Acropolis Museum (Greek: Mousio Akropolis)
The Acropolis Museum is one of the newest archaeological museums of Athens located on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street under the shadow of the Parthenon. The first Museum was on the Acropolis itself, however continuous excavations on the site uncovered many new artifacts which exceeded the museum’s capacity, creating the need for the construction of the New Acropolis Museum.
An additional motivation for the construction of a new museum was the requests for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the United Kingdom, as it was suggested by some British officials that Greece had no suitable location where they could be displayed. Creation of a gallery for the display of the Parthenon Marbles has been key to all recent proposals for the design of a new museum.
The Acropolis Museum focuses on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis site. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes.
The museum was founded in 2003, while the Organization of the Museum was established in 2008. It opened to the public on 20 June 2009. Nearly 4,000 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 square metres.
It was designed by architect Bernard Tschumi with Michael Photiadis. The Museum hosts its collections across three levels, as well as in the archaeological excavation that lie at its foundations.
Outside view, Acropolis in the background
Hours
1 April – 31 October:
Monday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday to Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
(Last admission 30 minutes before closure)
1 November – 31 March:
Monday to Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
(Last admission 30 minutes before closure)
Closed: 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 25 and 26 December
Admission
General Admission Fee: 5 euros.
Official website: www.theacropolismuseum.gr