Playing on History: Kids Imagine Rome As It Was

In Rome, kids play on sites made by emperors, artists, and kings. Here are a few tips for playing with your children as you visit the following awe-inspiring sites that are just perfect for recreating history as it was:

Michelangelo’s kid challenge sits atop one of Rome’s top sights. How many can say they’ve climbed inside a Michelangelo masterpiece? After passing the basilica security check, delight kids by cutting to the right courtyard, rather than entering the church. At the cupola ticket booth, choose the elevator to the loggia roof—taking you over half way up. There you can walk around the dome’s interior to view its enormous sparkling mosaics up close, marvel at their scale, and watch all the tiny people wandering the basilica far below. Outside, search for the rooftop saints, grab a drink at the snack bar then hit the stairs. 320 steps wind round the cupola, growing more narrow and slanted as they reach the top (windows provide fresh air and sunlight along the way).  Just when you feel like Alice in Wonderland, too big for the space, you’ll emerge victorious on a refreshing perch above all Rome. No building is higher. Photo ops abound, but spying into the Pope’s gardens is fun, too. The wide exit stairs are a snap, and leave you inside the basilica to enjoy the masterpiece-clad interior.

Cupola open 8am-dusk. Tickets: €7 w/elevator, €5 without (551 steps). Vatican dress code applies.

Emperor Hadrian began building his castle-like mausoleum in 135AD. He also built the Pantheon. Centuries later, the tomb was repurposed as a fortress, a papal residence, and even a prison. Kids love scrambling up its ramps and ramparts in search of antique cannon balls, hot oil dispensing trap doors, lookouts, hidden terraces, and frescoed papal apartments-including Pope Clement VII’s impossibly small bathroom.  Keep going, up to the tip-top roof terrace to discover treasured panoramic views and that bronze statue of the Archangel Michael you see from the streets. There’s even a tiny military museum. Refuel at the snack bar, on the charming loggia of Julius II (by Bramante), where you can also enjoy a view of St. Peter’s and the long battlement wall, a secret passageway connecting the castle to the Vatican. The sunken park surrounding the castle offers a crowd-free break with shady trees, grassy lawns, and playground equipment.
Castle open 9am-7:30pm. Closed Mondays; free first Sunday of every month (expect more crowds). Tickets 10.50; EU citizens ages 18-25 7; EU citizens ages 17 and under, free. Castle park is free.

Floating Above Ancient Rome

The colossal, white marble Victor Emmanuel II monument (Vittoriano) to Italy’s first King (1861-1878) and its cool glass elevator to the uppermost Terrace of the Quadrigae (chariots pulled by four horses) provide a fun, active way to tour with outstanding 360° views over Piazza Venezia, the forums, Trajan’s Markets, the Colosseum and beyond. On the top, kids can use free observation viewers to hunt for Rome’s many sights, but getting there is half the fun.

Before ascending, search for the massive allegorical fountains on either side. These reclining giants represent the seas bordering Italy – the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian (left and right). Clamber up the stairs to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where kids can spy two honor guards, an eternal flame, and the towering goddess Roma, with her sparking background of gold tesserae.  Next up is the enormous equestrian statue of King Victor Emanuel. It weighs about 50 tons and 21 workers once had dinner in its belly! Roma was first paired with an equestrian statue (Emperor Marcus Aurelius) on adjoining Capitoline Hill.  This mirroring connected the new unified Italy with it’s ancient past.

Take the right staircase to access the back of the monument, and let kids discover the Willy Wonka-like glass elevators that float you up to the top, where the narrow terrace continues that floating feeling.  Close-up views of the bronze chariots and triumphant winged Victories coupled with panoramic views over Rome make for a pretty exciting finish. Take a break at Caffè Aracoeli (where you first entered the elevators). It has its own terrace with great views.

Monument and its small Risorgimento Museum are located at Piazza Venezia. Open 9:30am-dusk, free. Panoramic Glass elevator is open until 6:30pm weekdays, 7:30pm weekends. Tickets €7; ages 17 and under, €3.50; ages 9 and under, free.

By J.M. Pasquesi, author of Rome with Kids: An Insider’s Guide, our favorite family guide book for exploring the sights in Rome.

For more Rome options see:

Rome Dining
Rome Parks and Playground
Rome Shopping
Rome Hotels and Holiday Apartments