On Saturday, May 17, 2025, on the occasion of the Night of the Museums, it will be possible to visit the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum at night.
This is an unmissable opportunity to admire the two cities buried by the tremendous eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD in a completely new and extraordinary way.
The evening event at a cost of only €1 includes a double tour itinerary in Pompeii. One that will allow visitors to admire the famous Villa of the Mysteries and the Boscoreale antiquarium, the other the exhibition set up in the Palestra grande “ Being a Woman in Ancient Pompeii.”
But not only on the occasion of the Night of Museums will also be open to the public the other sites that are part of the Greater Pompeii, the site of Oplontis with the Villa of Poppea, the Villas San Marco and Arianna and the Archaeological Museum of Stabia Libero D’Orsi in Castellammare di Stabia.
In addition to Pompeii, the evening opening will also cover Herculaneum, which will be dressed in lights and colors for the occasion, reproducing a breathtaking landscape.
Pompeii by night, opening 2025
On the occasion of the Night of Museums 2025, the Pompeii excavations will be open to the public on May 17 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. with last admission at 10 p.m. at a cost of only 1 euro (reductions and free admission as per regulations).
The itineraries that can be visited will be two.Pompeii by night, opening 2025
Itinerary Villa of the Mysteries – Boscoreale
One that will make it possible to visit the Villa of the Mysteries and the Villa Regina in Boscoreale with the adjoining Antiquarium, where the ceremonial chariot is on display in the room dedicated to the suburban villa of Civita giuliana, which is still being excavated.
Two examples of suburban villas in the area, one located in Pompeii, an example of a large residential dwelling devoted to wine-making activities. The other placed in Boscoreale, a typical rustic villa and a real wine farm, in which a very important Antiquarium has been built, preserving most of the finds discovered during the excavations in Pompeii. To make the route more usable, the Villa of the Mysteries and Villa Regina will be connected by the Pompeii Artebus shuttle service, which will run from Piazza Esedra to the two villas and back.
To allow for the complete visit of the itinerary, the access hours to the Boscoreale site are from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. (last entry 10:30 p.m.).
The visit will last about 40 minutes for Villa of the Mysteries and about 1 hour for Boscoreale. Tickets can be purchased online at the official Ticketone website, or either by contactless credit/debit card at the Villa dei Misteri gate or cash at the Boscoreale ticket office.
Exhibition Itinerary – Pompeian Domus
The second route with entrance from Amphitheater Square, will allow visitors to visit the most important domus of Pompeii including: the Praedia of Julia Felix, the house of Venus in a shell and the house of Loreius Tiburtinus. But not only that there is also access to the exhibition set up at the Palestra grande “Being a Woman in Ancient Pompeii.”
The duration of the tour is about 1 hour and tickets can be purchased on the official ticketone website.
The evening opening will also cover the other sites connected to Pompeii, Villa Poppea in Oplontis, the Villas San Marco and Arianna and the Archaeological Museum of Stabia Libero D’Orsi in Castellammare di Stabia. Also at a cost of €1, from 8 to 11 p.m., with last admission at 10 p.m.
Evening Herculaneum, opening 2025.
But it does not end there, the evening opening on the occasion of the Night of Museums will also cover the archaeological park of Herculaneum.
As every year, the magic of lights and colors will be the star of the Herculaneum scenery.
For the occasion, the Park will be open in the evening hours from 20:00 to 23:00 , with last entrance at 22:00 from Corso Resina, 187 .
Visitors will have access to the Boat Pavilion, with evidence of Herculaneum’s strong link to seafaring activities. And the Antiquarium , recently enriched by a new section displaying the extraordinary selection of furniture, furnishings and wooden artifacts .
The ticket worth €1 can be purchased directly at the site’s ticket office, which will remain open until 10 pm.
During the visit, visitors will be able to not only admire the collections, but also learn more about them in the company of park officials and staff. Who will accompany the public to discover the archaeological materials that make Herculaneum unique throughout the world.
