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Acropolis Museum Guide – Everything You Need To Know

One of the things we really wanted to do when we visited Athens in Greece was visit the new Acropolis Museum. Having previously read that it housed many of the treasures from the archaeological excavation of the Acropolis of Athens. We did wonder how we would get on visiting the Acropolis Museum with kids would be. If you are thinking of doing the same then this short guide will help you to make the most of your visit and ensure you see the highlights of ancient Athens. Although in our experience they do not love kids as much as we had hoped! Read on to find out more in our Acropolis Museum Guide.

Table of Contents

Where is the Acropolis Museum?

The new museum is located in the centre of Athens on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street. Opened in 2009, at the bottom of Acropolis Hill, the museum is dedicated to displaying all the finds that were discovered at the archeological site. Full of natural light and glass floors you can see the rock of the Acropolis from the third floor. This was intentional. So that visitors could see the ancient temple while learning all about the artefacts. I also think it is the best place to get some photos, especially on the third floor

The closest metro station to the Acropolis Museum is ‘Acropolis’ on the red line. Once you exit the underground station you will see signs for the museum only 300 metres away. Because of where we were staying we walked to the museum. It is centrally located this is easy to do if you are staying in the centre and you get to see the many pretty streets of Athens.

Acropolis Museum Ticket Price

Unlike the Acropolis combination ticket the museum did score brownie points with us on the basis the admission fee is halved for children. Albeit if we were still part of the EU then they would have been allowed free entry. We arrived early and brought our tickets at the entrance. If you are travelling in the Summer months then you may want to buy our tickets in advance on the website. This will effectively give you beat the line tickets as you can avoid the queue at the entrance. Since you scan the ticket at the barriers further inside to access the displays.

We also saw several tour guide that were offering their services to show you around the museum. If we had not been with the boys then we would have considered this. They operated both private tours or groups of several tourists. Most spoke English so it would not be difficult to get an English tour. If this is important to you then again during the Summer season you may want to try and book one in advance.

Is the Acropolis Museum worth it?

I had really high hopes for the Acropolis Museum but to be honest it fell a bit short on our expectations. It is a small museum and so you do not need that long two hours would be sufficient. However, I think some of our disappointment with our visit had more to do with how we were treated in the museum itself which I expand on below. The permanent exhibition is sufficient and since we visited in the Winter season it was quiet enough for us to see everything. It is also a reasonable inside activity if the weather is not playing ball. Although the museum is meant to host temporary exhibitions we did not notice any on our visit.

Things for children to do at the Acropolis Museum

Right – let me tell you about the elephant in the room. We left feeling as though they did not want children in the museum at all. The boys were 11 and almost 8 when we visited and so they are not really young. Running around everywhere or being loud. If you are regular readers of Mudpie Fridays you will also know that they have been fortunate enough to visit museums all over Europe. They know how to behave.

Yet at every turn, we were given the hard stare. They were told not to touch when they they did not even raise a hand to do so and at one point we were actually followed around by one of the ladies. It felt quite repressive. Maybe we were unlucky. But there were not many other children in the museum when we visited so perhaps this is why? Regardless because of this, it was by far our least favourite thing we did during our stay in Athens.

Activities for kids

Saying that there are some things specifically designed for children to do. Although these are not advertised you need to ask! Next to where you pay for entrance, there is a black counter. It was unmanned when we arrived but if you hang around someone will come to see you. Here you can borrow discovery packs to keep the children engaged as you walk around the museum. There are three different age groups. Harry had one designed for 6-8-year-olds and really enjoyed discovering all about the different colours. There was a game to play, information sheets, things to spot, colouring pencils and a drawing to colour in. They are free but you do need to leave ID such as a passport or driver’s licence to ensure you return it.

Charlie decided he was too old for a discovery pack. But there were also some printed pamphlets which contained puzzles and a story. These are not offered up you need to ask for them. They had one in English which you should see displayed at the back. There are also several brightly coloured information plaques around the gallery designed to keep the children engaged.

Acropolis Museum Highlights

As I have already mentioned it is only a small museum even though it is spread across three floors. They have come up with a clever way of moving people around it, there is a one way system in place. Meaning you see one side of the museum on the way up and the other on the way down.

The museum itself is built on an ancient site. An ancient neighbourhood made up of the remains of different buildings and streets. There are a few information plaques scattered around although it looks as though they are developing this area. The entrance is outside the museum and it is sign posted. You will need to scan your entrance ticket to enter.

Ground Floor

On the ground floor of the Museum by the entrance, there are some cabinets showing how the construction of the Parthenon and Acropolis changed and grew over time. These are before you go through the barriers. Here you run through the gallery of the slopes of the Acropolis. Which show various everyday objects which have been discovered on the slopes.

First Floor

From here there are steps up to the first floor that covers the Archaic period on one side and 5th century BC to 5th century AD on the other. The first floor is where you come across the Archaic Gallery. Here there are various marbles some of the goddess Athena which have been removed from the ancient ruins. Many of them have their faces in one piece unlike so many that were destroyed in the Roman period. As you go around the corner before going up the escalator there is also a mock-up of the Temple of Athena Nike. With statues of young women that hold up the temple roof. This is probably my favourite part and you are allowed to take photos of these.

Second Floor

There is not a huge amount to see on the second floor to look at. This is where the museum’s restaurant and book shop is located. There is an outside eating area as well which is a good size. Here you can enjoy coffee with views of the olive trees and Acropolis Hill. The bookshop is not large but there is plenty of choice, the boys decided on some pocket money souvenirs which were also on sale. The main gift shop is on the ground floor near the entrance. Be prepared to get your tickets checked when you return from the restaurant into the main part of the museum.

Third Floor

This is the top floor of the museum and the location of the famous Parthenon Gallery. It is a large space that runs around the whole of the outside of the third floor. Along the walls is the Parthenon frieze or Parthenon marbles. They are also known as the Elgin Marbles and are a collection of classical Greek marble sculptures that were part of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens. The sculptures include statues, inscriptions, and architectural elements such as friezes and metopes.

They are named after Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century, who obtained permission from the Ottoman authorities to remove them. This means that much of what you see are plaster casts. Since many of the originals still reside in the British Museum. Even though the Greek government have requested their return. It would be nice to see them returned to their rightful home. Right next door to the archaeological site where they were discovered. With stunning views of ancient Greece through the floor-length windows, it seems a much more fitting location for display.

Acropolis Museum Guide – Top tips for a visit

If you are planning on visiting the Acropolis Museum then here are some tips for your visit:

As you enter there is a map on the wall of the different levels showing the walking route around the different floors.
When you arrive there is QR code for an app which you can download on both Apple and Android. This will give you an audio guide around the museum, with pictures to match so you know you are looking at the right thing. If you have ear pods or headphones then this will come in useful too.
There is a cloakroom as you are not allowed to take bags into the museum. It is free.
Do not forget your ID if you are planning on using one of the discovery backpacks and ask for the English family trail which is free.
You are not allowed to take photos in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery. There is a small sign but many people missed it.
There are very few interactive elements in this museum. Which can make it a bit boring for the kids. Although we did find a touchscreen in one area. Although again the staff seemed very jumpy as if the boys would break it. Harry was actually told to stop touching the touchscreen….
Arrive early if you can. Even visiting in the Winter season there were really long queues when we exited around midday. Check the opening hours on the website. The earlier in the day the fewer tour groups.
Buggies or baby strollers are not allowed inside the museum.
Don’t miss the excavations under the museum when you exit.

I am glad we made the effort to visit the Acropolis Museum but we would not return if we visit Athens again. Especially not with the boys.