Note: This article reflects a visit from 2010 and is written as a retrospective from 2026. Museum policies, photography rules, and ticketing procedures may have changed.
Florence is one of those places that doesn’t leave you.
Even when you haven’t been back in more than a decade.
Our second full day in Florence happened in 2010, long before Nola Nerd Couple existed in its current form, long before we were parents, and eight years before our kid was born in 2018. We haven’t returned since, which makes this day’s article about “what to do” more about how it has shaped our thinking about art, travel, and learning today.
This isn’t an itinerary. This isn’t updated museum advice.
This is a look back — from 2026 — at a museum‑heavy day that quietly changed how we approach art now, especially as parents to a creative kid. It’s a reflection on how a single museum‑heavy day in Florence reshaped how we think about museum days with a kid years later
Our original article, warts and all, is still live on our site. We decided to rewrite much of our 2010 Europe Trip using the approach we would take now, such as our London for Nerd article.
Florence as Art Nerds
In 2010, we weren’t artists — and we still aren’t.
What we were (and are) is deeply curious.
We love understanding why something matters. We love context. We love standing in front of a piece of art long enough for it to stop being “famous” and start being human.
That mindset shaped how we experienced Florence — even then.
Originally, we hadn’t planned on visiting either the Accademia or the Uffizi. The lines were intimidating, and we were still in that early‑travel phase of thinking we had to keep moving. In fact, Florence was a last-minute decision itself.
Florence pushed back. The closer I got, the more my history background kicked in.
I convinced Cristina that we needed to see both museums — even if it meant buying an expensive skip‑the‑line tour package. Looking back from 2026, that decision wasn’t about convenience. It was about giving ourselves permission to slow down.
Killing Time the Right Way: San Marco and Learning to Sit with Art
Because of inconsistent bus timing, we arrived in Florence extremely early as our hotel was in the outskirts of the town.
So we ate breakfast — a sandwich with prosciutto, mozzarella, eggs — and then wandered into the San Marco Museum.
It ended up being one of the most meaningful stops of the day.
San Marco is a former monastery, and each cell contains frescoes by Fra Angelico. These weren’t meant to impress crowds. They were meant to be lived with.
This is the kind of museum that sticks with us now as parents.
Not loud. Not overwhelming. Just quiet art meant for reflection.
In 2026, raising a kid who loves to draw, this is exactly the type of space we’d seek out first — not because it’s “for kids,” but because it invites patience.
Also, it is a great place for conversations about art, and even letting her bring a sketchpad and see if she can sketch it.
The Accademia: Process Over Perfection
Waiting outside the Accademia, we noticed graffiti on the walls.
One piece stopped us instantly:
“Who Dat!”
A little piece of New Orleans, thousands of miles from home.
Inside, our guided tour focused almost entirely on Michelangelo — especially his unfinished works. Those sculptures remain some of our favorite memories from the museum.
The figures appear to be emerging from the stone, caught between idea and completion.
From a 2026 parent perspective: Those unfinished works are the most powerful teaching tools in the room. They show that greatness isn’t magic — it’s struggle, revision, and patience.
Then we saw David.
The real one.
Yes, the guide was perhaps a little too enthusiastic about David’s anatomy — enthusiastic enough that Cristina managed to snap a forbidden photo while the guide was distracted.
At the time, it was forbidden, but many reports say you may take pictures now.
Santa Croce: When History Becomes Overwhelming (In a Good Way)
Before heading to the Uffizi, we visited Basilica di Santa Croce.
This is where Florence quietly reminds you who it was. All of these are buried in the Basilica:
- Michelangelo.
- Dante.
- Galileo.
- Machiavelli.
- Rossini
Standing there, the weight of human achievement is almost uncomfortable.
This is the moment we think about most as parents in 2026.
Not because a kid needs to memorize names — but because it sparks the kind of questions that matter:
- How does a place like Florence produce so much greatness?
- What does a society have to value for that to happen?
- What does it mean to leave something behind?
The Uffizi: Why It Still Matters, Even Years Later
By the time we reached the Uffizi, the heat had caught up with us. I was dealing with mild heat exhaustion, cured — as all things are in Italy — by water and gelato.
Our guide was exceptional: knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and joyful in a way that made the art feel alive.
Inside were works by:
- Leonardo
- Botticelli
- Giotto
- Titian
- Michelangelo
- Raphael
This wasn’t just a museum visit. It was a lesson in how stories evolved visually over time.
Cristina didn’t even think about taking photos — a sure sign that we were fully present. The only photo you are allowed is through the window looking at Ponte Vecchio over the River Arno
If we went with our little one, we would ask all kinds of questions about color, light, and composition. We would definitely ask her to sketch something.
Also, we never considered doing any of these, but there are many discovery tours and family itineraries that help bring the artwork to life.
Looking Back from 2026: What Changed
We ended the day with pizza and prepared to leave Florence the next morning.
We didn’t know then:
- That we wouldn’t be back (yet)
- That we’d become parents in 2018
- That our kid would love to draw more than either of us ever did
Much like our day at the Louvre, that day in Florence shaped how we think about art now.
If we returned in 2026, we wouldn’t try to see everything. We’d focus on:
- Fewer museums
- Slower days
- More time sitting with one piece instead of rushing past twenty
Florence taught us that loving art isn’t about expertise.
It’s about attention.
And that lesson has only grown more important now that we’re teaching it to someone else.
Why this perspective matters:
This article is based on our firsthand visit to Florence and later reflection as parents and educators. It is not an itinerary or ticket guide, but an experience‑based look at how art, museums, and travel feel different when viewed through a parenting and learning lens.
How This Museum Day Changed How We Travel with a Kid
- Slowing down matters more than seeing everything
- Quiet museums can teach more than crowded ones
- Unfinished work can be more educational than masterpieces
- One good question is better than ten facts
- Leaving early is not failure
- Art engagement continues at home, not just on trips
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