The museum contains the most celebrated collection of Minoan art and cultural antiquities anywhere in the world, bringing together over 15,000 historical artifacts, large and small, from all over Crete. Curated both chronologically and thematically across nearly 30 rooms, the collection tells the story of cultural, social, and economic life on the island during ancient times.
Along with everyday items like household utensils, pottery, and jewelry, the museum also showcases an impressive range of sculptures, as well as famous pieces like the golden bee pendant, golden ring of King Minos, Hagia Triada sarcophagus, and famous Linear B tablets from Knossos. The museum building was constructed in the 1930s on the original site of the Friary of St. Francis, which was destroyed by a 19th-century earthquake. Wander the gardens to glimpse some of the former friary ruins.