Chania Archaeological Museum of Kissamos

Location: Kissamos
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

Comfortably situated at the center of the coastal town of Kissamos, the Archaeological Museum of Kissamos is housed in the old Venetian-Ottoman headquarters on Tzanakaki Square. Opened in 2005, this small yet imposing building holds artifacts from the ancient history of western Crete.

The museum contains seven rooms across two floors, with its collection including findings from the Minoan times all the way up to the 4th century CE, spanning a total of 2000 years!
Some of the most impressive finds shown here include a number of mosaics that once decorated the floors of wealthy people’s homes, especially during the Roman period on the island. A collection of larger and smaller ceramics is also on display, as are many examples of ancient jewelry, coinage, and grave goods.
A notable item displayed at Kissamos is the Tylifos Stele, a peace treaty recorded between the cities of Falassarna and Polyrrhenia in 290 BCE.

The entrance of the Museum offers a small presentation on the devastating earthquake that hit Crete in 365 CE, which deformed many of the island’s western landscapes and caused local political and commercial power to wane.

Visiting hours are between 08:30 and 15:30 every day, except Tuesdays.