Located opposite the Theatre of Dionysus, on the Southeastern side of the Acropolis Hill, is the Acropolis Museum. This archaeological museum, built on what is known as the Makrygiannis plot, houses artifacts from the Acropolis and its surrounding slopes.

The Acropolis Museum has gone through many changes since its original founding in 1865. The first museum was located on the Acropolis hill itself, while this modern iteration opened its doors in June 2009. The floor to ceiling windows are breathtaking, allowing in so much natural light, and give amazing views of the surrounding area. The museum is often ranked as one of the best in the entire world!

Looking for more to do in Athens? Check out my three-day itinerary!
Thinking about visiting Santorini too? Take a look at my two-day itinerary.
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Exhibition Areas

You may notice there are spaces throughout the museum which have either been left empty or display sculpture replicas. Unfortunately many artifacts from the Acropolis are currently on display in the British Museum or other international museums. Some famous missing pieces include the Parthenon Marble and one of the Caryatids: the Daughters of Athens. Greece is actively trying to get these pieces returned to them.

Ground Floor

After you pass the ticketing area, a small café and a gift shop, you’ll reach the first exhibition area: The Gallery of the Acropolis Slopes. Here you’ll find pots and other artifacts that have been excavated from the private residences, theaters, and other buildings along the slopes of the Acropolis. The exhibition itself is on a gradual slope leading to the staircase up to the main level, mirroring the Acropolis slopes outside. Along with artifacts, you can also see through parts of the floor down into the archaeological excavation site beneath the museum.

First Floor

The first floor is where the majority of the museum exhibits reside, including:

• The Early History of the Acropolis (Small section to the left of the stairs)
• Archaic Acropolis Gallery (East and Southern section – most of the right side)
• Other Monuments of the Periklean Building Programme (West side)
• From the 5th Century BC to the End of Antiquity (North side)

Per signs on the first floor, you’re meant to start to the right of the stairs and work your way around. We didn’t see the signs and accidently started to the left instead. Oops! It explained why we were all alone for a little while, which I actually preferred because then we weren’t fighting crowds to see the different artifacts. Personally I think it felt more like one large exhibit as opposed to four separate ones, as I didn’t really see any dividers or large signs differentiating the exhibits from one another. Its really just one large, beautiful, bright open space!

Like in many other museums around the globe, flash photography is NOT permitted inside of the Acropolis Museum “for the protection of the sculptures that still retain traces of their ancient colors” and to provide all visitors with a better overall experience.

Third Floor

Head up to the third floor for the final exhibit inside of the museum, the Parthenon Gallery. Here you’ll find sculptures from the Parthenon, which you have a direct view of through the museum’s floor to ceiling windows. This gallery is laid out in a rectangular shape with the same dimensions and orientation as the cella of the Parthenon. It houses a mixture of the original marble sculptures from the temple’s Ionic frieze (a decorative horizontal band of carved sculptures often found in ancient Greek architecture) along with plaster replicas of those panels still held in other museums.

cella (noun) – the frequently hidden inner part of a Greek or Roman temple that housed the image of the deity

Sublevel – Outside

On your way out of the museum, you’ll find the actual final exhibit: The Archaeological Excavation. Located underneath the museum, these excavations of an ancient Athenian neighborhood include the remains of houses, a villa bathhouse, and even a public bathroom. The excavation site had originally been larger, but some sections were moved during the construction of the museum.

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Café & Restaurant

I’m guessing you noticed I skipped a floor with the exhibits. Not to fear! The second floor houses another gift shop, as well as the museum’s restaurant. In the mornings you have the option of ordering coffee, breakfast or a snack, and then they switch over to lunch and wine after noon. On Friday and Saturday nights they offer a special menu and are open until midnight! Our group went for breakfast and ordered the Kayanas Eggs (greek scrambled eggs), pancakes bougatsa, and a thessaloniki bagel sandwich. Everything tasted great and I’d definitely go back again.

On warm days, I’d recommend sitting outside on their terrace where there are fantastic views of the Acropolis. Just keep in mind the prices are obviously going to be higher here than you’ll find elsewhere, since the restaurant is inside of a major tourist attraction.

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Tips For Your Visit

– Buy your tickets online in advance and get to the museum before it opens at 9am. I know at first glance it may seem like a bit of a crowd, but trust the process. The museum is so large that everyone spreads out fairly quickly and it felt like we practically had the place to ourselves after 10-15 minutes! I haven’t done it myself but I’ve heard there are less crowds later in the day as well, about 2 hours or so before closing.

– There are a few free admission days during the year: March 6th (Melina Mercouri Day), March 25th (National holiday), May 18th (International Day of Museums), October 28th (National holiday – Oxi Day). Crowds will obviously be much worse during these days.

– Leave any large bags/backpacks in your room, as they aren’t allowed inside the museum. They do have a coat check/cloakroom on the ground floor if you really need it.

– If you’re planning to grab something to eat at the 2nd floor restaurant, wait until you’re done exploring the museum. We ate breakfast on the terrace outside, and by the time we left the crowds inside the museum had tripled.

– There’s plenty to see and do nearby after visiting the museum, including: touring the Acropolis and Parthenon, exploring the National Gardens, or doing some souvenir shopping in Plaka.

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