Florence serves up a double bill of world-class museums: the Accademia Gallery skirts the far edge of the old town, while the Uffizi Galleries sit along the Arno River. Both are must-sees for any art lover visiting the city, but the Accademia is also a popular attraction for tourists who want to check Michelangelo’s iconic David statue off their bucket list. Purchase tickets in advance for this popular Florence art gallery, or join a walking tour of the city that includes admission.

No art lover’s visit to Florence is complete without a deep dive into the massive Uffizi Galleries, one of the premier museums in Florence. Botticelli’s Birth of Venus is displayed here, as well as Leonardo’s Annuciation, Michelangelo’s Holy Family, and dozens of other pivotal works. The collection spans from ancient sculpture to 20th-century painting, but most visitors make a beeline to the rooms where the headlining Renaissance art in Florence is clustered.

Just opposite Palazzo Vecchio in the central Piazza della Signoria, the Renaissance Loggia dei Lanzi is an open-air exhibition space that does not require tickets to enter. Its towering vaulted roof protects a clutch of magnificent classical and Mannerist sculptures, including Benvenuto Cellini’s 16th-century bronze sculpture of Perseus with the severed head of Medusa and Giambologna’s massive Rape of the Sabines.

Michelangelo’s David may steal the limelight, but the city is home to dozens of priceless Renaissance sculptures displayed in the Bargello Museum, one of the top art galleries in Florence. Set inside the fortress-like Palazzo del Podestà—Florence’s oldest public building—this collection includes works by Michelangelo, Donatello, and Della Robbia. Spot the oldest known portrait of Dante in the chapel and admire the bronzes submitted by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi for the city’s baptistery doors.

One of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in the city, Palazzo Strozzi has long been a cultural institution in Florence, hosting blockbuster shows of global contemporary artists throughout the year. Many of the most popular Florence art exhibitions are held here; tickets often sell out months in advance. However, you can pop into the on-site ticket office in the city to check for last-minute availability. In addition to exhibitions, the venue hosts concerts in the central courtyard.

Part of the Florence Duomo complex, the Opera del Duomo Museum focuses on the art and architecture of the city’s cathedral. The headliner here are Lorenzo Ghiberti’s original baptistery doors, but the soaring reconstructed facade showcasing dozens of original statues that once adorned this masterpiece of Florence public art is a dramatic showstopper, as well. Explore with a guided tour to learn more about masterpieces like Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene and Michelangelo’s Deposition.

Take a break from the crowds in Florence’s most famous museums with a stop in the quiet Museo Opificio delle Pietre Dure (or Museum Workshop of Semi-Precious Stones), hidden in plain sight just steps from the Duomo. Stroll through the rooms stuffed with works of inlaid stone so intricate that they can be mistaken for paintings, including the spectacular “Stone Flowers” section highlighting floral compositions from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Part of the Uffizi Galleries museum complex, the magnificent Pitti Palace, set just across the Arno River from central Florence, was once the regal residence of the Medici family. Today, its massive expanse houses five separate Florence museums, each impressive in its own right. The most famous (and art-focused) is the Palatine Gallery and Imperial and Royal Apartments, but the Treasury of the Grand Dukes is also stuffed with medieval and Renaissance masterpieces.

The Florence art scene is known for its street art, with stealthy creators like Blub, Lediesis, and Exit Enter enlivening the cityscape with their playful stencils, paste-ups, and graffiti. One of Florence's most recognized open-air artists is CLET, a French creator whose lighthearted stickers convert street signs into artworks. You can spy his handiwork across the city or stop in his studio in the San Niccolò neighborhood to purchase original works, stickers, posters, and more.