On May 8 and 15, the Herculaneum Archaeological Park opens its doors to a themed visit for families dedicated to the labors of the legendary hero. A step-by-step route through the most evocative places of the site, from the Headquarters of the Augustales to the Antiquarium.
There is a hero who has never truly disappeared in Herculaneum. His name is written on the frescoes, carved into the fountains, hidden in the details of the wealthy houses that Vesuvius has preserved intact for nearly two thousand years. He is Hercules — and on May 8 and 15, 2026, the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum brings him back to the center stage with ‘Hercules in the City,’ a themed visit designed for families with children that turns the site into a step-by-step story blending archaeology, mythology, and wonder.
The route begins from one of the most suggestive places of the entire site: the Augustales’ Hall, a public building where citizens in charge of organizing the imperial cult gathered, and which preserves some of the most extraordinary frescoes of Herculaneum. It is here, among the paintings depicting Hercules at the moment of his entry into Olympus next to Juno and Minerva, that the visit begins to tell the special relationship between the hero and the city.
After several stops along the main street of the city, one arrives at the House of the Telephus Relief, one of the largest and most refined residences, perhaps belonging to the most important family of Herculaneum, that of Marcus Nonius Balbus. The name of the house refers to the famous marble relief found in one of its luxurious rooms, which depicts the myth of Telephus — son of Hercules. A work of extraordinary sculptural quality that demonstrates how the Herculaneum elite knew and celebrated the mythological cycle linked to the hero, making it an element of cultural and social distinction. The house thus becomes not only an architectural stop, but also a window into the relationship between myth and identity in Herculaneum in the first century AD. The journey of discovery concludes at the Antiquarium, where visitors are welcomed by one of the most spectacular sculptures in the entire collection: the bronze fountain representing the Lernaean Hydra. The great multi-headed serpent, the monster that Hercules faced in the second of his twelve labors. Admiring the fountain, originally placed at the center of the pool of the large Gym, the story of the fight between Hercules and the Hydra comes to life with all its narrative power, which cannot fail to fascinate the young visitors of the Park.
These are just some of the stops on a journey that crosses the entire ancient city, encountering frescoes, inscriptions, sculptures, and architectures that bear the mark of the most famous hero of the ancient world. A journey that combines archaeological rigor and narrative lightness, designed to make even those who encounter it for the first time fall in love with the past.
An experience is born that intertwines myth, art, and archaeology, capable of turning the visit into a moment of shared discovery, between learning and fun.
Practical information
Dates: May 8 and May 15, 2026
tour times: 10:00 – 11:00 (Italian) – 11:30 – 12:30 (English)
Groups: max 25 participants per session, until all spots are filled
Cost: free activity, subject to the purchase of a regular admission ticket to the site (valid reductions and free entries according to the law)
Reservation required
Online: ercolano.coopculture.it
Call center: +39 081 0106490 (Mon-Sat, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)
Comfortable clothing and shoes are recommended.