The vast grounds of the ancient sports ground are reminiscent of the Roman Empire from a sporting perspective.

The Circo Massimo, or Circus Maximus, was the largest sports complex in the world at the time, with competitions in many disciplines reminiscent of the Olympic Games. The stands could accommodate over 150,000 spectators, which is a lot even today.

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Admission fees and opening hours: is the ticket worth it?

Circo Massimo is divided into two parts:

• a smaller paid museum for 12 eur
• a huge area of the former sports ground, now a park, accessible 24/7 for free

The museum is open from 9am to 6pm and the official website can be found here: circomaximoexperience.it.

In my opinion, it's not really worth buying a ticket for the paid part. The museum is really small and you can see most of the excavations from the non-paid part.

Personally, I just walked through the Circus Maximus and spent even more time in the monumental Caracalla Baths.

Where else in Rome are there free places to visit? I share my experiences in the article Rome for free: my tried and tested tips.

History of the Circo Massimo

In the valley where the Circus Maximus is located, sporting competitions were held as early as the time of the Etruscan kings in the 5th century BC. However, it was not until the time of ancient Rome that this sporting venue experienced its greatest boom, gradually growing in size and importance from 196 BC onwards.

The most important sporting events were the chariot races, where up to 12 different competitors circled around 7 times. But the Circus was also filled with water, with reenactments of various naval battles.

In general, the Circus Maximus was suitable for any sporting or cultural event with a large number of spectators.

With dimensions of 621 x 118 metres, the Circus Maximus was the largest ancient sports venue.

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