Milan's La Scala Theater is one of the most famous opera houses in the world. But is a tour worth your precious time and money during your vacation in Milan? In my opinion, probably not.
Why is Milan's Teatro alla Scala so famous?
La Scala opened in 1778 and boasts famous alumni such as conductor Arturo Toscanini and composers Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini. It continues to operate and houses world-renowned ballet and opera companies.
How can you see inside the Teatro alla Scala?
You can't enter the building as a tourist unless you are part of a tour. The tour lasts one hour and costs around $40 USD. There are a lot of companies allowed to give tours, and while I recommend booking a couple days in advance, you could probably find one same day if you're flexible.
What can you see on a tour of La Scala Theater?
I was excited to tour the theater. It's not too exciting to look at from the outside, but I knew the inside would be beautiful. On our tour, we first went to upstairs entrance to the boxes. We didn't get to see the main lobby, which was disappointing, but the upstairs area was nice and had a lot of busts of famous conductors and composers.
Then we got to walk into some of the historic boxes and peek out to see the stage. This was unfortunately our only view of the venue! The ceiling, chandelier, and decorations were all so beautiful, and I really hoped we'd get to see from the floor seats, but alas.
Finally, most of the tour was dedicated to the museum, which had some interesting artifacts - costumes, props, musical instruments - but just lasted way too long.
When to tour La Scala Theater:
In conclusion, in my opinion, the tour is probably only worth it for people who are huge opera fans or have a lot of extra time in Milan. But if that's the case, maybe plan to go see a show there instead?
When to skip a tour of La Scala Theater:
If you only have a couple of days to see Milan, I would not recommend spending an hour here when you could be out sightseeing.
Besides, if you only have time for one tour, it should absolutely be a tour of the roof of the Milan Cathedral. While I enjoyed seeing the building, the tour was too long, and again, I was disappointed we didn't get to go down to the floor seating or the stage or anything backstage.