Museums for families
Where can you find the Mouth of Truth, the Talking Head, the Enchanted Forest, the Séance, and the Theatre of Illusions? At the Museo della Magia (Museum of Magic) in Cherasco. This historic town in the province of Cuneo has one of the most important museums of this kind in Italy, which consists of 18 themed rooms, a library containing around 19,000 books, educational workshops and a theatre. This museum also develops outside the main building where you can follow a path that leads to the romantic Fairy Garden.
In Venasca (in the province of Cuneo), in the Varaita Valley, you can find the Fabbrica dei Suoni park (the Sound Factory), the first theme-park in Italy which is entirely dedicated to the world of music and sounds. In this park you can have fun playing instruments and discovering music styles from all over the world.
In Dronero, you can go on a virtual tour in Occitania thanks to the Museo Occitano Son de Lenga –Espaci Occitan museum (the Occitan Museum Son de Lenga). You will have the opportunity to learn about the language, culture and folklore of the 14 valleys in southwestern Piedmont. In Vernante (Cuneo) you can admire more than 150 mural paintings, which tell the story of Pinocchio.
In the Langhe area, visit imposing a quick detour to Barolo to explore the Wimu-Museo del Vino museum (a Wine Museum) housed inside the Falletti castle. In this museum, you will learn about the history and the culture around the wine of the same name (Barolo) while having fun.
In Turin, if you are fond of breathtaking views and historic tramways, the ascent to the Basilica of Superga is the right choice for you. The A come Ambiente Museum offers many fun and educational workshops and it is the first interactive and multimedia museum in Europe on environmental and sustainability education.
INFINI.TO, a space museum with one of the most advanced digital Planetariums in Europe, is located up the Pino Torinese hill. This is an interactive astronomy and space museum for all ages and it will take you on a mind-blowing journey to the discovery of the universe.
There are many other places where you can learn while playing. At the Rivoli Castle, for example, you can visit the Museo d’Arte Contemporanea (Museum of Contemporary Art). Every third weekend of the month the museum organises guided tours, and workshops are organised on Thursdays and Fridays; there are ample spaces for educational initiatives as well. On the outskirts of Turin, inside the gardens of the Reggia di Venaria, which are a UNESCO heritage site, you will enjoy yourselves in the Fantacasino and in the Boschetto dei Giochi, an enchanted place designed for families and people of all ages.
Higher and higher!
In Novara, children over the age of 12 can contemplate the city from the San Gaudenzio Dome, or in Arona (Verbania) they can admire the Lago Maggiore from the top of the Sancarlone, the monumental statue dedicated to San Carlo Borromeo. The funicular railway in Biella is truly impressive. Recently renovated, it dates back to the 19th century and will take you up to the oldest part of the city. This funicular is wheelchairs, bikes and pushchairs friendly.