To do this museum justice, you should plan to spend 2-3 hours here. That means you will be on your feet for a long time: walking, standing, climbing stairs. Make sure to wear comfortable, supportive shoes.
Expect to check any bags you happen to be carrying. The bag check room is located on the ground floor, at the back of the lobby. This service is safe and free.
At the present time, photos and video are not allowed in any part of the museum. I have been at the museum when they were allowing photos on the top floor, but this is inconsistent. You need to ask one of the numerous “hosts” (available on each floor) about the photo policy at the time of your visit.
The facilities are state of the art, with plenty of restrooms and a grand café where weary visitors can rest their feet and relax with a coffee. The prices are high, but not exorbitant. The second-floor bookstore has an excellent selection of books on the Acropolis and its buildings. There is even a guide book to the museum itself that comes in two flavors: short or long.
The New Acropolis Museum has just opened (after nine years of delay and struggle). It is the new “must see” spot in Athens. Why?
- The spectacular views of the Acropolis from its glass-encased top floor, if nothing else.
- The displays of the Parthenon sculpture on that same floor. Get up close and personal with artifacts
that haven’t seen the (public) light of day for decades.
- The stunning selection of statues (korai and kouroi, Nikes and Athenas) that inhabit the first floor. This collection in the New Acropolis Museum rivals that of the National Archaeological Museum (also in Athens) as the best assortment of Archaic and Classical statuary in the world.
- The Sandalbinder—also on display on the first floor. The quintessential Classical work: natural, un-posed, spontaneous, beautiful.
- You get to stand within inches of the Caryatids—those sturdy maidens who, for the past 25 centuries, have supported part of the roof of the Erechtheon on their heads. No small feat and worthy of honor. Plus, they’re gorgeous!
- The incredible venue. Glass walkways with archaeological remains beneat
h … spacious galleries … multi-media presentations … dramatic, glass-sheathed top floor.
The old museum, atop the Acropolis and near the Parthenon, was small, dark, and cramped. Soon after it was completed (1886), ongoing excavations of the Acropolis brought to life a wealth of buried statues, pediments, metopes, and frieze reliefs (in 1887!) which simply overwhelmed the old space. All 4000 artifacts discovered on and around the Acropolis have never had a home in which they could be displayed and appreciated together. Now they do. Soon after the new museum opened, I spent 10 days here—writing the script for our audioguide—and could not get enough. Six, eight, ten hours a day and there was always something new to learn, to see, to appreciate.
Next time you’re in Athens, you must make time to see the new museum. It’s guaranteed to knock your socks off!
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?
Because the museum is so new, information about it is hard to come by. There are a few websites you can visit to become more familiar with the layout and design of the new museum:
www.theacropolismuseum.gr/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Acropolis_Museum
http://kopiaste.org/2009/07/the-new-acropolis-museum/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_oR7EmFnsQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z63hmjns11I
Fortunately, because these artifacts are ancient and have been on display in the old museum, almost any guid
e to Greece or Athens will have a little information on the statues and temples found on the Acropolis. Sadly, that’s all you’ll get most of the time—a “little.” One of my favorite guides to Athens (The Blue Guide) devotes less than one page to the entire collection. So here are a few “educational” links to help you familiarize yourself with the Acropolis Collection:
http://www.athensinfoguide.com/wtsmuseums/acropolismuseum.htm
http://greeceinfo.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/new-acropolis-museum-tour-of-the-permanent-collections/
For those who want a deeper historical understanding for the artifacts they’ll be seeing, let me recommend:
Donald Kagan. Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy. The Free Press, 1991.
http://www.amazon.com/Pericles-Athens-Birth-Democracy-Donald/dp/0684863952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249401472&sr=8-1
Jeffrey Hurwit. The Acropolis in the Age of Pericles. Cambridge University Press, 2004.
http://www.amazon.com/Acropolis-Age-Pericles-Jeffrey-Hurwit/dp/0521527406/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249401506&sr=1-1
The New Acropolis Museum is located just two-hundred yards south of the Acropolis itself in the Makrigiani District. The main entrance is off of Dionissiou Areopagitou Street, part of the pedestrian promenade that winds around the southern and western flanks of the Acropolis.
Getting to the museum could not be easier. Take the Metro (Line 2) to the Akropoli exit (just one stop south of Syntagma Square). Head upstairs following the “Dionissiou Areopagitou” signs. Escalators will carry you up to the surface level. When you hit the sidewalks, you are on Makrigiani Street and should be headed north. Walk straight ahead about 20 yards. This will dump you onto Dionissiou Areopagitou Street, at which point you will turn left (west). Go another 25 to 30 yards and the entrance to the museum will be on your left. Walk down some stairs, go through a plexiglass gate, and you’ll see a doorway with an “Entrance” sign above it.
Alternatively, if you have just visited the Acropolis and want to top your tour with a look at the New Museum, walk downhill (east) on Dionissiou Areopagitou Street, with the Acropolis on your left and a line of expensive apartments and condos on your right. Look for a break in the housing as you near the bottom of the hill—on your right. Again, go down some stairs, through a plexiglass gate, and you’ll see the entrance ahead of you.
The New Acropolis Museum is a modern, well-designed, and fully-equipped exhibition hall designed to move large crowds past thousands of artifacts in a timely and comfortable manner. Unlike many of the museums and sites in Greece, it is fully accessible to people with physical limitations and challenges. Elevators connect the ground-level lobby with each of the floors above and below, making it easy for people with physical concerns to navigate ev
ery section of the museum. Floor surfaces are smooth and wheel-chair friendly. There are handicapped-accessible bathrooms on every floor.
The only obstacle will be the ramp leading from the ground to the first floor. The rise is gentle and should pose few difficulties. However, it dead ends at a staircase that takes visitors up to the first floor displays. These stairs will require those who are not able to manage stairs to backtrack down the ramp, exit the electronic gate, and then take the elevators (located on each side of the gate) to the first floor.
And—in an especially nice touch—there are seats scattered around the museum where weary visitors—whatever their physical limitations—can pause to rest. Knowledgeable “hosts” man each floor of the museum and are eager to help answer questions about the museum or direct you to appropriate facilities.
We’ll do lots of walking today. Most hotels include a hearty breakfast in their rate. Eat a big one and make sure you put on your most comfortable shoes. Hit the sidewalks early.
Let’s start with the Athens Familiarization Walk. The audio guide begins at Syntagma Square. Find your way there, grab a shady spot and press “Play.” Then stroll the National Gardens, walk around the Acropolis, visit Hadrian’s Library, meander through the Plaka District, and otherwise learn your way around this great city.
Grab lunch at a likely spot (there are restaurant options everywhere) and then walk to the New Acropolis Museum. (If you want to give your feet a break, you could catch the Metro.)
The new Museum opened in June, 2009 . It is a much worthier home for the Acropolis treasures than where they have been—crammed in a tiny, inadequate box on top of the Acropolis itself. At last, for the first time, all the artifacts related to the Acropolis can be on display at the same time and place. The wonderful Kritios Boy. The Parthenon friezes and pediments. The evocative Sandal Binder. You can be one of the lucky few to visit this great museum while it is still a novelty.
You’ve been on your feet all day. Take a little rest. Perhaps return to your hotel for a (brief) rest. Or enjoy a leisurely coffee at one of the many cafés and tavernas in Athens. Do some people watching. Try to guess where people are from by their clothing, gestures, haircuts, and volume.
After the sun sets, do the Acropolis Night Walk. This breathtaking stroll will lead you back around the Acropolis on the Promenade. Only this time, the Acropolis will be illuminated !
End the day by threading your way through the interesting Plaka district. Scout out a likely restaurant. Try something unusual (the grilled squid is excellent) and wash it down with a glass of local wine. A shot of ouzo should have you ready for bed whatever your body clock reads.
