Open:
Winter:
From the 1st of November 2014 until 31st of March 2015
Monday 11:00- 17:00
Tuesday-Sunday and bank holidays 08:00-15:00
Summer:
From the 1st of April 2015 until the 31st of October 2015:
Monday: 8:00 - 20:00
Tuesday-Sunday and bank holidays 08:00 - 20:00
Tickets:
Full: €6, Reduced: €3
A special 10 Euros ticket is valid for visiting the Heraklion Archaeological Museum and the palace of Knossos; it can be purchased at both sites. Please note that the individual opening hours may differ.
Special ticket package: Full: €10, Reduced: €5
The single ticket for Knossos - Heraklion Museum costs 10 Euros.
Valid for: Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Knossos
The collections of the Herakleion Archaeological Museum include unique works of Cretan art, found in excavations across the central and eastern part of the island and which cover a chronological span of roughly 7000 years, from the Neolithic (7000 BC) to the Roman period (3rd century AD). Most objects date to prehistoric times and to the so-called Minoan period, named after the island's mythical king, Minos. They include pottery, carved stone objects, seals, small sculpture, metal objects and wall-paintings, which were discovered in palaces, mansions, settlements, funerary monuments, sanctuaries and caves.
After the completion of the new exhibition project in April 2014, the exhibition occupies a total of twenty seven rooms. Several important themes, such as Minoan wall-paintings are presented separately from the overall chronological sequence. The objects give a complete image of Cretan civilization, as it developed in different regions and important centres. Social, ideological and economic aspects form the core of the display, with a strong focus on religious and ceremonial practices, mortuary habits, bureaucratic administration and daily life. Explanatory texts, photographs, drawings and models of monuments supplement the exhibition.
