanEvents & Shows

Teatro alla Scala

📍 Via Filodrammatici 2, 20121 Milano, Italy

1 photos

4.8/ 5.0

★★★★★

Quick Facts

Location: Italy, Milan
Category: Events & Shows
Duration: 45-60 minutes for the museum; a performance runs 3-4 hours including the interval.
Opening Hours: Museum daily 09:30-17:30 (last entry 17:00), 09:30-15:00 on 24 and 31 December; closed 7, 25 and 26 December, 1 January, Easter, 1 May and 15 August.
Ticket Price: Adult: Free · Open fast-track ticket EUR 15, full EUR 12, reduced EUR 8 (6-18, students, 65+), groups EUR 8, schools EUR 4, family EUR 20; under 6 and disabled free. Theatre tours EUR 36-39.
Address: Via Filodrammatici 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
Coordinates: 45.4643, 9.1895

Introduction

Teatro alla Scala, opened in central Milan in 1778, is the Mecca of opera. Verdi's Nabucco and Otello, Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Turandot all premiered here. The house glows in red and gold, six tiers of horseshoe boxes ringing the stage like a halo, and its acoustics are reckoned among the finest on Earth — legend says even the softest sigh reaches the last row. When no performance is on, guided tours open the hall and stage, and the attached museum displays Verdi's baton, Toscanini's annotated scores and costumes of legendary divas. Tickets for a performance sell out weeks or months ahead online, and the dress code tradition endures.

✨ Highlights

Where Opera Premieres

Verdi and Puccini unveiled their masterpieces here.

The Red-and-Gold House

Six tiers of boxes with world-class acoustics.

The Museum

Baton, scores and costumes of opera history.

Backstage Tours

See the stage and hall on non-performance days.

🛈 Practical Info

→Duration：1-2 hours for tours; performances run 3+ hours.

→Etiquette：Dress smart; latecomers wait for an interval.

→Nearby：The Duomo and Galleria are a short stroll away.

→Seeing the theatre：The museum ticket also lets you look into the auditorium from a third-order box when no rehearsal or performance is on; the Royal Box and historic foyers need a guided tour (about EUR 36-39, 60 minutes, the 14:30 English departure is capped at around 20 people).

→Attending a performance：Opera and ballet tickets are sold only through teatroallascala.org (registration required), with the season opening on 7 December, the feast of Sant'Ambrogio. Unsold seats go on sale at the box office an hour before the curtain at roughly 25 percent off. Shorts and sleeveless tops are not admitted.

→Highlights：Verdi's top hat, Toscanini's annotated Otello score, Callas's costumes from her late-1950s seasons, the Steinway Liszt played in his Milan flat in the 1830s, and the 150,000-volume Livia Simoni library.

→Opening Hours：Museum daily 09:30-17:30 (last entry 17:00), 09:30-15:00 on 24 and 31 December; closed 7, 25 and 26 December, 1 January, Easter, 1 May and 15 August.

→Transportation：About three minutes from M1 Cordusio or five from M1/M3 Duomo; the museum entrance is at Largo Ghiringhelli 1, around the side of the theatre.

Ticket Information

Ticket Information
Adult	Free

Open fast-track ticket EUR 15, full EUR 12, reduced EUR 8 (6-18, students, 65+), groups EUR 8, schools EUR 4, family EUR 20; under 6 and disabled free. Theatre tours EUR 36-39.

💡 Tips

• Tour slots are limited — reserve a day ahead in season.

• The top Loggione seats are cheap with superb sound.

• No flash in the museum; study the manuscripts closely.

• Dine lightly at a historic cafe nearby before the show.

• Pre-order interval champagne to skip the queue.

• If no performance ticket is available, the museum ticket already includes a look into the hall from a third-order box, and at 11 a.m. it is often just you and the chandelier.

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Teatro alla Scala?

Museum daily 09:30-17:30 (last entry 17:00), 09:30-15:00 on 24 and 31 December; closed 7, 25 and 26 December, 1 January, Easter, 1 May and 15 August.

How much is the admission for Teatro alla Scala?

Adult: Free; Open fast-track ticket EUR 15, full EUR 12, reduced EUR 8 (6-18, students, 65+), groups EUR 8, schools EUR 4, family EUR 20; under 6 and disabled free. Theatre tours EUR 36-39.