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Museum · Olímpia, Grécia Ocidental
Museu da História dos Jogos Olímpicos da Antiguidade
In the 1888 neoclassical building that was Olímpia's first museum, an exhibition about the ancient Games: the events, the victors, women in sport, Zeus and the other pan-Hellenic games, with pieces on loan from museums across Greece.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Museu da História dos Jogos Olímpicos da Antiguidade
The building on the hill above the village of Archaia Olympia was Olímpia's first museum and one of the earliest provincial museums in Greece, built in 1888 with funds from the banker Andreas Syngros to house the finds from the German excavations. When the collection moved to the new museum in 1982, the building stood empty until it was restored for the Athens Games and reopened with an exhibition on the history of the Games in Antiquity.
The exhibition explains how the Games worked: the prehistory of sport in Greece, the start of the competitions at Olímpia in 776 BC, the cult of Zeus, the role of the city of Elis in organization, the events (running, long jump, discus, javelin, wrestling, boxing, pankration, chariot races), training, prizes and victors. There is a section on women and sport, with the Heraean Games, and another on the other major games — at Delphi, Nemea and Isthmia — and on Athens' Panathenaia.
The objects come from Olímpia and from loans from museums across Greece: vases with athlete scenes, stone and bronze jumping weights and discs, strigils for scraping oil off the body, statuettes of runners and inscriptions with champions' names. It complements the site, being more didactic than the archaeological museum and good for visitors with children.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
45 minutes to 1 hour.
Best time
In the late afternoon, after the site and the archaeological museum, because it's in the village and close to the hotels. The museum usually closes one day a week; check before you go.
How to get there
It sits on the hill above the village of Archaia Olympia, a few minutes' walk from the main street, Praxitelous Kondyli, up a short climb. The archaeological site is a 15-minute walk downhill.
Tip
The same site ticket usually applies here; keep it. Go up at the end of the day: the building's balcony looks over the Alfeu valley. Combine it with the Museu de Arquimedes in the village for an evening devoted to ancient technology and sport.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Museu da História dos Jogos Olímpicos da Antiguidade
What is the difference between this museum and the Museu Arqueológico?
The Museu Arqueológico shows the sculptures and finds from the sanctuary, such as the Hermes by Praxíteles. This museum, in the 1888 building, explains the Games: the events, the rules, the athletes and the prizes, with pieces from various Greek museums.
Is the museum near the site?
It is in the village of Archaia Olympia, on top of a hill, about a 15-minute walk from the entrance to the archaeological site.
Did women take part in the ancient Games?
Not in the Olympic Games, which were reserved for men; married women were not even allowed to attend. There were the Heraea games, with races for young women, which the museum presents in a dedicated section.