The Acropolis Museum celebrates its 9th anniversary today, June 20. Museum officials have decided to keep the museum exhibits open until midnight, with admission free after 8 pm.
According to the news from the museum’s press directorate, visitors will have the opportunity to see the temporary exhibition “Eleusis: The Great Mysteries” guided by the Museum’s archaeologists. For those unfamiliar, Eleusis (Greek: Elefsina) is a town and municipality in West Attica, Greece, at the northernmost end of the Saronic Gulf.
The exhibition presents the most important artifacts brought to light by the archaeological excavation in Eleusis, such as the unique statue of the “Fleeing Persephone” (around 480 BC), the votive relief depicting Demeter and Kore (Persephone)(470-450 BC) and ceremonial vessels, such as kernos, plemochoe and thymiaterion, as well as monuments depicting the leading figures of the great mysteries, Hierophant and Dadouchos.
At 9 pm the City of Athens Big Band will perform at the museum entrance at 21.00. As for admission to the temporary exhibition, the cost is 3 euros and space is limited, so registration is required at the museum’s Information Desk. Tours in English will be held at 12.30 and 17.30.
The new Acropolis Museum was designed by Bernard Tschumi to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. The museum currently houses some 4,250+ artifacts and welcomes over one and a half million visitors each year.