The Acropolis Museum is an easy walk downhill from the Acropolis and it makes sense to do one after the other if you have the time. During the summer season (1 April – 31 October) tickets cost €15 and can be bought in advance but as I didn’t know how long I was going to be at the Acropolis I settled for buying when I was there. Do note that your bag goes through an x-ray scanner at the entrance and large bags will have to be placed in the cloakroom.
There are audio guides, talks and tours available, just enquire at the Information Desk. I decided not to do any of that though but instead wander around as I pleased and see what took my fancy. The museum was designed by Bernard Tschumi in a very modern design, both striking and somehow also in keeping with its surroundings. It uses as much natural light as possible and was very airy (but note no discernible air conditioning as far as I could tell). It opened in 2009.
The museum houses relics excavated from the Acropolis and the remains of ancient Athenian houses can be found underneath the museum via a glass floor but also going round the side of the museum and through a ticket barrier (so keep your museum ticket handy so you can scan your way in). It was fascinating to see these in situ and archaeological work was still going on while I was visiting.
Some of my favourite items included this dedication to the goddess Aphrodite asking her to provide plentiful goods…
…these theatrical masks which are thought to have been decorative features from the stage of the Theatre of Dionysus and date from the 2nd century…
…and then there’s this clever holographic representation of the gold and ivory statue of the goddess Athena that once sat in the middle of the Parthenon. No one is entirely sure what happened to the original.
The museum is also a great place to get a view of the Acropolis, particularly from the restaurant at the top floor. I stopped off here and had a bite to eat – I’d definitely recommend the lemon cream tart with sour cherries.
A really well done museum it makes a great accompaniment to a visit to the Acropolis.
Louise Jayne's Blog 