
Acropolis Museum (Museo Akropoleos) Tours and Tickets
Overview
The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies over the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens. 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. More than 4,250 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 square metres. The Organization for the Construction of the new museum is chaired by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Professor Emeritus of Archaeology, Dimitrios Pandermalis. The first museum was on the Acropolis; it was completed in 1874 and underwent a moderate expansion in the 1950s. However, successive excavations on the Acropolis uncovered many new artifacts which significantly exceeded its original capacity. An additional motivation for the construction of a new museum was that in the past, when Greece made requests for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the United Kingdom, which acquired the items in a controversial manner, 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 first architectural competition to design a new museum was held in 1976 and was limited to participants from Greece. Both the 1976 competition and one that followed it in 1979 failed to produce any results mainly because the plots of land selected for the proposed constructions were deemed unsuitable. In 1989, a third competition for the design of the new Acropolis Museum was announced that would be international. A choice of three possible sites was provided. This competition was won by the Italian architects, Manfredi Nicoletti and Lucio Passarelli. After delays throughout the 1990s, work on the construction of the museum based on this third design progressed to the stage of excavations for the foundations, but these were stopped due to apparently sensitive archaeological remains on the site, leading to annulment of the competition in 1999. In retrospect, the location of the new museum was rather straightforward: the large lot of the unused "Camp Makrygianni" gendarmerie barracks, opposite the Theater of Dionysus. The barracks were built on public land and a limited number of expropriations of surrounding private houses were needed to free up the necessary space. The main building of the old barracks, the neoclassical "Weiler Building", has been renovated and houses the Museum of the Center for the Acropolis Studies. The fourth competition had made no provision for the preservation of the ancient site. These were met to a degree only after local and international (ICOMOS) campaigners exposed this oversight and it became the final competition. The new plans were adjusted so that the building was elevated above ground, on pillars. Competition was open only to architectural practices by invitation and it was won by New York–based architect, Bernard Tschumi, in collaboration with the Greek architect Michael Photiadis. Excavation has revealed two layers of modest, private roadside houses and workshops, one from the early Byzantine era and another from the classical era. Once the layout and stratigraphy of the findings were established, suitable locations for the foundation pillars were identified. These traverse the soil to the underlying bedrock and float on roller bearings able to withstand a Richter scale magnitude 10 earthquake. As construction work neared completion, the operation to move the historic artifacts the 280-meter (310 yd) distance from the Acropolis rock to the new museum started in October 2007, took four months, and required the use of three tower cranes to move the sculptures across the distance without mishap. Greek officials expressed their hope that the new museum will help in the campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marbles.
More info
- The Acropolis Museum is a must for any visitor to Athens.
- Museum facilities include two shops, a cafe, and a restaurant, open late on Fridays.
- Completed in 2007, the Acropolis Museum replaced an older museum of the same name.
- The museum appeals to families, with activity backpacks for kids.
- The Acropolis Museum is fully wheelchair accessible, with accessible bathrooms and elevators. Wheelchairs are available, and service dogs are welcome.
The similar Tours
0$
0$
3000$

Join a small group to enjoy a detailed walking tour of the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum.
Priority tickets to the Acropolis and the Museum are included to help you get in faster!
Walk with your guide through Greek architecture, mythology, and history as they stroll between sites in and around the Acropolis rock.
Complete your visit to the Acropolis, and then head to the Acropolis Museum to enjoy its impressive array of artifacts and its stunning architecture.
See the excavations as you walk on the Museum's unique layout.
Enjoy learning about treasures from ancient Greek civilization with a professional local guide.

Behold the beginnings of Western civilization with an experienced licensed tour guide on a 4-hour walking tour of this UNESCO Heritage site. Remarkable history unfolds as you stroll by the Parthenon and other monuments of the Acropolis; visit the New Acropolis Museum to gawk at ancient statues. Walk over the glass floor of the state-of-the-art Museum and watch under the remains of Ancient Athens. Head up with your tour guide to the glass Parthenon room and finish the tour with the superb and classic perfect collection while admiring the views of the Acropolis.
This is a skip-the-line tour. We will make sure you will not have to wait in long lines. The walking tour is made with an experienced licensed tour guide.
The meeting point is in our offices by the Acropolis (60 meters walk from Acropolis metro station). We provide free WiFi at the meeting point, WC, and an air-conditioned waiting lounge. You can also safely leave your luggage or bags and pick them up after the tour.

from
$62.62
Delve into the fascinating world of Ancient Greece on a 3-hour walking tour of the Acropolis of Athens and the New Acropolis Museum. With an expert guide, discover the UNESCO-listed archaeological site and visit world-famous monuments including the Parthenon, Propylaea gateway and the Temple of Athena Nike. Absorb jaw-dropping views of Athens from the acropolis’ summit, and learn about the evocative ruins. Then, enjoy a guided tour of the New Acropolis Museum, where glass floors reveal excavation sites. Entrance fees not included.
please be aware that even with our skip-the-ticket-line service, there might be some waiting time required for security checks. This is because visitor numbers can fluctuate unpredictably at the sites throughout the day. The typical waiting time falls within 0 to 10 or 30 minutes, though on rare occasions, it might be longer.

In the company of a Professional Licensed, Archaeological guide experience the Acropolis with its iconic Parthenon and temples, the Theater of Dionysus, and the New Acropolis Museum. Exclusive and dedicated to your group alone, your private guide will bring to life the pinnacle of the classical Greek period along with its associated masterpieces housed in the nearby Museum for a once in a lifetime experience.
Flexible booking Options exclude the Museum to offer the following additional choices: ACROPOLIS ONLY, for a focused 2-hr expert tour of this site only; ACROPOLIS & ANCIENT AGORA, for a combined 3-hr tour of the Acropolis and Ancient Agora; CITY TOUR LUXURY VEHICLE, for a 4-hr city sightseeing tour of the wider Highlights including return transfers from the Cruise Ship Port or central Athens Hotel.

from
$14.54
Acropolis Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket.
One of the most important museums in Greece has a total area of 25,000 square meters and includes archaeological treasures dating to pre-historic times. The museum is divided into 4 main galleries and offers the opportunity to the visitor to view archaeological artifacts and learn about the Acropolis site.
For Hearing Impaired
- Video Guide
- Hearing kits
- Speech To Text
Access for Seniors
- Distance from drop-off location to entrance: Less than 20 m
- Recommended time for visit 1 hour
- Recommended time for visit 2 hours
- Physical difficulty level for Seniors - 3
Accessibility for wheels
- Special Parking
- Access with Portable Ramp
- Accessible elevator
- Easy without assistance
- Step-Free
- Wide doors >= 75 cm and < 90 cm
- Exhibit height - 2
- Accessible Toilet
Access for Visually Impaired
- Audio Guide
- Place has Special Guide Service
- Service animals permitted
- Touch Gallery