Museums in Samos

Samos is an island with a long history and rich culture. Since the ancient times, it was famous for the Sanctuary of Hera, the Heraion as it was called, and as the birthplace of the mathematician Pythagoras. Most findings from the Sanctuary of Heraion are hosted in the Archaeological Museum of Pythagorion, which was actually inaugurated in May 2010. Another interesting archaeological museum with findings from excavations around the island is found in Vathy, the capital of Samos.

Apart from archaeological museums, there are also museums of other types in Samos. Particularly interesting is the small, private Fossil Museum in the mountainous village of Mytilini and the Folklore Museum in Pythagorion.

The Archaeological Museum of Vathy is located close to the port. It hosts findings from excavations on the island that date from the Prehistoric till the Hellenistic times. The most impressive exhibit is the Colossal Kouros, a man statue of 5.5 m tall.

This collection is housed in the Town Hall of Pythagorion. It contains sculptures, inscriptions, statues and fragments of graves dating back to the Archaic and the Roman period.

The Museum of Samos Wine is housed in a magnificent 19th-century stone building, which originally operated as a private winery and later as a warehouse and barrel-making facility.
Turned into a Museum in 2005, it displays artifacts of the defining history of Samos wine.

This Folklore Museum is housed in Doryssa Bay Hotel and depicts daily life on the island since the Second World War. It includes agricultural tools, clothes, furniture, and other exhibits.

The Museum of Natural History is located in the village of Mytilini and hosts a private collection. Its exhibits include fossils from animals that lived on Samos island millions of years ago. Moreover, there is a collection of minerals and rare stones.

The tannery museum is located in Karlovasi. It presents a sector which was at its highest peak from the beginning of the century until a few decades ago. The museum is housed in an old leather processing factory.