Museo Archeologico Regionale di Agrigento
Museo Archeologico Regionale di Agrigento
Museo Archeologico Regionale di Agrigento
4.5
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
Museum that features Phoenician, Greek, Etruscan, Carthaginian and Roman remains, including impressive sculptures from the Selinunte archeological area.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
902 reviews
Excellent
463
Very good
289
Average
97
Poor
25
Terrible
28
Blue J
Havre de Grace, MD765 contributions
Jul 2021
Outstanding curated collection in a very nice building. There are troves of antiquities to gawk at in this lovely museum. They hold quite a few of the treasures from the Valley of the Temples so this is a great place to visit in conjunction with the Valley of the Temples.
You will get artifact overload here as there is so much to see. Do not miss the display that shows one of the pillars that they believe would have been used for the temple of Zeus at the Valley of the Temples. It is a testament to the skills of the ancients to create such a massive ornament.
I believe they also have the oldest image of the symbol of Sicily here. Again, there is so much to see, having a plan before visitation is a good idea to make sure you see the highlights. Do not miss the white funeral urn in the urn collection. It is like no other urn we have ever seen. The museum does a great job of signage on it.
Definitely a worthwhile visit for those into antiquities and for giving your Valley of the Temples visit context. The negatives are that there were no observable drinking fountains. The bathrooms are on the basement level and not readily accessible. They need a better and bigger gift shop. No cafe to grab a bite to eat or a drink. Plan at least 2 hrs to adequately see the museum. Photography is difficult because of the glare off of the exhibit cases.
You will get artifact overload here as there is so much to see. Do not miss the display that shows one of the pillars that they believe would have been used for the temple of Zeus at the Valley of the Temples. It is a testament to the skills of the ancients to create such a massive ornament.
I believe they also have the oldest image of the symbol of Sicily here. Again, there is so much to see, having a plan before visitation is a good idea to make sure you see the highlights. Do not miss the white funeral urn in the urn collection. It is like no other urn we have ever seen. The museum does a great job of signage on it.
Definitely a worthwhile visit for those into antiquities and for giving your Valley of the Temples visit context. The negatives are that there were no observable drinking fountains. The bathrooms are on the basement level and not readily accessible. They need a better and bigger gift shop. No cafe to grab a bite to eat or a drink. Plan at least 2 hrs to adequately see the museum. Photography is difficult because of the glare off of the exhibit cases.
Written 10 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carl H
41 contributions
Sept 2022
If you are in Agrigento to see the Temples, then a visit to this museum is a must. The historical pieces help you more completely understand the culture and beliefs of the Greeks and locals who lived there. Plan to spend a couple of hours.
Written 18 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carlos R
Houston, TX83 contributions
Feb 2020
Very extensive collection of beautiful and important pieces. We were blown away. Also the receptionist was very nice to us and helped us book a tour of the catacombs with a guide named Alessandra. We absolutely loved everything we saw in Agrigento. GRAZIE!!!
Written 29 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maggie S
Sydney, Australia45 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Fantastic museum which is a must-see after you view the ruined temples! I could have spent a lot more time here, but what we saw was amazing! Good signage in English explaining all the artefacts that were found in the surrounding area.
Written 8 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WAW-YMX-YUL
Montreal69 contributions
Mar 2018 • Solo
Not to be missed in Agrigento, this museum is pretty impressive by both quantity and quality of exhibits. You may be surprised how many things and rooms there are!
Museum is choke full of artifacts, history and beauty from amphorae to sarcophaguses to coins and everything in between. Yes, the layout can sometimes be confusing but it's manageable. There is a basement and main floor.
TIPS:
1. I advise you visit the museum in conjunction with your visit to the Valley of The Temples (you can buy a combined ticket and save... visit each attraction once in a 3-day period).
2. Not to be missed (you can enter and visit for free even without a museum ticket) is the Greek Theater, interior court, gardens (with beautiful vegetation, ancient sculptures and ruins) and church around the museum building.
If you found the above helpful, please click THANK button below!
Museum is choke full of artifacts, history and beauty from amphorae to sarcophaguses to coins and everything in between. Yes, the layout can sometimes be confusing but it's manageable. There is a basement and main floor.
TIPS:
1. I advise you visit the museum in conjunction with your visit to the Valley of The Temples (you can buy a combined ticket and save... visit each attraction once in a 3-day period).
2. Not to be missed (you can enter and visit for free even without a museum ticket) is the Greek Theater, interior court, gardens (with beautiful vegetation, ancient sculptures and ruins) and church around the museum building.
If you found the above helpful, please click THANK button below!
Written 10 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DrBenStafford
Beaumont, TX172 contributions
Dec 2015 • Couples
We visited the Museo Archeologico Regionale di Agrigento in December of 2015 and we were very pleased with the visit. The museum is on the SP4 as it winds up the hill from San Leone to Agrigento. When you’re turning off of the SP 4, don’t take the uphill path that leads to San Nicole church. Go a bit further and you’ll see a paved/dirt road/trail going off to the left with a blue parking sign.
If you’re on a scooter you can turn left off of the SP 4 and go down this trail. As you go, the entrance to the museum complex is on your left and the parking area is on your right. The parking area is slightly higher than this trail and it is surrounded by hedges. There are multiple small paths where people have pushed through the hedges from the parking lot to enter the main trail. I drove up this trail and then walked the scooter up one of the small paths and entered the parking this way.
If you’re in a car procced forward just a little more and the SP 4 will intersect the via passeggiata archeologica. The SP 4 will turn left and you want to follow it around the turn. You will see an Esso gas station on your left and the entrance to the car park is just prior to the gas station. You can see all of this in detail if you google the museum on google maps.
The museum houses a very large collection of material about the ancient City of Akragas and there are many examples of pottery from the different ages. If you are a scholar in this study area you will find all you need to document the changes in pottery in this area over time and how the pottery was effected by new cultures as they came to or traded with the area.
There are two things in this museum that you must see and one of them you must see before you go and visit the archeological park and see the actual temples.
First, in the main room of the museum is a reconstructed telamon from the Temple of the Olympian Zeus and then the model of where the telemoni fit into the temple when it was whole. Because the Temple of Zeus exists only in ruins with mostly only its foundations showing, it is impossible to appreciate what it was if you don’t see this example of its immense size and beauty first.
Second, on the side of the museum next to the church you must look out onto the amphitheater. You can see because of its size that it couldn’t have been a theater for the populous and was in fact the meeting place of the local Roman senate. The theater looks to be in fairly good repair but you are not allowed to actually walk in it. Once you’ve seen this theater and realized that it was the local seat of government, it gives new meaning to all of the Roman ruins you see right across the street. Suddenly they don’t appear to be meaningless humps of stone that could have been the outlines of a small village, they appear to be a piece of what must have been a very large town.
When we visited the museum we had an English speaking guide named Sarah. I found Sarah through Tours by Locals. It is well worth having Sara with you to explain what you are seeing both here and in the archeological park as you view the temples.
If you’re on a scooter you can turn left off of the SP 4 and go down this trail. As you go, the entrance to the museum complex is on your left and the parking area is on your right. The parking area is slightly higher than this trail and it is surrounded by hedges. There are multiple small paths where people have pushed through the hedges from the parking lot to enter the main trail. I drove up this trail and then walked the scooter up one of the small paths and entered the parking this way.
If you’re in a car procced forward just a little more and the SP 4 will intersect the via passeggiata archeologica. The SP 4 will turn left and you want to follow it around the turn. You will see an Esso gas station on your left and the entrance to the car park is just prior to the gas station. You can see all of this in detail if you google the museum on google maps.
The museum houses a very large collection of material about the ancient City of Akragas and there are many examples of pottery from the different ages. If you are a scholar in this study area you will find all you need to document the changes in pottery in this area over time and how the pottery was effected by new cultures as they came to or traded with the area.
There are two things in this museum that you must see and one of them you must see before you go and visit the archeological park and see the actual temples.
First, in the main room of the museum is a reconstructed telamon from the Temple of the Olympian Zeus and then the model of where the telemoni fit into the temple when it was whole. Because the Temple of Zeus exists only in ruins with mostly only its foundations showing, it is impossible to appreciate what it was if you don’t see this example of its immense size and beauty first.
Second, on the side of the museum next to the church you must look out onto the amphitheater. You can see because of its size that it couldn’t have been a theater for the populous and was in fact the meeting place of the local Roman senate. The theater looks to be in fairly good repair but you are not allowed to actually walk in it. Once you’ve seen this theater and realized that it was the local seat of government, it gives new meaning to all of the Roman ruins you see right across the street. Suddenly they don’t appear to be meaningless humps of stone that could have been the outlines of a small village, they appear to be a piece of what must have been a very large town.
When we visited the museum we had an English speaking guide named Sarah. I found Sarah through Tours by Locals. It is well worth having Sara with you to explain what you are seeing both here and in the archeological park as you view the temples.
Written 31 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patrick C
Santa Fe, NM164 contributions
Dec 2019
This is a sprawling museum of great collections starting with original sculpture, Greek pottery and art from the Valley of Temples just below it. Easy to walk to from the hotels. It includes a lot of even more ancient ceramics from the area that tell you what was there before Bronze Age Greece arrived!
Written 26 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sinjoorAntwerp
Antwerp288 contributions
Dec 2015 • Couples
This is a museum in a small town on an island, far far away from Rome …
So read the negative reviews : they inform you about the downsides. Difficult to reach, no support : relatively clean toilets, but no resting area, no drinking water, apparently hot in summer (we visited in winter), problems with parking. Personally I found the explications enough, but the lay-out and the information could certainly be improved.
But, BUT …
the collection contains lots and lots of absolute masterpieces. It is true that the collection is large and so it can be difficult to select the more impressive pieces and one easily get lost in the abundance. One might consider visiting with a guide. We preferred to do it on our own.
If possible I will certainly return, again on my own.
So be prepared : come by bus or have somebody drop you, bring your own drinking water, bring even magnifying glasses when in doubt you can distinguish the details easily without, and make sure you have enough time to go slowly and let it all sink in, from the very early treasures to the absolute highlights of the big vases, and make your own pictures as they do not sell any postcards …
It is a bit of work to visit this museum, but I encourage you from the bottom of my heart, very rewarding
So read the negative reviews : they inform you about the downsides. Difficult to reach, no support : relatively clean toilets, but no resting area, no drinking water, apparently hot in summer (we visited in winter), problems with parking. Personally I found the explications enough, but the lay-out and the information could certainly be improved.
But, BUT …
the collection contains lots and lots of absolute masterpieces. It is true that the collection is large and so it can be difficult to select the more impressive pieces and one easily get lost in the abundance. One might consider visiting with a guide. We preferred to do it on our own.
If possible I will certainly return, again on my own.
So be prepared : come by bus or have somebody drop you, bring your own drinking water, bring even magnifying glasses when in doubt you can distinguish the details easily without, and make sure you have enough time to go slowly and let it all sink in, from the very early treasures to the absolute highlights of the big vases, and make your own pictures as they do not sell any postcards …
It is a bit of work to visit this museum, but I encourage you from the bottom of my heart, very rewarding
Written 12 December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dalton1skiing
London2,698 contributions
Nov 2015 • Couples
Having been to museums in Rome & Naples, I think my expectations were a little high. This museum is very good however, just on a much smaller and less grand scale in comparison. Predominately clay objects, pots, bowls, lamps with coins & spears etc. Objects are well laid out in cabinets and the signage is in Italian, English & a few in French. Everything was very clean, although the bathrooms were a little grim. Some of the lights above the displays weren’t working, which left some display cases dark and difficult to see into. We were there early Nov, & we were the only tourists in there. Presumably in Summer its busier. I expected to see large heads & bodies taken from around the temples, but the only figure we saw was a giant man that once held up the temples.
If you are coming from Agrigento town, the bus collects at the main bus stop, then stops at the train station, before heading down the hill. For the museum, you want the 2nd bus stop, after the station. If going to the Temples, its the 3rd stop. We didnt realise it was so close, and ended up staying on the entire bus journey, around the beaches and towns, before it headed back to Agrigento. The bus whizzes down the road rather quickly, and even though the drivers knew where we wanted to go, and we were obviously tourists, never stopped or mentioned the museum or temples to us. Another couple did the same thing & missed the temple stop. En-route back up the hill towards the museum, I pressed the stop button long before we got there. The driver was so busy talking to a fellow passenger, that he didn’t stop at all. This meant we were on the bus for nearly an hour going around. The museum isn’t obviously from the road, although we did see 1 sign nearby. Its worth a visit if in the area anyway, but I'm glad we didn’t travel from palermo/Catania etc just to see it.
If you are coming from Agrigento town, the bus collects at the main bus stop, then stops at the train station, before heading down the hill. For the museum, you want the 2nd bus stop, after the station. If going to the Temples, its the 3rd stop. We didnt realise it was so close, and ended up staying on the entire bus journey, around the beaches and towns, before it headed back to Agrigento. The bus whizzes down the road rather quickly, and even though the drivers knew where we wanted to go, and we were obviously tourists, never stopped or mentioned the museum or temples to us. Another couple did the same thing & missed the temple stop. En-route back up the hill towards the museum, I pressed the stop button long before we got there. The driver was so busy talking to a fellow passenger, that he didn’t stop at all. This meant we were on the bus for nearly an hour going around. The museum isn’t obviously from the road, although we did see 1 sign nearby. Its worth a visit if in the area anyway, but I'm glad we didn’t travel from palermo/Catania etc just to see it.
Written 6 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YRoseC
Petaluma, CA38 contributions
Nov 2021
I am not sure why this listing says that the museum is closed because I just visited it on November 12, 2021 with my family. Maybe it is now closed for the off-season or COVID or something.
I highly recommend visiting this museum. I saw that another reviewer said to come before touring the Valley of Temples. I politely disagree. I suggest instead touring the Valley of Temples first thing in the morning -- because if you go to the Valley of Temples early, you will miss some of the crowds and intense afternoon sun. Yes, even in November, by about 11:30 am -- we were starting to melt in the intense outdoor sunlight. After a long morning walking the Valley of Temples, go have a relaxing lunch -- preferably somewhere in town in Agrigento. Then, plan a leisurely afternoon visit to the museum. It houses a truly extensive collection and viewing it will really enhance your appreciation for the Greek and Roman history that you saw at the Valley of Temples.
I highly recommend visiting this museum. I saw that another reviewer said to come before touring the Valley of Temples. I politely disagree. I suggest instead touring the Valley of Temples first thing in the morning -- because if you go to the Valley of Temples early, you will miss some of the crowds and intense afternoon sun. Yes, even in November, by about 11:30 am -- we were starting to melt in the intense outdoor sunlight. After a long morning walking the Valley of Temples, go have a relaxing lunch -- preferably somewhere in town in Agrigento. Then, plan a leisurely afternoon visit to the museum. It houses a truly extensive collection and viewing it will really enhance your appreciation for the Greek and Roman history that you saw at the Valley of Temples.
Written 30 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the museo archeologico regionale open on Mondays?
Written 18 March 2018
Is the Museo Archeologico Regionale open on Mondays?
Written 18 March 2018
Look it up on the site. How do you expect a one-time tourist to know something like this?
Written 22 March 2018
Gracias, me interesaria saber si hay un transporte publico desde el centro de Agrigento y si los billetes para la entrada se pueden sacar por internet y antes de viajar.
Written 25 November 2017
Vorrei sapere se il museo sara' aperto a sabato 26 e domenica 27 marzo e con che orari.
Grazie
Written 20 March 2016
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