MYKONOS - MUSEUMS

Most of the museums of Mykonos are located at Enoplon Dynameon Street which is one of the busiest streets of Mykonos town during the summer. To reach this area is fairly straightforward, at the seafront, turn right by the ferry ticket office into Matogianni Street, walk the length of this street and turn right at the end - this is Enopolon Dynameon Street.

Archaeological Museum

Located adjacent to the town`s commercial harbor this museum houses marble sculptures, ceramics and jewelry, recovered from the islands of Delos, Rhinia and Mykonos. Built in 1900, the museum was initially destined to house the findings from the excavation of the `purification pit` in Delos dating from the 5th century and the necropolis of Rhinia.

In the winter of 426/425 b.c, the Athenians decided to `purify` the island of Delos. They opened up all the tombs on the island and transferred all remains of the deceased and all offerings buried with them to a large pit in Rhinia. Then they declared Delos a sacred island and said that no one was allowed to be born or die on Delos. Pregnant women, citizens struck by serious illness or injury and old people were to be moved to Rhinia also. The `Purification Pit` was discovered and excavated by Dimitris Stavropoulos in 1898-1900 and all findings are exhibited in the museum. Included in this collection is a large ceramic vase `Pithos of Mykonos`, a 7th century vessel with relieved decorations representing scenes from the Trojan wars.

The Museum is open every day from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, except Mondays and on major public holidays.

Aegean Maritime Museum

The Aegean Maritime Museum is housed in a traditional Mykonian building of the 19th century located at the center of the Town of Mykonos, in the area known as Tria Pigadia. The building was the home of the legendary Master of the merchant ship "Enosis", Nikolaos Sourmelis, who assisted the Cretans during their war of independence from the Ottoman Empire. The museum displays models of a collection of ships from the pre-Minoan period through to the 19th century and nautical and ancient artifacts related to the history of shipping on Mykonos. Located by the Three Wells, next door to Lena`s House, this museum displays scale models of various rowing boats, sailing vessels and steam-powered ships which, in turn, from Prehistoric times until the present, have traversed the Aegean. Also there is a rich collection of maps and other engravings can be seen a collection of reproductions of ancient gravestones, carved with sea-themes; there, as well, is the tower with the mechanism of the Armenisti Lighthouse (1889). The `EVANGELISTRIA,` a traditional sailing vessel belonging to the museum, is moored every summer in the old harbor where it may be boarded by interested visitors.

Open from April to October
every day, 10:30 am to 1:00 pm and evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

Folklore Museum

Located in the Venetian castle (called Kastro), the Folklore Museum of Mykonos was founded on May 1958 and is housed in the 18th century house of a sea captain and displays a rich collection folklore items. There are six main exhibition halls which house collections of antique furniture, Byzantine icons, Folkloric ceramics, historical commemorative plates, decorative prints and gravures, as well as embroidered and hard-woven fabrics, locks and keys, weights and measures, a lovely collection of model boats, and other historical artifacts. There are also import archives of manuscripts and printed matter, photographs, maps and a significant library.

Open from April to October, 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm, every day except Sundays.

Lena`s House

Situated next to the Maritime museum is situated at Tria Pigadia. It is an authentic middle-class Mykonian residence of the 19th century and represents a typical internal arrangement of space. It contains a spacious drawing room, two bedrooms and two courtyards and a dovecote. Of particular interest are the rich antique furnishings, such as large frames containing splendid prints, the tapestries, the wood carvings, old mirrors, painted plates, etc. It was named "Lena`s House" after it`s last owner Lena Skrivanou.

Open in the evenings, except Sundays, from April to October, 6:30pm to 9:30pm Lena`s house.

The Boni Mill

One of the island`s best examples of a 16th century windmill overlooks the village on the upper east section of town. The mill has been maintained and is fully functional featuring its customary wood-burning stone oven.

Open from June to September, every day, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Delos Archaeological Museum

Delos Museum was built in 1904 by the Archaeological Society at Athens and originally consisted of the five western rooms. It was enlarged in 1931 and 1972 and in the same period, the exterior of the building underwent great, but unfortunate, alterations. The present exhibition is arranged in nine rooms.