Heraklion Archaeological Museum

About the museum

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum was founded in 1900 to house the first collections of Cretan antiquities, which grew rapidly after that. Its holdings cover seven millennia, from the Neolithic period (7000 BC) to the Roman period (3rd century AD).

After the renovation, completed in May 2014, the exhibition occupies twenty-seven rooms. The collections are presented according to a modern museological concept, chronologically and thematically, with visual aids and introductory texts.

The tour begins on the ground floor with the Minoan collection, continues upstairs with the Minoan wall paintings and the historical periods, and ends on the ground floor with the sculptures. A separate section on the upper floor houses the private collections of Stelios Giamalakis and Nikolaos Metaxas. Highlights of the Minoan exhibition include the Snake Goddesses in faience, the bull's-head rhyton, the wall paintings of the Prince of the Lilies and the Bull-Leaping, the gold jewellery with bees, the Hagia Triada Sarcophagus, the Linear B tablets from Knossos and the inscribed Phaistos Disc.

Highlights

• Phaistos Disc
• Snake Goddesses in faience
• Bull's-head rhyton
• Wall paintings of the Prince of the Lilies and the Bull-Leaping
• Hagia Triada Sarcophagus
• Linear B tablets from Knossos

Permanent exhibitions

• Μινωική συλλογή – Twelve rooms on the ground floor present Minoan civilisation, with thematic sections on the first communities, the palaces, writing, worship, sport and burial customs.
• Μινωικές τοιχογραφίες και ιστορικοί χρόνοι – The upper floor displays the wall paintings of Knossos and Crete in the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods, with emphasis on Cretan cities, sanctuaries, funerary finds and coins.
• Συλλογή γλυπτών – Two rooms on the ground floor with Archaic sculptures, Roman portraits and copies of classical statues, functioning as an independent sculpture gallery.

Founded

1900

Operated by

Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού

Visitors per year

approx. 555,031

Admission & discounts

Free admission: 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October, and the first and third Sunday of each month from 1 November to 31 March.

The ticket is valid for one visit. The combined ticket for the Heraklion Archaeological Museum and Knossos is valid for three days, with one visit to each site. Free admission is also granted to members of ICOM and ICOMOS, refugees and other categories specified by the Ministry of Culture. Payment by cash or card.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The main entrance on Xanthoudidou Street has a ramp, and the building has lifts, staircases with handrails and toilets for people with disabilities. A wheelchair is available at the entrance. For visitors with visual impairments there is a leaflet in Braille in Greek and English and a free audio guide app for selected exhibits. Groups with visual impairments can request a tactile tour by prior arrangement.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly

The entrance has a ramp for prams and wheelchairs. The museum offers educational programmes for schools.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Wi-Fi

Refreshment kiosk and shop, accessible to people with mobility impairments. Free WiFi throughout the museum. The cloakroom is on the ground floor and is mandatory for backpacks and bulky items.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit