The people of Chania have taken care to preserve and secure their great culture. Countless buildings, monuments and sites remain largely unchanged over the years, revealing the important historical background. The most popular and worth-visiting museums that function as guardian of culture can be found below. In addition to that, we will present you some “hidden treasures”.

1. New Archaeological Museum of Chania

In the area of Halepa, is just located the New Archaeological Museum. A totally new place will host the cultural history of the entire prefecture of Chania. It is an imposing and immediately recognizable building (6,000 sq.m.), as befits its public character. The exhibition of the museum is basically structured in five thematic axes with rich audiovisual material examining the history of the museum and the whole archeological research in the Prefecture of Chania.

Address: Skra 15, Chania 731 33
Telephone: 2821 023315

2. Folklore Museum “Cretan House”

The distinctiveness of that museum relied on the fact that it does not contain only collections of heirlooms, old objects and well-preserved utensils, but exact copies of them. Specifically, the founders of the museum, Aspasia Bikaki and Irini Koumandraki, together with their students “copied” traditional designs that have been collected from all over Crete and captures the folklore of the island during the first half of the 20th century. How did the inhabitants of the countryside live? What manners and customs prevailed then? What were their occupations and how look like the embroideries that locals used; are just some of the questions that will be answered with a visit to the “Cretan House”.

Address: Halidon 46, Chania,
Telephone: +30 28210 90816
Working hours: Monday-Saturday 09.00-18.00, Sunday 11.00-18.00

3. Maritime Museum of Crete

The Maritime Museum of Crete is the guardian of the rich maritime tradition of this place, which contributed significantly to the survival and development of the island and the country. The museum exhibition is divided into three thematic sections. The first includes 2,500 collectibles such as paintings, heirlooms, maps, ship models and naval equipment. The second consists of impressive shells from all over the world, while the third focuses on the ancient and traditional shipbuilding, presenting as the main exhibit the famous ship of the Minoan era “Minoa”.

Address: Akti Koundourioti, Chania
Telephone: +30 28210 91875
Opening hours: Monday-Friday 09.00-19.00

4. The house of Halepa & the tombs Venizelos’s family

Eleftherios Venizelos was a prominent leading figure who defined the history not only of the island but of the entire Greece, as Prime Minister. Born and raised in Halepa, he spent over 30 years of his life in his family home there. It is a two-storey mansion, one of the few of the time, with impressive gardens that remain manicured till now. Over the years, the house has “changed” many hosts; among the new tenants are several foreign diplomats and officers. Unfortunately, the mansion was bombed in 1941 by the Germans, but they themselves decided to restore it in order to be the headquarters and residence of the current German Commander of the Fortress of Crete. Today, the Venizelos House, with innumerable personal items placed in their original position, functions as a museum.

A few kilometers east of the house, are the Tombs of Venizelos family- especially Eleftherios and his son Sophocles. The burial place was suggested by Eleftherios Venizelos himself due to its proximity to his family home. Riveting enough is the fact that he had already declaimed his eulogy during a speech in Parliament in 1932. You will find his speech engraved next to his grave.

October 1st – June 14th
Monday – Saturday: 11.00 – 13.30
Monday – Friday: 18.00 – 20.00

5. Museum of Asia Minor in Chania (Agios Polykarpos)

The Museum of Asia Minor in Chania exhibits family heirlooms of the Greeks of Asia Minor that were donated in order to create this place of memory and promotion of the culture of Asia Minor.

6. Municipal Art Gallery of Chania

The Art Gallery of Chania does not obey the museum character as much as the other museums we have seen above, but adopts the idea of an art place, where various manifestations of Art, Science and Speech can coexist, drawing support and inspiration from each other.

Opening hours:
Closed on Monday.
Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm & 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Telephone: +30 28210 92294 & +30 28210 92419

7. Museum of Typography

The Museum of Typography, which located in the Souda Craft Park, has been created to remind us that typography is one of the greatest human inventions. In an interactive way, the visitors learn the story behind the typography. Presses that were used in the past are on display, while the visitors even have the opportunity to print, experiencing the whole process.

Telephone: +30 28210 80090
Email: [email protected].

8. Museum of Chemistry of Chania

Apart from places of art and culture, in Chania we find a museum dedicated to science, to be precise, to the science of chemistry. Essentially, this is a representation of the First Public Chemistry of Greece where the visitors will see the collection of instruments and devices of the pioneer for the time (1895) of the chemical scientist, Ioannis Vamvakas.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday (working hours)
Address: El. Venizelou and Char. Trikoupi, Chania
Telephone: +30 28210 42504

8. Museum of Cretan Herbs

One of the most “alternative” museums you can visit is definitely the Museum of Cretan Herbs, in Kolimbari, Chania. With over of 6,000 Cretan herbs, it attracts many researchers, pupils, students and the general public throughout the year. Responsible for the collection of herbs is the French Professor of Botany, Jacques Saffron, who seeks to highlight the diversity of Cretan flora but also to awaken the world regarding the protection of endangered species.

Address: Kolimbari, Chania
Telephone: +30 28240 22500
Opening hours: Monday-Friday 09.00-14.30