The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes occupies the Hospital of the Knights, a fifteenth-century building at the bottom of the Street of the Knights, and the setting is half the pleasure. Its vaulted halls, stone stairs and arcaded courtyard were built to treat the sick and the wounded, and they now hold the finest collection of ancient finds from the island. Rhodes was once one of the richest and most cultured cities of the Greek world, with three great city states, Lindos, Ialyssos and Kamiros, later united in the city of Rhodes. The museum shows how they lived and what they believed: statues of gods and athletes, funerary stelae and monuments, painted pottery, and a large collection of storage jars. The courtyard displays Hellenistic mosaic floors taken from villas, which are especially vivid in daylight. A visit is calm and not at all overwhelming.
Plan on an hour. Walk first into the courtyard, then climb to the upper galleries, where the arcade gives a view of the garden below. Look for finds from Ialyssos and Kamiros, which tell the story of the island before the Knights arrived, and for the statues, which include fine marble works from the Hellenistic period, when the school of sculpture on Rhodes was among the most admired in the Greek world. The labels are in Greek and English, and the museum is calm enough that you will rarely queue.
Opening times follow the culture ministry calendar. From 1 November to 31 March the museum is open roughly half past eight to half past three, closed on Tuesdays, and also on public holidays including 1 January, 25 March, Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday, 1 May, and 25 and 26 December. In winter some areas, such as the prehistoric and epigraphical exhibition and the Villaragut mansion, are closed. In summer hours are longer, so check the ministry page for the current schedule before you go.
Why go
It makes a good rainy-day stop and an excellent companion to a walk along the Street of the Knights, because the museum is the first building you reach at the bottom. It gives context for what you will see at Lindos and Filerimos, where the ancient city of Ialyssos once stood. The building is old, with steps and uneven stone, so access for wheelchairs is limited in places. The museum shop is small but useful for books on the island. A tidy plan is museum first, then up the street to the palace.
What to expect
The experience
A self-guided museum visit through vaulted halls and an arcaded courtyard, with statues, funerary monuments, pottery and mosaic floors from ancient Rhodes.
Best time
Mornings, before the mid-afternoon winter closing, and on any day except Tuesday.
How long
About one hour.
Tips
Check the winter hours and the list of closed holidays, start at the courtyard mosaics, and pair the visit with the Street of the Knights.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Visitors who want the ancient Greek story of Rhodes behind the medieval walls.
- Families
- Calm and uncrowded; older children enjoy the statues and the mosaics, younger ones prefer the courtyard.
- Couples
- A quiet hour, followed by a coffee on a nearby Old Town square.
- Pair with
- The Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master and Filerimos hill.
- Time needed
- One hour.
Good questions
Is the Archaeological Museum open on Tuesdays?+
In the winter season, from 1 November to 31 March, it is closed on Tuesdays. Public holidays such as 25 December and Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday are also closing days.
Where is the museum?+
In the Old Town, in the former Hospital of the Knights at the bottom of the Street of the Knights.
What can I see there?+
Finds from the ancient cities of Ialyssos and Kamiros, a notable collection of statues, ancient storage jars and Hellenistic mosaic floors in the courtyard.
How long does a visit take?+
About an hour, a little more if you read the labels closely and stay in the courtyard.
Is the museum suitable for children?+
Yes, for those with some interest in history. The halls are quiet and uncrowded, though there are steps and uneven floors.
