Colosseum Tickets

As one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, it's no surprise that Colosseum tickets are immensely popular. If you want to see one of Rome's most iconic landmarks, you should definitely book in advance.

You might have some luck buying tickets on the day, but the number of tickets to the Colosseum per day are limited so it's better not to risk missing out – especially if you're visiting Rome during the high season. If you do forget to buy ahead of your visit, you can expect a lengthy queue outside the Colosseum.

There's a range of tickets available, so it depends on what kind of experience you're after. Luckily all of Tiqets' options come with entry to the Roman Forum included.

If you just want basic admission to the Colosseum, a Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill: Priority Entrance ticket is what you're after. With this in hand, you'll be able to skip the long lines, and you'll have the chance to walk through the ruins of the Roman Forum – the hub of ancient Rome.

If you want a more in-depth experience, the Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill: Skip The Line + Arena Floor option allows you to skip the lines, and you'll get to share the same view as the gladiators as you walk across the arena's floor. Other tickets grant special access to the Colosseum Underground, where gladiators and lions once prepared for battle.

You can also take a unique night tour of the Colosseum, join guided tours, or combine your Colosseum tickets with other popular experiences in Rome.

While it's the largest amphitheater ever built in the ancient world, its capacity isn't quite as impressive as what can be accomplished by today's modern means.

The largest college football stadium in the United States, Michigan Stadium, can hold 107,600 people compared to the Colosseum's estimated capacity of 50,000-80,000. However, when you take into consideration that it was built close to 2,000 years ago, the Colosseum's capability of holding so many spectators remains impressive. Plus, what other stadium can boast that it once had a marble façade?

When it's almost your 2,000th birthday, you're lucky to still be standing, let alone to be so popular. There's a number of reasons for the Colosseum's damaged appearance on top of the effects of time, from fire and earthquakes to opportunistic builders capitalizing on spolia (repurposing old stone for new structures).

The Colosseum did manage to stay in its prime for almost two centuries before disaster really struck. In 217 AD, the Colosseum's wooden upper level was badly damaged by fire, and in 443 AD it sustained more damage from a major earthquake.

On top of that, as Christianity rose, the popularity of gladiatorial battles declined and after 435 AD there's no more mention of them in the Colosseum. The arena still remained in use for animal hunts, but its heyday had long since passed. Another earthquake in 1349 AD saw more damage done, with the outer south side collapsing.

People lived there during the Middle Ages

After the Colosseum's use as an arena began to falter, the citizens of Rome got creative with its purpose. From the end of the 9th century until the 14th, residents lived inside the amphitheater! Alongside the humble homes were workshops and even stables.

There was more to see than just gladiators

Elaborate set-dressing was also a major part of the games, with the Colosseum often transformed to appear as a whole new setting. Plants would be brought in and elaborate scenes would be set up for animal hunts (Venatio).

It's got more than one name

The world's biggest amphitheater was also dubbed the Amphitheatrum Flavium after the dynasty who created it. So, then why the Colosseum? Well, outside the arena stood a 100-foot-tall bronze statue of the Emperor Nero. Inspired by the Colossus of Rhodes, it's theorized that this colossal memorial to Nero is where the Colosseum gets its name from.