Natural History Museum of Crete

About the museum

The Natural History Museum of Crete belongs to the University of Crete and has been operating since 1980 within the School of Sciences and Technology. In addition to the exhibition space for the public, it holds large scientific collections of animals, plants, fossils and rocks, which are used in research and teaching.

The exhibition has been housed since 2003 in the renovated building of the former electricity company of Heraklion, on the seafront avenue in the Dermata Bay. The industrial building, where electricity production began in 1923, was listed as a protected monument in 1994 and assigned to the university to house the museum.

The exhibition space covers about 3,500 square metres and presents the natural environment of Crete and the eastern Mediterranean: ecosystems, the evolution of life, fossils and the geological history of the island. The exhibition includes live animals, a children’s area, a botanical garden, an earthquake simulator and a 360° dome projection.

Highlights

• Exhibition of about 3,500 square metres in a listed industrial building
• Living museum with animals and a special children’s area, “Erevnotopos” (research place)
• Fossils from Crete, among them dwarf mammoths
• Earthquake simulator “Egkelados” with quakes of magnitude 5 to 7.6 on the Richter scale
• 360° dome projection and botanical garden

Permanent exhibitions

• Βιοποικιλότητα και οικοσυστήματα – Thematic sections on the ecosystems of Crete and the Mediterranean: scrubland, forests, deserts, wetlands and a living museum with animals.
• Απολιθώματα και γεωλογία της Κρήτης – The exhibition presents fossils, such as dwarf mammoths, the geological development of the island, and the earthquake simulator “Egkelados”.
• Εξέλιξη της ζωής και σφαιρική προβολή – A section on evolutionary theory with models of early humans and a 360° projection with real-time Earth data.

Founded

1980

Operated by

Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης

Admission & discounts

Free admission for children under 4 years, members of the museum’s Friends association, students and staff of the University of Crete, the unemployed (OAED), members of ICOM, certified guides, journalists, those doing military service, and employees of DEI (Public Power Corporation) with their first-degree relatives.

Accessibility

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

All floors are accessible by lift, and there is a toilet for people with disabilities. At the entrance there are two steps and a ramp. The platform of the earthquake simulator is accessible. The exhibition plan and an information text are available in Braille, in Greek and in English.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

“Erevnotopos” is a 250 square metre area for children with a miniature version of Crete’s ecosystems. The museum runs educational programmes for schools and families. There is a baby-care area in the women’s toilet, and pushchairs can be left in the cloakroom.

Getting there & parking

The museum has no car park of its own. From the city centre (Morosini fountain) the walk is about 750 metres.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check

The museum café is not currently operating, and food and drinks are not permitted in the exhibition halls. There is a shop, and a small cloakroom behind the reception for bags and pushchairs.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Up to 120 guests.

Rooms are available for events, including a refreshment room with table seating for 43 people and a room on the third floor for up to 120 chairs.

Plan your visit