The Athens National Archaeological Museum offers a journey back in time to all visitors!
For the Athenians of the 50’s or the 60’s this was the “Museum”. The surrounding area still is the “Museum region” of Athens, a neighborhood privileged with beautiful homes, gardens and buildings.
The National Archaeological Museum in Athens is the largest museum in Greece. It was founded in 1829 by governor Ioannis Kapodistrias in Aegina. That was during the very first years of the newly established Greek country, after the 1821 victorious revolution against Turk occupation. Sixty years later, in 1889, it was relocated to the neo-classical building in Patission Str. where we can visit it today.
During World War 2, the museum was closed. The exhibits were all boxed and hidden for their protection.
The museum houses more than 11,000 exhibits from the Neolithic period through to late Antiquity.
The building covers 8,000 m². There are temporary exhibitions, permanent exhibitions, digital exhibitions, the virtual tour, the unseen museum, and the exhibit of the month.
• The Collection of Prehistoric Antiquities. With exhibits from 6,000 to 1,050 BCE Neolithic, Cycladic, and Mycenaean Aegean civilizations.
• Impressive art exhibits of Greek culture from 700 BCE to 500 CE.
• The Vase and Minerals Collection. Miniature artifacts and ceramics from the 11th century. B.C. up to the Roman era.
• The Metallurgical Works Collection. Metallurgical statues, figurines, and miniature works.
• The Egyptian and Eastern Antiquities Collection. With works of art, from 5000 BCE to the Roman era.
The Museum also offers two digital exhibitions. If you want to visit the “Hadrian and Athens Conversing with an Ideal World” exhibition presented in English, see here.
Do not miss on the ground floor the following Collections:
1. Collection of Mycenaean Antiquities
Mycenaean Antiquities, with finds from warrior kings and their relation to the Minoan civilization. Palaces, tombs, walls, and archives of clay tablets with Linear B scripts, jewelry are all impressive finds from the Myceanic world from 1600 to 1100 BCE.
2. Collection of Cycladic Antiquities
Cycladic Antiquities, finds from Paros, Melos, Antiparos and Despotiko. Tools, weapons, colorful pottery, impressive statues, and works of stone carving of white or colorful marble are displayed in chronological order.
3. Collection of Metalwork
Metalwork, includes many unique original works, statues, idols, and miniature artworks. Bronz and metal creations, vessels tools, and instruments along with the Shipwreck of Antikythera, everything is there.
4. The Collection of Egyptian Antiquities
The Collection of Egyptian Antiquities is the only other civilization, than the Greek one, displayed in the National Archaeological Museum. Artifacts are presented from both the Ancient Kindom (3rd to 6th Dynasties) and the Middle Kindom (11th to 13th Dynasties).
5. The Stathatos Collection
This is the collection by Eleni Stathatos with 971 exhibits that cover the time period from the 5th millennium BCE to the Byzantine period. One can see Mycenaean jewelry, silver 5th century BCE vessels, Archaic gold jewels, bronze statuettes, and Hellenistic, Roman, and byzantine jewels.
6. The Sculpture Collection
This Collection is the largest sculpture collection of Greek antiquity in the world. It houses more than 17.000 works that are gathered since the first days of the museum back in 1829. They are gathered from Athens and other areas in Greece. The sculptures date back to the period from the 7th century BCE to the 5th century CE period.
From life-sized bronze statues found in the sea off Cape Artemision, to Parian marble statues of Afrodite and Eros found in Athens, the sculpture collection is unforgettable.
7. The Neolithic Antiquities
Household goods of the “stone” Neolithic age will welcome visitors in this section of the Museum, in Room 5. At the display cases there are vessels of extreme beauty or simpler everyday objects giving us a glimpse of the neolithic era. There are also detailed figurines.
Tools, weapons, and jewerely all describe an impressive civilisation. Most exhibits come from Central Greece.
On the upper floor, the visitor can enjoy the following:
1. Cypriot Antiquities
This permanent exhibition of Cypriotic Antiquities displays 180 works. Cyprus is known as the island of Aphrodite, as the legend has Afrodite, the goddess of beauty for ancient Greece, to be born there. The name is well deserved as the island itself is a true Mediterranean beauty.
The exhibits that visitors will come upon include, among others, intricate prehistoric and Archaic vases, impressive figurines that served as votives, distinctive sculptures that manifest Greek influences, and also representative bronze artifacts.
2. Collection of Antiquities of Thira
In this famous collection, one can see the Antiquities of Thera with the famous Thera frescoes and selected works of Mycenaean Greece, the palace of Knossos, and Phylakopi on Melos.
Beautifully colored representations of lions, dolphins, and birds. Everyday items, such as amphorae, cooking pots, and vases, give us information about this far-away era.
3. Terracotta Figurine Collection
The figurines come from the Geometric to the Roman Age. There are approximately 550 items in display. They were created in workshops in Attica, Boeotian, Ionian, Euboean, Cretan, Peloponnese and Asia Minor.
You will find them in Rooms 58 and 59. They are beautiful standing female figures, godessess, infant Eros figures playing with animals, musicians, dancers and many more examples of art
4. Collection of Glass Vases
A selection of beautifully decorated glass vases and the finds from the Shipwreck of Antikythera, are available for the visitor to enjoy in Room 63 in the upper floor of the museum.
5. Jewelry Collection
The Collection of gold and silver jewellery, silver vessels, sealstones and works of minor arts made of ivory in the National Archaeological Museum is unique. It is considered as one of the most significant collections in the world due to the quality and uniqueness of the exhibits and their certified origin.
Practical Information
- Where to go: 44, 28th of October (Patission) str., Athens
- How to get there: Bus (Β5, Α6, Β6, Ε6, Α7, Β7), Metro (Green line Victoria Station, Red line Omonoia Square). Your own rented car can be parked in private parking stations at Zaimi Street or Alexandras Avenue. The Museum does not have parking facilities on-site.
- Area’s map:
Operating Hours
November 1st – Μarch 31st:
– Tuesday: 13:00 – 20:00
– Wednesday-Monday: 08:30 – 15:30
April 16th – October 31st:
– Tuesday: 13:00 – 20:00
– Wednesday-Monday: 08:00 – 20:00
Tickets – Admission fee:
- 6€ (November 1st – March 31st)
- 12€ (April 1st – October 31st)
Avoid the hussle and the waiting lines. Buy your tickets online via the e-Ticketing System