The Archaeological Museum of Olympia, one of the most important museums in Greece, exhibits the long history of the most celebrated sanctuary of antiquity, the sanctuary of Zeus, father of both god and man, where the Olympic games were born.

Exhibits of the Archaeological Museum of Olympia

The wealth of finds from the continuing excavations in Olympia by the German Archaeological Institute found a shelter in the neoclassical building the construction of which begun in 1886. This first museum was built with funds granted by the benefactor Andreas Syngros, but was soon found to be inadequate to house the numerous finds, increasing day after day. The edifice of the first museum has been actually transformed to the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of antiquity while Olympia’s New Museum was built on the north side of the Kronios hill. Its construction was completed in 1975.

Through the many exhibits of the permanent exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, the visitor is introduced to the history of the great sanctuary.

The sculpted decoration (metopes and pediments) of the temple of Zeus, the most important example of the Severe Style in Greek art, the statue of Nike by Paionios and the Hermes of Praxiteles are the museum’s pieces de resistance. Equally important is the bronze collection, the richest of its kind in the world.

Olympia’s Archaeological Museum is worldwide renowned as it hosts the richest collection of copper micro art.