Muse - Museo Delle Scienze

What Muse - Museo Delle Scienze does

MUSE – Museo delle Scienze di Trento is a public science museum headquartered in Trento, Italy, operating under the Autonomous Province of Trento. Originally established in 1922 as the Trento Natural History Museum (Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali), the institution was rebranded and relocated in July 2013 to Renzo Piano's LEED Gold-certified building in the Le Albere district. MUSE serves a diversified audience including families with children, school groups, individual tourists, science enthusiasts, and the research community. The museum operates a network of satellite sites across the Trentino region (Predazzo, Ledro, Monte Bondone) and one permanent international branch at the Udzungwa Mountains Ecological Monitoring Centre in Tanzania — a position MUSE has held since 2021 as Italy's only science museum with an overseas branch.

The core product is the museum experience itself: five exhibition floors spanning approximately 12,600 square metres, with 3,700 sqm dedicated to permanent exhibitions and 500 sqm to temporary shows covering Alpine nature, biodiversity, sustainability, and scientific innovation. Technology assets include the UranIA AI chatbot for visitor queries, immersive 3D audio installations (e.g., supraGuide SPHERIC headphones in the Food Sound exhibition), interactive multimedia exhibits, a tropical greenhouse, and a digital collection catalog with metadata released under CC BY NC SA. The building itself integrates geothermal probes, photovoltaic panels, trigeneration systems, smart curtaining, and rainwater harvesting. The institution also operates a research office, laboratories, and scientific journals, and runs citizen science projects and conferences such as EuBiReCo.

Revenue is generated through six primary streams: admission tickets (€11 full price, €9 reduced, €22 family), annual MyMUSE memberships at €25–€100 across multiple tiers, MUSE Café operations operated under concession by Compass Group Italia, MUSE Shop retail (in-museum and via the inTrentino e-commerce portal), corporate donations and sponsorships (ITAS Mutua, Lavazza Group, COREPLA, Conad, Loacker), and guided tours and educational services. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through Ticketlandia online ticketing, the museum box office, and the institutional website. As a public institution under the Autonomous Province of Trento, MUSE is not a private enterprise; it is not publicly traded, not PE/VC-backed, and is not investable via conventional channels, with provincial funding representing a material share of operating support.

Name

Muse - Museo Delle Scienze

Legal name

MUSE – Museo delle Scienze

Website

https://www.muse.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MUSE is a public science museum in Trento, Italy, housed since 2013 in Renzo Piano's LEED Gold-certified building. It serves families, schools, tourists, and researchers through interactive exhibitions, educational programs, satellite sites across Trentino, and a permanent branch in Tanzania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Museum / Cultural Institution

NAICS

Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC), Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Science museum exhibitions
• Natural history collections
• Educational museum programs
• Museum membership programs
• Science center experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Trento

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Revenue from sale of museum entrance tickets at full price (€11), reduced price (€9), and family tickets (€22 for 2 adults + children). Additional revenue from special exhibition surcharges (e.g., €5 for Food Sound). Ticket sales are the primary revenue stream.
2. MyMUSE Membership Programs: Annual membership cards sold at the museum or online: Family & Friends (€55), Young & Free (€25), Science Addicted (€40), Donor (€100). Provides unlimited admission for one year and leisure benefits.
3. MUSE Café and MUSE Shop: On-site food and beverage service managed by Compass Group Italia (MUSE Café), and retail operations for science-themed books, games, design objects, and local crafts. Shop available both in-museum and online via inTrentino portal.
4. Donations and Support: Voluntary financial contributions from donors and supporters, with Art Bonus tax benefits available for donors. Sponsorships from corporate partners such as ITAS Mutua, Lavazza Group, COREPLA, Conad, and others.
5. Guided Tours and Educational Services: Revenue from guided tours in multiple languages (Italian, English, German) for groups of 10 or more, and educational activities for schools including workshops and self-guided visits. Booked via phone or email.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

MUSE - Museo delle Scienze di Trento operates a public science museum with five exhibition floors in Renzo Piano's LEED Gold-certified eco-sustainable building in Trento, complemented by a network of territorial satellite museums and a permanent international branch in Tanzania. The museum sells admission tickets, annual memberships (MyMUSE), guided tours, school programs, food and beverage services (MUSE Café), retail merchandise (MUSE Shop), underground parking, and rotating temporary exhibitions such as Food Sound. The institution also maintains a scientific library (Gino Tomasi), a digital collection catalog, citizen science projects, and an AI chatbot (UranIA) for visitor engagement.

Product overview

MUSE - Museo delle Scienze di Trento is a science museum operating as a single integrated institution with multiple interconnected offerings. The core experience is the main museum building (designed by Renzo Piano, LEED Gold certified) featuring five exhibition floors covering Alpine nature, biodiversity, and sustainability. Adjacent services include MUSE Café (restaurant with eco-certification), MUSE Shop (retail), and the MUSE Library (research support). The MyMUSE membership program provides tiered annual access (Family & Friends, Young & Free, Science Addicted, Donor). The institution also operates a network of satellite museums across Trentino and maintains international presence in Tanzania. Technology-enabled offerings include UranIA (AI chatbot for visitor inquiries), digital collection catalogs, and online ticketing. Temporary exhibitions like Food Sound and Tech IT Easy! complement the permanent exhibitions, while educational programs, guided tours, and Citizen Science projects engage diverse audiences including families, schools, and science enthusiasts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MUSE Café: Museum café operated by Compass Group Italia with eco-friendly products and Ecolabel certification.
• MUSE Shop
• Maxi Ooh!
• UranIA
• MyMUSE Membership

Products and services

• MUSE Museum Admission Tickets Paid admission tickets to the main MUSE science museum in Trento, with five exhibition floors dedicated to Alpine nature, biodiversity, innovation, and sustainability. Full price \u20ac11, reduced \u20ac9, family ticket \u20ac22 (2 adults + children under 18). Sold online via Ticketlandia and at the museum box office. Free admission for children under 14 (with one accompanying adult), disabled visitors with badge, and MyMUSE Family & Friends cardholders.
• MyMUSE Annual Membership Annual membership cards providing unlimited admission and leisure benefits. Tiers include Family & Friends (\u20ac55/year, up to 3 adults + 5 minors), Young & Free (\u20ac25/year, under 35), Science Addicted (\u20ac40/year, up to 2 persons), Teachers & Educators, and Donor (\u20ac100/year, up to 2 persons, includes Art Bonus eligibility, priority event invitations, and 10% MUSE Café and Shop discount).
• MUSE Café On-site restaurant offering environmentally friendly products with low food miles, operated by Compass Group Italia under concession. Holds the Ecolabel Ecoristorazione Trentino certification and serves a healthy menu including options for children. Open to museum visitors and external guests during museum hours.
• MUSE Shop Retail store selling science-themed books, games, design objects, and local crafts with a focus on sustainability. Operates both in-museum and online through the inTrentino e-commerce portal (Federazione Trentina della Cooperazione marketplace).
• Guided Tours and Educational Services Professional guided visits in Italian, English, and German for groups of 10 or more, including themed tours of exhibition halls and temporary exhibitions. Educational activities for schools including workshops and self-guided visits. Booked via phone (+39 0461 270391) and email ([email protected]). LIS interpreter visits available via phone booking.
• Maxi Ooh! Children's Discovery Area Discovery and adventure space for children aged 0-5 featuring immersive forest experiences and exploration of seasonal changes. Priced at \u20ac4 for 1 child (0-5) with 1 adult (\u20ac2 concessions/Euregio Family Pass), and \u20ac6 for 2 children (0-5) with 1 adult (\u20ac3 concessions). Combined MUSE + Maxi Ooh! ticket available. Free with MyMUSE Family & Friends card.
• Food Sound Temporary Exhibition Temporary exhibition titled 'Food Sound - Il suono nascosto del cibo' exploring the hidden connection between sound and food perception, featuring 3D audio via supraGuide SPHERIC headphones and interactive neuroscience-based installations. Requires a \u20ac5 surcharge beyond museum entrance ticket (\u20ac3 for under 18, affiliated institutions, and MyMUSE members; free for MyMUSE Donor members). Age 8+.
• Underground Car Parking On-site underground car parking at the museum building. Priced at \u20ac2 per hour with electronic payment only (no cash accepted). Free for disabled visitors with badge. Pink spaces reserved for pregnant women and families with children under 2 (free).
• MUSE Library (Gino Tomasi) Scientific library named after museum director Gino Tomasi (director 1965-1992), with systematic holdings since 1924, part of the Trentino Library System. Offers research support and public access to scientific collections, with library contacts ([email protected], [email protected]).
• Satellite Museums Network Network of territorial sites including Museo Geologico delle Dolomiti di Predazzo, Museo delle Palafitte del Lago di Ledro, Giardino Botanico Alpino Viote del Monte Bondone, Terrazza delle Stelle, Palazzo delle Albere, Riparo Dalmeri, and the Centro di Monitoraggio Ecologico ed Educazione Ambientale dei Monti Udzungwa in Tanzania. Available via combined and dedicated ticketing.
• Birthday Party Services Celebration packages for children's birthdays at the museum, featuring themed activities. Includes a special birthday offer: children under 14 plus one accompanying person receive free admission.
• Digital Collections Catalog Online catalog of the museum's scientific and naturalistic collections, available for research and public access. Collection images are released under CC BY SA license, descriptive text under CC0, and catalog metadata under CC BY NC SA license. 70 collection images available on Wikimedia Commons under the 'Tutti i musei su Wikipedia' initiative.

Quantifiable outcome

• MUSE attracted more than 30,000 visitors during its 24-hour opening event on 27 July 2013.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Compass Group ItaliacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCompass Group Italia won a competitive tender to operate the MUSE Café. The café serves environmentally friendly products with Ecolabel Ecoristorazione Trentino certification, offering healthy food for visitors including children.
• Lavazza GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLavazza Group serves as a Main Sponsor and Sustainability Partner for the Food Sound exhibition. The Lavazza Foundation also supports cooperation and sustainability projects featured at MUSE Café.
• ITAS MutuaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerITAS Mutua is a Main Sponsor of the Food Sound exhibition, supporting the museum's temporary exhibition program.
• COREPLAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCOREPLA (Consorzio Nazionale per la Raccolta, il Riciclo e il Recupero degli Imballaggi su Plastica) is a Main Sponsor of the Food Sound exhibition, supporting the museum's exhibition program.
• Wikimedia ItaliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWikimedia Italia co-founded the 'Tutti i musei su Wikipedia / Empowering Italian GLAMs' initiative (2022), in collaboration with ICOM Italia and Creative Commons Italia. MUSE participates by sharing collections images on Wikimedia Commons.
• CIMeC - Università degli Studi di TrentocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIMeC (Centro di Scienze Cognitive e del Linguaggio) at the University of Trento is part of the Scientific Committee for the Food Sound exhibition, providing neuroscience research expertise on sound-food perception.
• Politecnico di TorinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolitecnico di Torino is part of the Scientific Committee for the Food Sound exhibition and contributed to multimedia production, exhibition layout, and acoustic design. Louena Shtrepi serves on the scientific committee.
• Università di Scienze Gastronomiche di PollenzocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo is part of the Scientific Committee for the Food Sound exhibition and supports multimedia productions, contributing expertise in food science and gastronomy.
• Autonomous Province of Trento (PAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Autonomous Province of Trento provides patronage for the Food Sound exhibition and is the founding/overseeing body of MUSE, which operates within the provincial administration.
• Distretto Tecnologico TrentinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistretto Tecnologico Trentino collaborated with MUSE on LEED certification procedures for the museum building, supporting the sustainability and environmental performance assessment.
• Creative CommonsminorOthersCreative Commons Italy supports MUSE's Open Access Policy. MUSE releases 70 collection images under CC BY SA license, descriptive text under CC0, and catalog metadata under CC BY NC SA.
• Cooperativa Taxi di TrentominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecial agreement with MUSE providing 10% discount on taxi fares from Trento Railway Station to MUSE (minimum €6.20), enhancing visitor accessibility.
• BauAdvisorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBauAdvisor provides dog sitting and dog walking services for MUSE visitors, allowing pet owners to visit the museum while their animals are cared for.
• ConadminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConad is a Special Sponsor of the Food Sound exhibition, supporting the museum's exhibition programming.
• LoackerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLoacker is a Special Sponsor of the Food Sound exhibition, supporting the museum's exhibition programming.
• AgririvaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgririva is a Special Sponsor of the Food Sound exhibition, supporting the museum's exhibition programming.
• DAO (Distretto Agroorganico)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDAO is a Special Sponsor of the Food Sound exhibition, supporting the museum's exhibition programming.
• Levico AcqueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLevico Acque is an Official Partner of the MUSE Café, providing beverages for the café operated by Compass Group.
• EndrizziminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEndrizzi is an Official Partner of the MUSE Café, providing wine products for the café operated by Compass Group.
• RicolaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRicola is an Official Partner of the MUSE Café, providing herbal products for the café operated by Compass Group.
• Igo DistributionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIgo Distribution is an Official Partner of the MUSE Café, supporting the café operated by Compass Group.
• Adarte BanquetingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdarte Banqueting is an Experience Partner for the Food Sound exhibition, supporting event experiences.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Science Museum (London): Major UK science museum in London, part of the same group as the Natural History Museum. Comparable to MUSE as a science-focused museum offering permanent galleries, special exhibitions, and a strong educational offering for schools and families, with a hybrid research-and-public-engagement identity.
• Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano: Long-established Italian natural history museum in Milan dating to the 19th century. Comparable as an Italian natural-history-focused museum offering collections, exhibitions, and educational programs to general public audiences; both institutions address science communication in the Italian museum sector.
• Deutsches Museum: One of the world's oldest and largest science and technology museums, based in Munich. Comparable as a major European science museum combining permanent collections, interactive exhibits, research activities, special exhibitions, and educational programs. Both institutions operate as publicly supported cultural venues with extensive satellite activities.
• Natural History Museum (London): World-leading natural history museum operating as both a public visitor attraction and a major research institution. Comparable to MUSE in combining natural history collections (dating to the 19th century), scientific research, temporary exhibitions, and public education in a publicly supported governance structure.
• Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie: France's flagship science centre in Paris and the largest in Europe. Comparable as a publicly funded science museum combining interactive exhibits, themed exhibitions, a children's area (Cité des Enfants), research programming, and a digital catalogue. Both institutions share a hybrid museum/science-centre identity targeting broad public audiences.
• Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci: Italy's largest science and technology museum, located in Milan. Directly comparable as a national-scale Italian science museum offering interactive exhibits, temporary exhibitions, educational programming, and a comparable mix of ticketing, café, and shop revenue. Both institutions target families, schools, and science enthusiasts in Italy.
• Exploratorium: San Francisco-based interactive science museum founded on hands-on learning. Comparable to MUSE in its science-centre heritage with strong emphasis on interactive exhibits, maker culture, educational programming, and integration with research institutions. Both combine museum and active science-engagement programming.

Broad incumbents

• American Museum of Natural History: World-class natural history museum in New York with research, education, and exhibition programming. Comparable to MUSE as a natural-history-rooted institution combining collections, research, exhibitions, and education, though much larger in scale and global reach.

Regional players

• Museo Galileo: Italian science museum in Florence focused on the history of science and scientific instruments. Comparable to MUSE as a specialized Italian science museum, though with a narrower historical-instruments focus versus MUSE's broader natural-history-and-science scope. Operates in a different Italian region (Tuscany vs. Trentino).

Emerging players

• Museon: Dutch science and culture museum in The Hague focused on science, technology, and sustainability themes. Comparable to MUSE as a mid-sized European science museum combining natural history themes, sustainability programming, and family/educational audiences, though smaller in scale than major incumbents.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/muse_trento
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MUSETrento
• Facebookfacebook.com/musetrento
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/muse---museo-delle-scienze
• Instagraminstagram.com/museomuse

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Muse - Museo Delle Scienze