I would advice visitors to get some form of a guide (audio guide, join a tour, or a really good Rome reconstructed book) before entering this attraction. My sisters and I, unfortunately did not have this foresight so we did not get to fully appreciate the significance of the forum remains. We were walking aimlessly in the forum and Palatine Hill, and the mid-day May heat did not help either :(

We went to this place after purchasing our ticket at the Colloseum across the street. What we did not realize is once you go through the little gate you can not get the audio guide with out hopping back over the fence. So, you basically wasted a good ticket to go see ruins with out really knowing what significance is behind them. They look so interesting, but we were sad to not know what everything was.

We bought our combo ticket at the Via San Gregorio entrance and finished our time at the Palatine. We come through the entrance to the Roman Forum.

I break out my audio guide and start listening for awhile. I take lots of pictures as usual. Stop at the runs of the temples, stare at the amazing details of the arches, walk along Sacred Way, see the Senate house and marvel these structures have been here for thousands of years!

After much time, we finally head out for exit, which takes you directly to the Colosseum.

Make sure you wear sneacker or some sort of closed footware since you are walking around in dirt. It is still an active excavation site.

We booked our tour through Real Rome Tours and are very thankful that we did! The Roman Forum is nothing without the history behind it and the tour guide did a great job explaining.
Any visitor to the forum will notice that the forum of today is not that of ancient Rome. A tour of the Forum requires a great imagination and open ears for the history that you will learn.