Acropolis Museum

The Acropolis Museum opened to the public in June 2009 on the southern slope of the Acropolis, about 280 metres from the Parthenon. Designed by Bernard Tschumi with the Greek architect Michael Photiadis, it was founded in 2003 and now displays more than 4,250 objects across around 14,000 square metres. It is one of the most visited museums in Greece, with more than two million visitors in 2024.

The building is designed around what lies beneath and above it. Glass floors at the entrance reveal the excavated remains of an ancient Athenian neighbourhood, and since 2019 visitors have been able to walk through the excavation itself, which spans the Classical to the Byzantine periods. On the first level, the Archaic Gallery holds statues and offerings from the earlier sanctuary, while further rooms cover the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion, including the maidens of the Erechtheion porch.

The highlight is the top-floor Parthenon Gallery. Its glass walls let in natural light, the columns follow the spacing of the ancient temple, and the frieze, metopes and pediment sculptures are arranged as they once faced outwards. The museum has long been at the centre of the Greek campaign for the return of the sculptures now in the British Museum. Through the windows you look straight up at the Parthenon itself.

Opening hours differ between winter and summer, and Friday is a late opening until 22:00 all year, so check the official site before you go. General tickets can be bought online or at the desk, while reduced and free tickets are issued only at the desk on proof of eligibility. The ticket is separate from the Acropolis site. Photography without flash is allowed except in the Archaic Gallery, and backpacks must be left in the cloakroom.

Allow two to three hours. The museum is fully accessible, with ramps, lifts and accessible toilets on every floor, and wheelchairs and pushchairs to borrow. The ground-floor café looks over the excavation, and the second-floor restaurant has a terrace facing the Acropolis and stays open late on Fridays and Saturdays. Akropoli metro station on Line 2 is beside the entrance, and Koukaki's cafés and tavernas are a few streets away.