Museums in Heraklion That You’ll Enjoy Visiting!
In this post you can find the best museums in Heraklion, exhibitions and collections you can admire in the capital of Crete.
Heraklion, the capital of Crete, features dozens of super interesting museums dedicated to different periods of Cretan history. Some others, instead, focus on Greek art, folklore and local traditions, nature, and more.
If Crete is a travel destination on your horizon, take a walk with me through this list of the most exciting museums in Heraklion and other exhibitions in the city and the surrounding area.
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What Museums to Check When Visiting Heraklion
These are some of my favorite museums that I suggest you check when spending time in Crete’s capital.
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
📍 2, Xanthoudidou Street, Heraklion.
Start your journey into Cretan history with the most important museum in Heraklion and the whole of Crete, and one of the most significant in Europe. The Archeological Museum of Heraklion holds one of the most precious collections of Minoan Art and numerous collections that cover a period of 5500 thousand years!
Here, you can become familiar with life’s social, artistic, and economic aspects during prehistoric times. You’ll discover the valuable masterpieces of the Minoan civilization and uncover the secrets that have been gathered from all parts of Crete.
The museum features 27 galleries, so you’ll need at least 2 hours to visit them all. There is also a gallery with audio-visual displays that canโt be missed if you want to see what some of the archeological findings looked like in their glory days. The Archeological Museum is in the city center and can be easily found.
🎯 LOCALS KNOW BETTER: If you buy the special ticket package, you’ll get 3-day access to the Archeological Museum and Knossos Archeological site (one visit per site allowed in the 3 days).
Summer Opening Hours
Mon and Wed-Sun: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Tue: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Winter Opening Hours
Mon and Wed-Sun: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tue: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Schedules can change, check the official website for updates.
Prices
The entrance ticket is โฌ 12 (total price), and the reduced ticket is โฌ 6. The package ticket is โฌ 12 full, โฌ 6 reduced. This ticket costs โฌ 20 from April 1 to October 31. If bought separately, the entrance to Knossos is โฌ 15.
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Historical Museum of Crete
📍 27, Leof. Sofokli Venizelou Heraklion.
The Historical Museum of Crete is another important Heraklion museum that houses a precious collection of artifacts spanning from the Byzantine period to the 20th century.
Here, you will find permanent collections dedicated to Cretan history and art and temporary collections devoted to major historical events, such as WW2, and vital local figures (including writers such as Kazantzakis and Elytis).
The museum has excellent media applications, allowing you to discover history interactively.
The building that houses the museum is also worth mentioning. It is an excellent example of Neoclassical architecture, featuring marvelous murals with scenes from the Odyssey and Iliad.
Opening Hours
Mon and Wed-Fri: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sat and Sun: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tue: Closed.
Prices
The entrance ticket costs โฌ 5, and kids aged 12 and below can access it for free.
👌 Every first Sunday of the month, admission is free for everyone!
Natural History Museum of Crete
📍 Sofokli Venizelou Avenue, Heraklion.
This place is a must if you have kids from 3 to 15! The super interesting and educational Natural History Museum will familiarize you with the Mediterranean’s main ecosystems, including Crete and the whole of Greece.
Find out about the natural inhabitants of this region through the mega-dioramas, experience a real earthquake in the seismic simulator, or visit the Living Museum to check aquariums and terrariums with living animals. Finally, take some time to discover the natural environment of Crete interactively.
Opening Hours
Mon – Fri: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sat and Sun: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Prices
The entrance fee to the Natural History Museum of Crete is โฌ 7.5.
Rocca a Mare Fortress
📍 Venetian Harbor, ฮW pier, Heraklion. Access is from 18 Agglon Square.
Heraklion’s fortress, Rocca a Mare or Koules, is a well-known trademark of the city and a famous museum in Heraklion. It was built during the 15th century and is an outstanding example of a Venetian fortification castle.
The fortress was used to store food and military supplies and to protect the harbor from sea storms. The Fortress is open to the public and houses several exhibitions.
Inside the building, check artifacts from the Ottoman conquest and the resistance of the Cretans during the Cretan War.
Also, donโt miss the shipwreck exhibition, where you can see some unique underwater archeological findings discovered near the nearby Dia island by the famous Jacques Custeau.
Opening Hours
The Fortress is usually open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
However, hours can vary during the seasons, so check the official website for up-to-date information.
Prices
The entrance fee is โฌ 4.
Thyrathen Museum of Musical Instruments
📍 Riga Feraioi Square, opposite Agios Minas Cathedral), Heraklion.
Opposite Agios Minas Church, Thyrathen is a Museum of Traditional Music, Instruments, Research and Documentation. It was founded in 2012, with its headquarters in the historic village of Krousonas in the Municipality of Malevizi. In December 2023, it opened its doors in a fantastic Neoclassical building in Heraklion city center.
Explore the music of the Mediterranean and get acquainted with Greek traditional music and the traditional instruments of Greece and the Mediterranean. Visitors can experience an interactive tour and a digital tour.
The museum holds frequent seminars and conferences aiming to preserve and continue the spirit of Greek traditional music. Thyrathen also conducts musicological research and studies Greek traditional music, working as a research and documentation center.
The collection of musical instruments is classified according to sounds produced by the corresponding pulsating movements of the materials in aerophones, chordophones, membranophones, and idiophones.
Opening Hours
Mon – Sat: 9 a.m. – 3.30 p.m.
Visits on Sundays must e arranged upon request.
Prices
The admission fee is โฌ 10, including a guided and digital tour. Reduced tickets apply to university students and kids 4-15 years old. Kids up to 3 and other categories enter for free.
Museum of Christian Art
📍 Karterou Street, next to Agios Minas Cathedral, Heraklion.
This Heraklion museum is in the 13th-century Monastery of St Catherine of Sinai. It houses a beautiful collection of religious artifacts from Cretan monasteries dating from the second Byzantine period to the end of the Ottoman reign.
You will find frescoes, wood sculptures, metalwork, old manuscripts, and perfect examples of devotional objects and amphoions here. The main exhibition is dedicated to the works of Cretan hagiographer Angelos Akotantos from the 15th century.
Summer Opening Hours
Mon – Sat: 9 a.m. – 7.30 p.m.
Winter Opening Hours
Mon – Sat: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Prices
The admission fee is โฌ 4.
Museum of Ancient Greek Technology of Heraklion “Kostas Kotsanas”
📍18 Epimenidou Street, Heraklion.
This relatively small museum is nevertheless absolutely amazing, especially if you are into technology and machinery! Personally, it’s one of my favorite places to visit in Heraklion.
Here, you’ll find a great collection of objects that show and explain the principles of ancient technology we still use nowadays. The guides will gladly give you a tour and even let you test some of the objects. This is a perfect way to discover history in a completely different and fun way.
The museum is present in different cities of Greece, including Athens, Ancient Olympia, and Katakolo, other than in Heraklion.
Opening Hours
Every day: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Prices
The entrance costs โฌ 5. If you’re interested in an organized interactive tour, the price for the ticket is โฌ 10, and the minimum size of the group is 4 participants.
Nikos Kazantzakis Museum
📍 Myrtia village, Heraklion region.
This museum is devoted to the life and work of Nikos Kazantzakis, one of Greece’s best-known authors, but also a philosopher and even a politician. For a better idea about the author and the place, check this awesome video by myCrete.tv.
This museum has an exclusive collection of this remarkable man’s manuscripts, documents, publications, and letters, as well as rare audiovisual content. The museum has 5 different exhibition rooms dedicated to different aspects of Nikos Kazantzakisโ life.
The venue is in the former house of a local family related to Nikos Kazantzakis. If you decide to visit, take advantage of the ride and visit the magical Neraidospilios, the cave of the fairies, which is just 5 km away from the village.
Summer Opening Hours
Every day: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Winter Opening Hours
Every day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays closed
Prices
The admission is โฌ 5. The museum is situated in the village of Myrtia, 15 km away from the city center.
Video courtesy myCrete.tv.
Lychnostatis Open-Air Museum
📍 Hersonissos, Heraklion region.
This family-owned museum offers a different way to experience the cultural heritage of Crete! First of all, the buildings that make the museum has been built using only elements such as wood and stone, and no machinery! Yes, the old good way of using bare hands and imagination!
The complex consists of several exhibitions and open-air areas. Here, you can learn about the everyday life of Cretan folks through carefully recreated rooms and workshops.
This place breathes tradition, legends, and ethnological heritage. If you visit, do go for the audio guide as it explains everything in detail. Kids love this place since it’s possible for them to touch all the tools and even try to work them.
The museum frequently organizes events, such as traditional dancing performances, theatre, and wine & honey tasting. After you are done exploring, you can visit the beach that’s accessible through the back door of the museum!
Opening Hours
The museum is open daily, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed on Saturdays.
Prices
The entrance is โฌ 8, and โฌ 2 more for the audio guide. If you come for the second time, admission is free!
Book in Advance
Book your entry ticket to the Lychnostatis Open Air Museum to learn about Cretan heritage and culture. Add an audio guide and audiovisual film or private tour to your visit.
These are just a few of the many wonderful museums you can visit in Heraklion. As you can see, there’s much more than just a bunch of archaeological sites to visit in the region. Adding any of these places to your Heraklion itinerary will certainly enrich your trip! Have you been to any of these museums in Heraklion?
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Stunning Museums in Heraklion That You Will Love
Gabi, the Crete Insider
Hi, Iโm Gabi โ your go-to local expert in Crete! Iโve been living in Chania, Crete since 2016, and Iโve turned my love for the island into a full-time passion โ guiding travelers, writing for travel media, and curating local experiences.
I co-authored DK Eyewitness Top 10 Crete and other guides. I run the blogs The Tiny Book, Greece Planner, and My Cretan Recipe. Through this platform I help travelers design unforgettable trips to Crete.
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