Pompeii Antiquarium closes fully from 23 November

Pompeii and the Antiquarium closure are the latest visitor changes at the ancient site in Pompeii, Italy. The Archaeological Park of Pompeii announced on 3 November 2026 that the museum’s exhibition spaces would close in two stages while they are renovated and refurbished.

Pompeii Antiquarium closes fully from 23 November

From 4 to 22 November 2026, three exhibition rooms are closed to visitors: Living in Luxury, A fundamentis reficere and The Last Day. The remainder of the exhibition route remains open during this first phase, according to the Park’s closure notice.

The second phase runs from 23 November to 7 December 2026. During that period, the entire Antiquarium is closed while the works are completed. The only stated exception is the upper floor of the bookshop, so that access should not be understood as access to the museum displays.

The announcement concerns the Antiquarium rather than the whole archaeological park. Streets, houses, baths, theatres and other outdoor areas are therefore separate from the museum closure. The lift remains in operation throughout the works and is available to visitors with reduced mobility.

How the museum fits into Pompeii’s ancient city

The Antiquarium is an indoor museum within the archaeological park, while the excavated city extends across a much larger open-air landscape. That distinction matters from 23 November 2026, when a visitor planning around museum displays will need to use the remaining archaeological areas instead.

UNESCO describes Pompeii as a commercial Roman town with an excavated area of 44 hectares. Its forum, public buildings, baths, two theatres and amphitheatre sit within the World Heritage property known as the Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata.

The site was buried when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79 and has been progressively excavated and opened to the public since the mid-eighteenth century. The UNESCO World Heritage record says the property was inscribed in 1997.

The current refurbishment gives the indoor museum a different timetable from the streets and buildings around it. In practical terms, the closure changes the interpretation spaces available during a visit, not the existence of the ancient urban fabric that surrounds them.

Visiting Pompeii: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Antiquarium is partly closed from 4 to 22 November 2026 and fully closed from 23 November to 7 December 2026. The full closure affects the museum inside the archaeological park.
• The upper floor of the bookshop remains open during the full closure, and the lift remains available to visitors with reduced mobility. The three named exhibition rooms are unavailable during the first phase.
• Pompeii is in Campania, Italy, near Naples. The wider archaeological area is part of the UNESCO property inscribed in 1997.
• The excavated area covers 44 hectares and includes paved ancient streets, public buildings, baths, theatres and an amphitheatre. Visitors planning an outdoor route should not assume that the Antiquarium displays are included during the full closure.
• Italian is the official language and the national currency is the euro.

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Frequently asked questions about Pompeii

What has changed at Pompeii?

The Antiquarium is undergoing refurbishment in two stages. Three rooms are closed from 4 to 22 November 2026, followed by a full museum closure from 23 November to 7 December 2026.

Where is Pompeii and how do you get there?

Pompeii is in Campania, Italy, near Naples. The archaeological park forms part of the Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata.

What is Pompeii?

Pompeii is an ancient Roman city buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. Its excavated remains cover 44 hectares and form part of a UNESCO World Heritage property inscribed in 1997.