Museums in Sparti

The long history of Sparti and the rich culture of the area is well presented in the two museums of this town. The Archaeological Museum of Sparti is quite small but it has valuable exhibits. These exhibits were collected from the excavations in the site of ancient Sparta, from the ancient temple of Apollo Amykleos and from other sites all over Laconia.

This interesting museum is housed in a Neoclassical building in the center of the town. This building dates from 1871 and its entrance path is lined with statues on both sides. The rooms of this museum house marble statues depicting local heroes, kings, and scenes from daily life. A beautiful yard around the museum also has ancient statues and inscriptions. Very impressive is the marble statue of a lion that stands in the yard.

Of special interest is also the Museum of Olive Tree and Olive Oil, the only museum of this kind in Greece. It is located in the center of Sparti and presents the procedure of olive oil making using traditional and modern ways. The olive oil is the most popular product of Sparti and it is considered as the best high-quality olive oil in Greece, along with the oil of Crete.