National Museum of Cinema

Why go

The museum uses the Mole's soaring interior rather than a conventional sequence of rooms. Magic lanterns, projections, sets and film objects connect the origins of moving images with cinema's later craft. Visit for those exhibits; add the panoramic lift only if you also want the terrace view.

What to look for

• A spiral exhibition rises through the Mole's central space.
• Early optical devices, including magic lanterns, show cinema's precursors.
• Sets, projections and film material connect technology with storytelling.

The full story

The National Museum of Cinema grew from the collecting work of Maria Adriana Prolo and now occupies the Mole Antonelliana, a building first conceived for a very different use. This pairing gives the exhibitions an unusually dramatic setting. The displays rise through the great central space and move from pre-cinema devices, such as magic lanterns, toward the many crafts of filmmaking. The visitor can see moving images as a succession of inventions and choices, rather than only a sequence of famous films. Sets, projections and objects use the Mole's height to make that progression visible. The panoramic lift belongs to the same building but serves another purpose: it climbs to a terrace over Turin. Knowing the distinction helps with planning. The museum is the main visit for film history and visual storytelling; the lift adds an architectural journey and city view.

Useful to know

• Allow a proper museum visit; the spiral display rewards more than a quick look inside the Mole.
• Choose the museum and panoramic lift together only if the terrace view is part of your plan.
• Check the museum's current visiting information before setting your day around it.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.