Halloween at Explora - Halloween Magic

A museum that dresses up for Halloween

In the heart of the Flaminio district in Rome, Explora - The Children's Museum of Rome has long been a landmark for families with young children. Every autumn, for Halloween, its spaces change their look: the permanent exhibits are populated by bats, pumpkins, spiderwebs, and ghosts, and the tour becomes a small hunt for hidden details. This is the event known as Halloween Magic, which traditionally takes place between October 31st and the first few days of November.

Workshops divided by age

The distinctive feature of Explora is that the spectacle is never an end in itself: behind every pumpkin, there is a principle to understand. The Halloween workshops are organized by age group, ensuring each child finds an activity tailored to their manual and cognitive skills.

• 3-5 years — manipulative and creative activities using simple materials, colors, and shapes to assemble; the goal is sensory discovery rather than the final result.
• 6-11 years — construction and experimentation workshops, where children assemble mechanisms, observe physical phenomena, and take home a small artifact made with their own hands.

In past editions, themes have revolved around potions and decorated paper, mechanical monsters, the power of air, magnetism, and even holograms: always disguised as magic, always linked to a real phenomenon to observe.

How the visit works

Explora welcomes the public in one-hour and forty-five-minute time slots, with entries at 10:00, 12:00, 15:00, and 17:00, from Tuesday to Sunday. During the Halloween period, slots fill up quickly: booking online or by phone is highly recommended and effectively necessary on holidays and weekends. The themed workshops are included in the admission ticket, but have limited capacity and must be booked at the museum at the start of your time slot.

Halloween in Rome, child-sized version

In the Municipality of Rome, the capital of the Lazio Region, the Halloween offerings are vast, but almost always designed for teenagers and adults: haunted houses, costume parties, mystery tours. Explora occupies a different and precious niche, that of preschool and primary school children, for whom the tone is never true fear but the funny, lighthearted amusement of dressing up. This is why many Roman families return every year during these same days.

The context: Flaminio and Villa Borghese

The museum is located on Via Flaminia, a stone's throw from Piazza del Popolo and the Flaminio metro station. The location makes it easy to plan a full day: the Casina di Raffaello and the Lake Garden at Villa Borghese, the MAXXI, and the Auditorium Parco della Musica are all reachable on foot or by a few tram stops. For those arriving from out of town, it is one of the most accessible children's museums to include in a Roman autumn weekend.

Useful tips

• Costumes are welcome: many children arrive already dressed up, and this is part of the atmosphere.
• The slot lasts just under two hours: it is best to arrive a few minutes early so you don't miss the workshop registration.
• The museum has a refreshment area and an internal parking lot at Via Flaminia 86, convenient if you arrive by car.
• Thursday is traditionally the day with a reduced rate, useful if you can coordinate your visit with a weekday.