Are tickets necessary for Ostia Antica?

Several years ago we just showed up. There was a manned ticket booth on site.

We had the same experience as TC....just showed up and purchased tickets, no line whatsoever. This was in October, 2019, on a Saturday afternoon.

my experience also was several years ago - we just rocked up. Train from Piramide, hopped off, walked over, and walked in... super easy. Well worth it to us.

We were there last week on Thursday as part of a aRS Rome tour so we didn’t purchase the tickets ourselves. But the majority of people there were kids on a school trip. It was not crowded at all so I can’t imagine you wouldn’t be able to just show up and get tickets anytime the mood strikes. Plenty of places in town along the beach to grab lunch.

Thank you all for your helpful replies!

Last April we just showed up on a Sunday - and it turned out to be a "free" Sunday. Hardly any crowd at all.

We were there on a cruise tour in Aug 22 - there was exactly one other group there an d we were only about 20 pax.

You don't need to buy in advance

I think the longest I’ve had to wait to buy a ticket is about three minutes. While a great place to visit, it’s never mobbed.

I love it there - I went and took a picnic lunch and after touring the site, sat in the grass and relaxed. It was wonderful.