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That is not a complaint about Knossos. It is the reason these two visits belong to each other, and the reason the museum is not an optional extra for anyone who cares what the palaces were.
What is in it
The collection covers Cretan history from the Neolithic onward, but the Minoan rooms are why people come:
- The frescoes from Knossos, including the bull-leaping scene, restored on plaster and displayed at a height that lets you see the brushwork.
- The Phaistos Disc, a fired clay disc stamped with symbols that remain undeciphered, from the palace at Phaistos.
- Faience figurines, gold jewellery, seal stones and stone vessels of a quality that changes what you assume about the Bronze Age.
- Linear A and Linear B tablets, the administrative records that make the palaces legible as institutions rather than ruins.
The order that works
See the museum after the palace if you want the objects to land, or before it if you want to read the site rather than wander it. Both defensible; what does not work is skipping one.
The Ministry has sold Knossos and the museum on a combined ticket, which is the arrangement most visitors use. Terms change, so take the current position at the ticket desk rather than from a page.
Practical notes
- Allow two hours. It is a large museum and the Minoan rooms alone absorb an hour and a half at a normal pace.
- It is indoors and air-conditioned, which makes it the right move in the middle of a hot day, exactly when the open sites are worst.
- It sits in central Heraklion, walkable from the old harbour and the main square, so it slots into a town day rather than needing one of its own.
- Photography rules and hours change. Check on the day.
Last checked August 2026. Hours, tickets and displays change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Are the Knossos frescoes at Knossos or in Heraklion?
The originals are in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. What you see on the walls at the palace are reproductions.
How long do you need at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum?
About two hours for the full museum, or ninety minutes if you concentrate on the Minoan rooms.
Should you visit Knossos or the museum first?
Either works. The palace first gives the objects context; the museum first gives you a way to read the site. Doing only one leaves half the story.
What is the Phaistos Disc?
A fired clay disc stamped on both sides with symbols, found at the palace of Phaistos and still undeciphered. It is displayed in the museum.
Is the museum worth it in hot weather?
It is one of the best options in the heat: indoors, air-conditioned, and best visited in the middle of the day when the open archaeological sites are hardest.
Next
Read things to do in Crete, Knossos, or Phaistos.