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Institute and Museum of the History of Science. This museum shows the evolution of the instruments used in various scientific fields such as Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy. The room of Galileo Galilei shows some of his original instruments as well as models from his drawings. The room of Spheres and Globes houses an excellent cartographic collection. In a rather macabre twist the museum also has the middle finger of Galileo’s right hand on display.
For those making longer stays in Florence, the city also has an interesting archaeological museum (the Etruscan art collection is particularly good), a Contemporary Art gallery, seated in Palazzo Strozzi, and other collections.

Accademia Gallery, Via Ricasoli 58-60, [8]. Tuesday - Sunday 8:15AM - 6:50PM. Highlights are Michelangelo’s David and the unfinished Slaves. The David was recently cleaned in a controversial project. No photography is allowed inside. Wait times can be under one hour in the off-season. It is possible to reserve at the academia in advance and save yourself the long line. If you only interested in see David and Rape of the Sabines,and are short on cash you can see similar replicas in Palazzo Vecchino where you can also take picutres. Please note that while restoring or repairing art the gallery often showcases the replicas (you can tell because the toenail is intact for David, for example), €6.50 (advance booking: €4).