The world's best archaeology & antiquity museums
Archaeology and antiquity museums display the physical evidence of ancient civilisations — pottery shards, carved reliefs, jewellery, tools and monumental sculpture excavated from sites around the world. These collections connect us to the very origins of human culture.
14 museums across 10 countries and 13 cities, ranked by our editorial composite of TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice, AECOM/TEA attendance data and coverage in Condé Nast Traveler, Time Out, National Geographic and The Times.
About archaeology & antiquity museums
Many of the world's great archaeology museums were founded in the 19th century, when systematic excavation began to reveal the scale of ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and pre-Columbian cultures. Today they face complex questions about provenance and repatriation while continuing to preserve irreplaceable artefacts. Our ranking reflects the depth and significance of their collections, the quality of interpretation and the museum's role in ongoing archaeological scholarship.
The top-ranked archaeology & antiquity museum on our list is Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece. Explore all 14 museums in this category above, or browse our full Top 50 ranking for a cross-category overview.