Museums open for free on Sunday but must be booked by Friday 1 October or at tourist info points on the day.

Rome's city-run museums will open for free to all visitors - residents and tourists - on Sunday 3 October.

In addition to visiting the civic museums there will be free access to the archaeological area of the Circus Maximus (09.30-19.00, last entry 17.50), as well as the archaeological area of the Imperial Fora (entrance from Trajan's Column 08.30-18.30, last entry 17.30) and the pedestrian path around the archaeological area of the Theatre of Marcellus (09.00-19.00).

To participate in the free visits, reservations are required by calling tel. 060608 (by Friday 1 October) or at the tourist information points (even on the same day).

The following museums are open for free on Sunday 3 October:

Capitoline Museums, Trajan's Markets - Museum of the Imperial Fora, Ara Pacis, Centrale Montemartini, Museo di Roma (Palazzo Braschi), Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Gallery of Modern Art (Via Crispi), Museums of Villa Torlonia, Museum of Zoology, Giovanni Barracco Museum of Ancient Sculpture, Carlo Bilotti Museum in Villa Borghese, Napoleonic Museum, Pietro Canonica Museum in Villa Borghese, Museo della Repubblica Romana e della memoria garibaldina, Museo di Casal de' Pazzi, Museo delle Mura and Villa di Massenzio.

For full details see Musei in Comune website. Photo credit: Altrendo Images / Shutterstock.com.