Uffizi now offers evening aperitivo and evening museum visit!

The Uffizi Gallery has finally woken up to what international museums have been doing for ages: an aperitivo in the museum, with extended evening hours. (I wrote about this phenomenon in 2010 for Illywords.)

Thursdays from April 26 through the end of June, from 7-9:30pm, you can enter the Uffizi for an aperitivo buffet and drink on the upper terrace, and also a visit to the new ‘blue rooms’ – the first section of the Nuovi Uffizi to open to the public, that houses international artists. Booking in advance is required to Firenze Musei and the cost is 10 euros per person.

Despite their late entry into this scene, the Uffizi does well to offer this opportunity as it might attract locals who seldom return to the museum, dissuaded by the long lines of tourists. It encourages visitors to see the new section, without having to slog through the older parts that they have already seen. It also turns the museum into a more social space, which is a proven way to enhance the museum experience.

If you like my fevered musings about museum marketing, I have a blog for that, too.