circus maximus
circus maximus
THE ANCIENT RACETRACK
Circus Maximus Rome
“Circus Maximus” – what a name, how important, what potency… Rightly so! Because the Circus Maximus was the world’s largest stadium for chariot races at all. 600 meters long, 140 meters wide, space for 250,000 people!
My Rating:
The positives:
A hidden gem. The “Circo Maximo Experience” is not overcrowded by crowds. Through the virtual reality glasses, the past is brought to life and history is made tangible. There are 5 stars for that!
The negatives:
Without the paid section, Circus Massimus is a bit disappointing. The largest stadium in world history was once here - what can still be seen today: a meadow. In case of heavy rain, the Circo Maximo Experience is not possible.
Top Tip:
Take a tour with VR glasses and secure your ticket online. In midsummer, do not visit the Circus Maximus in the afternoon (up to 40 degrees) - there is hardly any shade!
Last Modified: 30.12.2025 | Céline & Susi
Circus Maximus
Tickets
The details
at a glance
Opening Hours
The meadow: open daily
Circus Maximus Experience:
1 October – 31 December
Tuesday – Friday: 10.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.
Opening Hours
The meadow: open daily
Circus Maximus Experience:
1 October – 31 December
Tuesday – Friday: 10.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.
Opening Hours
The meadow: open daily
Circus Maximus Experience:
October 1st – December 31st
Tuesday – Friday: 10.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday & holidays: 10.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
(every 15 min)
January 2nd – September 30th
Tuesday – Sunday, 9.30 a.m. – 7.00 p.m.
Holidays: January 1st, May 1st, December 25th
show less
VR-Brille
Virtual reality glasses:
EUR 12 for adults
EUR 10 for children/adolescents from 7 to 26 years, groups from 10 people
EUR 22 for family (two adults and one child under 18 years)
Free admission for children under 6 years old, people with disabilities
EUR 13 online price
Roma Pass
The Circus Maximus are on the list of museums and sights you can visit with the Roma Pass.
The Roma Pass is valid for 48 or 72 hours.
-> Find out more about the Roma Pass
Circus Maximus
Photo Gallery
WHAT IS THERE
TO SEE?
Just saying the name “Circus Maximus” (“The biggest Circus”) should make you feel the importance, the potency, of the world’s largest stadium for chariot racing. So when you imagine the great Circus Maximus of antiquity (the cheering, the noise, the atmosphere), then walk expectantly from the Colosseum to it, it can happen that the first impression is somewhat disappointing. For what has remained is grass. A 600-metre-long and 140-metre-wide meadow that lies somewhat desolate between two of Rome’s seven hills. At one end, there is a cypress tree that is supposed to remind us of an obelisk that once stood here as a turning point for the horse-drawn carriages.
This article would end here if it were not for the opportunity to visit a small part of the Circus Maximus excavations. This is chargeable, but it changes the first impression by 360 degrees and makes the visit a real experience. Antiquity is brought to life and made tangible. This was not possible in this form until a few months ago. Under the title “Circo Maximo Experience”, a 40 to 60-minute virtual reality tour takes place through the ancient splendour and wealth of Roman antiquity.
With the help of the latest technology, we are able to see where 250,000 visitors once watched the chariot races. Where today there are only scattered stones or remains of the walls of the corridors, young and old met back then to enjoy themselves. Yes, first and foremost to watch the racing of antiquity. But also to bet, to shop or to meet a possible love partner. In modern terms, the Circus Maximus was a racecourse, a shopping mall and a dating platform 😉
By the way: the tower on the Circus Maximus has nothing to do with antiquity. It is from the Middle Ages. From a time when the area was also used for agricultural purposes.
CIRCUS MAXIMUS
THE HISTORY
Even though today there is nothing more than a bare surface to be seen, the Circus Maximus was of enormous importance for politics and the economy and was decisive for considerable changes in Roman urban development in various epochs.
The history of the Circus Maximus, the racecourse for horse-drawn carriages, began in the time before Christ. Thus, in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, festivals were already celebrated in archaic times. Often also horse races.
During one of these festivities, the “Rape of the Sabine Women” had also taken place, shortly after the founding of the city of Rome. As a reminder, Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus (twin brother: Remus). The city had many men, but there was a lack of women. Romulus knew how to solve this problem cleverly: Women from neighbouring towns were kidnapped at a feast (painting by Nicolas Poussin: “Rape of the Sabine Women”, on display in the Louvre, Paris). The ensuing battles ended with a peace treaty forced by these women, and Rome became bigger and more powerful.
The popularity of chariot races in this area increased, so a stadium made of wood was built here in the 4th century BC. Although wood had the advantage that a stadium could be built easily and cheaply, it had the major disadvantage of being easily ignited. So the stadium had burnt several times and had to be rebuilt again and again.
It was Julius Caesar who, in about 50 BC, magnificently extended the arena with marble and brick. His adopted son Octavian (also known as the first Emperor Augustus) had placed an obelisk from Egypt on the centre line of the arena—the so-called “spina”. This in turn was moved to the Piazza del Popolo by Pope Sixtus the V in 1589.
But even a building material made of stone could not withstand the great fire in 64 AD under Emperor Nero. A burning oil lamp had fallen onto the floor covered with wood and straw in one of the shops inside the Circus Maximus. The fire would have spread so quickly that the great Circus Maximus would have been completely destroyed after two hours. Consequently, all of Rome burned for seven days.
About twenty years later, a triumphal arch was erected in honour of Emperor Titus, which was used as the entrance to the Circus Maximus. And it was not until 103 AD, under Emperor Trajan, that the final reconstruction work on the racecourse was completed: From then on, the stadium had room for 250,000 spectators. With standing room and an extra grandstand, the capacity could have been as high as 300,000.
In the 4th century, a second obelisk (also from Egypt) was placed at the other end of the Spina. Today this can be seen in the Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano.
The last chariot races in the Circus Maximus are said to have taken place in 549.
The Racetrack
AND SPINA
In the oval shape (which is still well recognisable today), two-wheeled carriages pulled by two to four animals raced. The racetrack had an area of 45,000 m2, divided in the middle with a dividing line (spina). The obelisks and two semi-circular raised platforms, equipped with bronze eggs and dolphin sculptures, which were used to count the number of laps, also stood on this central area.
The most popular chariot was the one pulled by four horses: a so-called quadriga. These were mainly made of wood with leather ornaments. Because of the light weight (not only of the chassis but also of the handlebars), the racing cars were up to 40 km/h fast. There were four different teams, all pursuing one goal: to occupy the inner lane faster than the others and to finish the seven laps first.
Official website of the Circus Maximus Experience (EN): www.circomaximoexperience.it
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2016 – 2026
With the support of Susanne Vukan
