Museen

Natural History Museum of Crete

Heraklion, Heraklion · Free

Route

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

Facilities

Eintritt

About

Cretan nature and an earthquake simulator.

The Natural History Museum of Crete in Heraklion is run by the University of Crete. It is housed in a restored old power station by the sea, west of the harbour.

The exhibitions cover the flora, fauna and geology of Crete and the eastern Mediterranean. Highlights include life-size models of the dwarf elephants and hippos that once lived on Crete, a dinosaur hall with moving models, and an earthquake simulator that shows what a strong earthquake feels like. There's also a discovery centre for children.

The museum is great for families and makes a good rainy day activity.

The museum's building is a former power station on the seafront, and the location is handy: it's a pleasant walk along the coast from the old harbour. Allow one and a half to two hours, more if you have children who want to try everything in the discovery centre. There's a small shop and a cafe. It's one of the best options in Heraklion for a hot afternoon or a rare rainy day.

Around Heraklion

Nearest town: Heraklion, about 2 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 6 km by road

Heraklion is the heart of Minoan Crete and the island’s busiest region. Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum are the two places almost everyone visits, and they work well together on one day. In the south, the wide Messara plain holds the palace of Phaistos, the Roman ruins of Gortyna and the famous caves above the bay of Matala. More about Heraklion