The New Acropolis Museum is divided into four main collections.
First (on between the ground floor and first floor) are artifacts excavated from the slopes of the Acropolis.
- Lots of pottery—vases and cups and plates … some beautifully painted and showing brides and grooms, priests, processions, and sacrificial offerings … some more utilitarian and intended for everyday usage.
- Artifacts from the Theater of Dionysus and the Aesclepion and the Sanctuary of the Nymphs.
Next, on the first floor, are remains from most of the Acropolis structures (i.e., the Erectheon and Propylaia and Temple of Athena Nike), with scale models and displays of statues and frieze reliefs associated with the temples (e.g., the Caryatids).
Also on the first floor is a vast collection of “stand alone” statuary recovered from the top of the Acropolis itself—young maidens (korai) and boys (kouroi) from the Archaic Period; the Kritios Boy (a wonderful example of an early Classical development); and an array of statues from the 5th Century b.c. to the 5th Century a.d.
Finally, on the top floor of the museum, is an awe-inspiring view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon and a ja
w-dropping recreation of the Parthenon columns and cella, hung with the sculptures (the metopes and friezes) that decorated the original Parthenon. This display puts the Parthenon sculptures at eye-level and allows you to hear the stories of the birth of Athena, the battle of the Amazons, and the Trojan War all over again.
When you grow weary, there is a café on the second floor with views of the Acropolis. Grab an espresso, kick up your feet, and pinch yourself: you are in Athens, in the shadow of the Parthenon, surrounded by world-famous artifacts. Could it get any better?
