M9 Museo Mestre: An interactive and engaging exhibition on the history of 20th-century Italy

M9 Museo Mestre

If you are planning a trip to Mestre, don’t miss M9 Museo Mestre. This museum offers much more than just a glimpse into the past. Using the latest digital technologies, immersive projections, and elegant design, it draws you into the fascinating world of the 20th century – the century that shaped today’s Italy.

Whether you’re travelling with family, friends, or alone, you’ll experience a connection of technology, emotions, and history in a unique space.

Architecture, Urbanism, and Environment

The entire M9 complex is part of an ambitious urban regeneration project in the centre of Mestre. The museum was opened on December 1, 2018 and was designed by the renowned German studio Sauerbruch Hutton, known for its sustainable architecture.

The main building combines solid and glass surfaces, its facades covered with over 20,000 ceramic tiles in colours that match the surrounding city. Besides the museum, you will find a café, a media library, a shop, public spaces, and the educational space M-Children, designed for schools and families.

Interactive Exhibitions and Technology

The permanent exhibition, referred to as the “black box“, spans two floors and covers eight main themes of the 20th century – from work, technology, and demographics to culture and politics. The exhibition combines historical photographs, projections, 3D reconstructions, touch panels, games, and VR experiences.

For example, the so-called spacetime elevator allows you to “hover” over the lagoon, the Po Delta, and Mestre in different periods. In other sections, you will find virtual periscopes, interactive games, a space for landscape transformation, or topics of nature conservation and urban development.

VR Auditorium and Digital Interface

The ground floor includes a modern 4K auditorium equipped with up to 200 Oculus VR headsets. This facility is used for special programs, film screenings, and cultural events, not for regular exhibition.

The entire experience is based on natural interaction – some parts of the exhibition can be controlled by voice or gestures, enhancing the connection between the visitor and the content.

M9 Museo Mestre Foundations

M9 is not just a museum, but part of a cultural ecosystem:

• Fondazione di Venezia – formerly a banking foundation, now a key entity in the field of culture, education, and science in the Venice region.
• Fondazione M9 – the museum operator according to ICOM – UNESCO standards, focusing on preserving and interpreting the material and immaterial heritage of the 20th century. The scientific director is Luca Molinari.

The entire complex is managed by M9 District, inspired by international urban models like HafenCity in Hamburg.

Extraordinary Exhibition – Technology, Stories, and Emotions

The exhibition at M9 is typical of the Italian approach – sensitive, beautiful, and profound. It’s not about being overwhelmed with technology, but about a balanced connection of form and content. Each part of the exhibition is well thought out, offering accurate historical data, visual comparisons of past and present, and presenting them in a way that is understandable yet deeply impactful.

Children, tourists, and demanding visitors will all find “their” 20th century here, presented in a modern, comprehensible, and very aesthetic way.

Practical Information for Visitors of M9 Museo Mestre

• Barrier-free access, elevators, rest areas
• Café, shop, media library on the ground floor
• Multilingual information available in Italian and English
• Opening hours: usually from Tuesday to Sunday, current information at m9museum.it

M9 Museo Mestre Accessibility

The museum is located in the centre of Mestre and is easily accessible by public transport or car.

Public transport:

• From Jesolo: direct ATVO buses, about 1 hour
• From Caorle: buses via San Donà di Piave, about 2 hours
• From Venice: tram T1 or train to Mestre
• From Treviso: train every 30 minutes, about 30 30-minute ride

By car:

• From Jesolo: 37 km, about 40 minutes
• From Caorle: 65 km, about 1 hour
• From Venice (mainland): about 15 minutes
• From Treviso: 30 km, about 35–40 minutes

🧭 Detailed information on connections, parking, and timetables can be found at Veneto-Info.com

Other Modern Museums Nearby

M9 is not the only place where technology brings the past to life. Also worth visiting is the Museo Nazionale dell’Ebraismo Italiano e della Shoah (MEIS) in Ferrara, which uses interactive elements to tell Jewish history. Ferrara is only about 1 hour and 15 minutes by car (110 km).

Also, MUSE – Museum of Science in Trento is one of the most modern science museums in Europe, focusing on ecology, climate, and technology. From Mestre, it is approximately 150 km, less than 2 hours by car or train.

The closest is JMUSE M3 in Jesolo, which opened in 2024. It offers digital storytelling, large-format projections, and thematic circuits accessible even for children. Jesolo is just 40 minutes from Mestre, making it an ideal excursion destination for technology and sea lovers.