Acropolis Museum: Top Rankings! Correct?

From the London/UK Daily Mail today, they had this headline: “best museums in the world revealed” with details from TripAdvisor's annual Travellers’ Choice Awards for Museums. The Musee d'Orsay in Paris was ranked number one in the world. In sixth place for the world was the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

Their top 10 Travellers’ Choice Museums in Europe were:

1. Musée d'Orsay — Paris, France

2. The British Museum — London, England

3. Prado National Museum — Madrid, Spain

4. Acropolis Museum — Athens, Greece

5. Louvre Museum — Paris, France

6. National Gallery — London, England

7. Vasa Museum — Stockholm, Sweden

8. Uffizi Galleries — Florence, Italy

9. Rijksmuseum — Amsterdam, The Netherlands

10. The State Hermitage Museum — St. Petersburg, Russia

This is impressive "company" for which the Acropolis Museum is listed and has been rated so highly. Looking forward to seeing this museum in mid November 2018. When we were last in Athens in 2006, this structure was under construction. We saw the original museum on top of the Acropolis. Great to see how highly rated is this fairly new Athens museum.

For those who have visited the Acropolis Museum, any special tips, suggestions, insights, warnings, etc.? Is it worth these high ratings and is it a definite must-see?

This museum's english website can be found at:

https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en

Per Wikipedia, it opened to the public on June 20, 2009 and has nearly 4,000 objects exhibited over an area of about 150,000 sq. ft. They also note this museum is the largest modern building erected so close to the ancient site and has been built over an extensive archaeological sites. The entrance to the building is on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street and is adjacent to the Akropoli metro station of the Athens Metro Red Line.

Full story at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-6130481/The-best-museums-world-revealed-Musee-dOrsay-Paris-ranked-No1-TripAdvisor.html

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 211,496 views for this posting.

From the Bing.com image website, here are five different visuals from Athens' Acropolis Museum. Looks interesting, especially in the night shots.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

The Acropolis museum is a very well designed modern museum that does a wonderful job of displaying not just the metopes from the frieze around the the Parthenon (top floor) but telling the whole story of the Acropolis, including the temples that preceded the ones from the Classical era. I found it fascinating.

Some highlights for me were the chance to see the original Karyatids in 360 degrees. (In the old museum on the Acropolis, which I also had visited, they were behind glass in a case if I recall correctly....). I also really enjoyed the small displays in the cases lining the stairs showing objects from everyday life. And the painted terra cotta architectural elements from the older temples.

Of course the way they have displayed the metopes is genius, especially orienting the building to the same angle as the temple (which can be seen through the windows). Cleverly, the display makes much of the pieces that are still in Athens while definitely leading you to wish (dare I say it?) that ALL of the metopes were together here....

One thing you will probably not appreciate, given your photographic talents, is that photography is not allowed inside.

Terry, I will be looking forward to reading your review as we have only visited Corfu previously.

cruisemom42 we are staying in Athens 3 nights prior to a cruise. Do you think it best to visit the museum prior to visiting the Acropolis etc......in order to get some historical context? I have read history books and Greek Mythology but I am wondering if it is better to see it before or after going to visit some temples and the Acropolis?

Julie

Terry,

reposting this from your other thread to keep the info together:

We are just back from our umpteenth visit to Athens. Third time in the Acropolis Museum. The building itself is stunning and its parallel display of the Parthenon metopes with the background of the Parthenon through the windows is superb. My only tip is to follow the arrows for the direction of the visit and allow plenty of time to enjoy and understand the history and art on display. The terrace cafeteria is a great place to relax and enjoy the view of the Acropolis.

But just as important, if not more, is the National Archaeological Museum of Greece, north of Omonia Square. This is where the most magnificent treasures of ancient Greece are, some dating back more than 5,000 years: The mask of Agammemnon, the gold of Mycenae, the statue of Poseidon, the horse and jockey from Artemision, Cycladic sculptures, and on and on and on.... Right now they have a wonderful exhibit in honor of the 150th anniversary of the museum.

http://www.namuseum.gr/index-en.html

Julie- there is no right or wrong with "before or after." Depends on your schedule. Do go up to the Acropolis first thing in the morning. We revisit each time we go to Athens. This time we got there as it opened and were able to see the troops raising the flag on the Acropolis.

cruisemom42 we are staying in Athens 3 nights prior to a cruise. Do you think it best to visit the museum prior to visiting the Acropolis etc......in order to get some historical context? I have read history books and Greek Mythology but I am wondering if it is better to see it before or after going to visit some temples and the Acropolis?

 

Julie

As mentioned above, I don't think there's a "best" order. Personally, I enjoyed the thrill factor of seeing the Acropolis first. It is magnificent and stands on its own every time I see it.

Similar to marazul, I've been able to arrive at the gate a few minutes before the opening time and watched the soldiers arrive and raise the flag at the top. I highly recommend it.

Purely from a logistical point, the Acropolis museum is nice and air-conditioned and makes a good stop in the heat of the day....

 

But just as important, if not more, is the National Archaeological Museum of Greece, north of Omonia Square. This is where the most magnificent treasures of ancient Greece are, some dating back more than 5,000 years: The mask of Agammemnon, the gold of Mycenae, the statue of Poseidon, the horse and jockey from Artemision, Cycladic sculptures, and on and on and on.... Right now they have a wonderful exhibit in honor of the 150th anniversary of the museum.

http://www.namuseum.gr/index-en.html

 

Agree -- the National Archaeological Museum is one of my favorite museums anywhere, which just goes to prove that it's not the modern design or the lighting that's critical in a museum -- it's the collections inside.

Probably my top favorite archaeological museums are all in older buildings -- this one, the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, the Cairo museum (the old one, haven't yet seen the new one), the Capitoline museum in Rome, the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul...

The Acropolis museum is a very well designed modern museum that does a wonderful job of displaying not just the metopes from the frieze around the the Parthenon (top floor) but telling the whole story of the Acropolis, including the temples that preceded the ones from the Classical era. I found it fascinating. One thing you will probably not appreciate, given your photographic talents, is that photography is not allowed inside.

Terry, I will be looking forward to reading your review as we have only visited Corfu previously.

Third time in the Acropolis Museum. The building itself is stunning and its parallel display of the Parthenon metopes with the background of the Parthenon through the windows is superb. My only tip is to follow the arrows for the direction of the visit and allow plenty of time to enjoy and understand the history and art on display.

Appreciate these various comments, info items and follow-ups. These are a wonderful range of additional background items and helpful insights.

When I saw the item from Cruisemom42 about not being allowed to do any photography within the Acropolis Museum, I nearly hit the "panic button". BUT, I searched more, including at their official website. They note as their policy: "Amateur photography for personal use is permitted throughout the Museum, apart from the Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis on the ground floor and the Archaic Gallery on the first floor, without the use of a flash or additional professional equipment (spotlights, tripod)." They also note: "Professional photography (for commercial, advertising, touristic, research, educational and artistic purposes) requires written approval from the Museum and advance payment of the prescribed fees."

Their English website is: www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en

These same policies apply for filming. Part of their concern, legitimately, is that they do not want big set-ups of lighting equipment, tripods, etc. Those photo/filming items could create safety and/or logistic issues for other visitors. Any added clarification by Cruisemom42 as to if I am mis-reading their policies as to what is allowed and done there?

YES, the National Archaeological Museum is very fascinating and we were fortunate to have visited that amazing educational/artistic site in 2006. It is not a fancy, new piece of architecture, but its content reflect such amazing history and artistic achievement. As always, the super wise and experienced cruisemom42 and marazul have shared excellent background details and suggestions.

For Julie, I am planning to do a live/blog on the Oceania CC Board that would share much on what we see, accomplish and do for Athens, Delphi, Patmos, Rhodes, Cyprus, etc. Plus, lots of pictures!!! And to show the rest of our "journey" in the Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan/Petra, the Middle East, etc.

Keep it coming!! Wonderful sharing as we prepare for our visit to this highly-recognized museum and in Athens.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For Athens and nearby, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples from this city that is so great for seeing its great history, style and architecture. This posting is now at 25,198 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

 

When I saw the item from Cruisemom42 about not being allowed to do any photography within the Acropolis Museum, I nearly hit the "panic button". BUT, I searched more, including at their official website. They note as their policy: "Amateur photography for personal use is permitted throughout the Museum, apart from the Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis on the ground floor and the Archaic Gallery on the first floor, without the use of a flash or additional professional equipment (spotlights, tripod)." They also note: "Professional photography (for commercial, advertising, touristic, research, educational and artistic purposes) requires written approval from the Museum and advance payment of the prescribed fees."

 

Their English website is: www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en

These same policies apply for filming. Part of their concern, legitimately, is that they do not want big set-ups of lighting equipment, tripods, etc. Those photo/filming items could create safety and/or logistic issues for other visitors. Any added clarification by Cruisemom42 as to if I am mis-reading their policies as to what is allowed and done there?

 

It's possible that they have changed the policy to be less restrictive since I last visited the museum. It was only the year after it opened and they were having a hard time with enforcement. (Lots of sneaky phone photos were being taken....). I hope so!

The gift shop on site also sells an excellent "souvenir" type guide (large format but not too many pages) with good photography. I had to settle for that.... :(

Some photography was allowed. The guards were the most vigilant at Level 1 where most of the small artifacts are located. At any point, you can ask one of the many guards if photos are allowed in that area. You can always take photos of the Acropolis through the windows of the top floor.

cruisemom- we must have met at some museum some time!

It's possible that they have changed the policy to be less restrictive since I last visited the museum. It was only the year after it opened and they were having a hard time with enforcement. (Lots of sneaky phone photos were being taken....). I hope so! The gift shop on site also sells an excellent "souvenir" type guide (large format but not too many pages) with good photography. I had to settle for that.... :(

Appreciate this very responsive and quick follow-up from the highly-experienced cruisemom42. Glad that your no-photography situation was a number of years ago. It seems that this popular museum got "practical" and realized that trying to enforce a no-pictures policy in today's smart phone era was "Mission Impossible". Clearly, I will not be using a tripod, flash and/or other equipment and set-ups that would or could create safety issues for the treasures there or other visitors.

Looking forward to capturing lots of visuals there with its exciting architecture, unique building design, great location and world-class artifacts/art.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

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Terry I will make sure I check the Oceania board for your blog as they are always interesting and entertaining.

Marazul and cruisermom42 , thank you for the added information. We are staying in a hotel which is very close to the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museums as we wake early and like to walk. I will definitely time our first walk to the Acropolis to be there for when they open.

I googled the National Archeological Museum and it has also gone onto the list of places to visit. I love those sort of Museums. The museum in Tarquina and the Asian Civilisation Museum in Singapore which are smaller and more personal as well, are amongst my favourites.

Julie

Julie,

in order to see the flag raising, be at the main (Western) entrance of the Acropolis before it opens. If you go in by the Plaka entrance it will take you longer to walk and you might miss it. The soldiers enter near the main tourist gate a few minutes ahead of opening time, so they will be up before you do. The ceremony lasts a few minutes and it ends with the soldiers singing the national anthem before raising the flag.

Of course, make sure you buy your admission tickets ahead of time. We bought ours at the ticket booth by the Plaka entrance around 6 pm the night before. Make sure you specify they are for the next day!

Also, for a great walk before sunset, walk up to the Philopappos monument for a fabulous view of the Acropolis and Athens.

Terry I will make sure I check the Oceania board for your blog as they are always interesting and entertaining. I googled the National Archeological Museum and it has also gone onto the list of places to visit. I love those sort of Museums. The museum in Tarquina and the Asian Civilisation Museum in Singapore which are smaller and more personal as well, are amongst my favourites. Julie

Appreciate so much Julie's kind comments and nice follow-up. Yes, if you will be looking for my live/blog on this upcoming adventure from Athens to Dubai, it will inspire me to do a good job with those postings, visuals, etc. We are really looking forward to seeing the Acropolis Museum in Athens, plus all of the other stops in the Holy Lands, for Egypt, Petra, Middle East, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 230,737 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Julie, in order to see the flag raising, be at the main (Western) entrance of the Acropolis before it opens. If you go in by the Plaka entrance it will take you longer to walk and you might miss it. The soldiers enter near the main tourist gate a few minutes ahead of opening time, so they will be up before you do. The ceremony lasts a few minutes and it ends with the soldiers singing the national anthem before raising the flag.

Of course, make sure you buy your admission tickets ahead of time. We bought ours at the ticket booth by the Plaka entrance around 6 pm the night before. Make sure you specify they are for the next day!

Also, for a great walk before sunset, walk up to the Philopappos monument for a fabulous view of the Acropolis and Athens.

As always, these excellent above tips and insights from the super experienced marazul are much appreciated. I will copy and post these on the thread from key tips and suggestions for Athens. Keep up the great sharing with all of these insights and ideas. Very helpful!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

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I know I’m really late to this discussion, but I’ll throw out my two cents anyway.....

The building is magnificent, and truly plays on the Acropolis itself. Beautiful reflections of the Parthenon in the glass exterior as you walk the pedestrian path circumnavigating the rock, and of course beautiful views of the Acropolis once inside. Original caryatids (the ones at the Erechtheon are replicas due to pollution, acid rain, and corrosion). An empty room awaiting the return of the Elgin marbles. 

BUT MY BEST TIP: if you are short on time, you can still visit the museum for FREE by having lunch in the restaurant. You can cut in front of the security line (just tell them you are there for the restaurant), then get in the “estiatorio” line inside. They’ll give you a ticket (free) allowing you to access the elevators to the second floor. The food is very good, authentic, and reasonably priced. And you get that amazing view, a harpist, and some much-needed A/C. 

On 2/16/2019 at 3:17 AM, GlennaRoseGoes said:

I know I’m really late to this discussion, but I’ll throw out my two cents anyway.....The building is magnificent, and truly plays on the Acropolis itself. Beautiful reflections of the Parthenon in the glass exterior as you walk the pedestrian path circumnavigating the rock, and of course beautiful views of the Acropolis once inside. Original caryatids (the ones at the Erechtheon are replicas due to pollution, acid rain, and corrosion). An empty room awaiting the return of the Elgin marbles. 

BUT MY BEST TIP: if you are short on time, you can still visit the museum for FREE by having lunch in the restaurant. You can cut in front of the security line (just tell them you are there for the restaurant), then get in the “estiatorio” line inside. They’ll give you a ticket (free) allowing you to access the elevators to the second floor. The food is very good, authentic, and reasonably priced. And you get that amazing view, a harpist, and some much-needed A/C. 

Gorgeous,  gorgeous pictures.  Thank you for sharing them!

We are now  planning our first trip to Athens next year.  It will be myself,  my husband, and our 2 children - 13 and 14 at the time of travel.

We will take  a private tour that will  give us an overview of Athens plus a visit to the Parthenon.  And then we'll have the chance to visit either the Acropolis Museum  or the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.  For one  day in port, there is of  course not  time enough to do both.  I have read descriptions of both museums  and understand the different scope and focus.  But for those of you who have visited both, which of the two would you recommend - and why? 

Thank you much!

It is a toss up.  But for one day in port I would lean towards the Acropolis museum to give you the complete experience of the Acropolis.  This would also give you some additional time for the Plaka.   

You don't say how long you are in port or whether your tour is a half-day or full-day.  If you do have a long day in port, you could ask your tour guide to add a quick visit to the NAM to see the Mycenaean treasure, or else go by yourselves after your tour. Better yet, start planning your next trip to Greece. 

On 4/18/2019 at 4:16 PM, Disneyfriend said:

Gorgeous,  gorgeous pictures.  Thank you for sharing them!   We are now  planning our first trip to Athens next year.  It will be myself,  my husband, and our 2 children - 13 and 14 at the time of travel.  We will take  a private tour that will  give us an overview of Athens plus a visit to the Parthenon.  And then we'll have the chance to visit either the Acropolis Museum  or the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.  For one  day in port, there is of  course not  time enough to do both.  I have read descriptions of both museums  and understand the different scope and focus.  But for those of you who have visited both, which of the two would you recommend - and why?   Thank you much!

Nice comments from Disneyfriend and a very good follow-up question.  Agree with the post from marazul as to the trade-offs and pro/con factors to consider.  We have visited both.   Not an easy or simple question to consider.  Much depends on the "depth" of art history knowledge and interest that you and your family have.  The Acropolis Museum is closer and ties in with your visit to the top of this amazing attraction.  Plus, allowing more time for the nearby Plaka.  BUT, the collection at the Acropolis Museum is no where near the depth and variety as to what you would experience at the National Archaeological Museum.  

That National Archaeological Museum is not as fancy, airy, interesting and "new" of a structure as to what is offered at the Acropolis Museum.  It's good you have a private tour for a large part of your day.  That helps with your logistics!!  Tell us more and we are happy to share additional insights, answer any added questions, etc.  

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

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The Acropolis Museum is excellent but my favorite is the National Archaeology Museum (easy to reach via metro). One can actually visit both museums. 

1 hour ago, dogs4fun said:

The Acropolis Museum is excellent but my favorite is the National Archaeology Museum (easy to reach via metro). One can actually visit both museums. 

Excellent above follow-up from dogs4fun.  YES, visiting both museums would be ideal.  But how much times does Disneyfriend have in total for visiting Athens?  If there on just a one-day cruise stop, it does make for challenging choices.  Priorities??

Below are a few more Acropolis Museum visuals that I had not previous posted.  

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

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I may be one of the few cruise tourists to do the following on the day we were in Athens about 10 years ago:  I did a lot of research pre-cruise and laid out a walking tour for myself.  Never went inside anywhere, but had a very full day.  First visited the Temple of Zeus, which was near where the ship's shuttle dropped us off.  Then went thru the nearby National Gardens.  From there walked up to the cable car that runs up to the top Mt. Lykavittos where the views are amazing.  Upon descending from there walked over to Parliament Square.  From there not too far to the Acropolis where I spent some time exploring the ruins.  Walked by the Acropolis Museum, but didn't have time to visit as the shuttle would be leaving soon.

Getting back to Terry's list of European museums:

We've visited the ones indicated--still lots to visit!

Their top 10 Travellers’ Choice Museums in Europe were:

2. The British Museum — London, England  (visited it--overwhelming collections)

6. National Gallery — London, England  (haven't visited, but did visit the Tate Museum which has multiple Turners and Constables, my favorites)

9. Rijksmuseum — Amsterdam, The Netherlands (finally was able to visit in 2017--it was closed for years to rid the place of asbestos)

Terry, thank you for your additional beautiful pictures.  It is obviously a gorgeous, well thought out museum!

Yes, you are right - we are in Athens for just a standard one-day stop on a cruise.  This will be our first and possibly only trip to Greece; it's not exactly a given that we will necessarily make it back there, living as we do in the western United States. 

You asked for more information about us. We are history enthusiasts but not true experts.  I homeschool my children, and we have spent a good amount of time studying the ancient civilizations.  Not that they are experts either, but both kids are reasonably well versed for their age in the history of Greece. My daughter especially loves art,  and my son loves all things military.  They both enjoy history quite a bit, considering their ages.  

Sadly, I think we need to decide between the two museums. While we could technically see both during our visit to Athens,  that would leave us no time to actually visit the Parthenon, get an overview of the city, have lunch, etcetera. So I think we're stuck with having to make a decision between the Parthenon Museum  and the National Archaeological Museum.  

Thanks again for the pictures and for your input!

17 hours ago, Disneyfriend said:

Sadly, I think we need to decide between the two museums. While we could technically see both during our visit to Athens,  that would leave us no time to actually visit the Parthenon, get an overview of the city, have lunch, etcetera. So I think we're stuck with having to make a decision between the Parthenon Museum  and the National Archaeological Museum.  

 

Thanks again for the pictures and for your input!

As a museum lover, and one who has visited the two museums several times each, I would vote for the National Archaeological Museum for a first visit and with children. It covers all of ancient Greece, not just the small area pertaining to the Parthenon. Although it doesn't have the modern and beautiful display galleries of the Acropolis Museum, the CONTENT is far superior.

You should definitely think about seeing only the "highlights" though, as the collection is huge.

Some of the things I will recommend (not all of them are easy to find in the museum):

-- The bronze statue of Poseidon (or Zeus, depending on your interpretation)

-- Beautiful marble statue grouping of Aphrodite, Pan and Eros

-- The gold items excavated from Mycenae by Schliemann (including the gold masks (you can't miss them, they are very near the entry)

-- Collection of Greek drinking vessels known as Rhytons shaped and painted to resemble various animals (very kid friendly)

-- The small scale replica of the statue of Athena Parthenos (the goddess for whom the Parthenon was constructed) that is supposed to be one of the few surviving "copies" of the actual statue (from antiquity) that would have been housed there.

-- Fresco fragments from Akrotiri (on Santorini)

-- The Antikythera Mechanism -- known as the "world's first computer" this sophisticated device was discovered in a shipwreck. Fascinating history. Have your kids read about it in advance (there are also YouTube videos):