Discover the area's diverse ecosystems at the Natural History Museum of Crete. Learn about the species that inhabited the island long before the arrival of humans from the wide-ranging exhibits and models. Experience the scary thrill of an earthquake simulation on the Seismic Table. Kids will love learning from the fun, interactive exhibits in the Stavros Niarchos Discovery Centre. Give your legs a rest in the multimedia room and enjoy an insightful movie.
Founded in 1980, the Natural History Museum of Crete has become one of the most comprehensive museums of Greece’s ecosystems and natural diversity. It has a dual focus of education and environmental protection making it an informative stop in any Heraklion itinerary.
In the museum’s first room, admire the realistic replicas of the ecosystems found in Greece. Among them, discover beech forests, rocky deserts and mountainous conifers.
Experience the devastating power of an earthquake at the Seismic Table. This platform shakes to simulate earthquakes, which have occurred in the area several times over the centuries. The exhibit also shows how earthquakes happen. Track an earthquake yourself on a nearby seismograph.
In the Live Museum section, exhibits display some of the creatures that live in the dry Cretan environment. See lizards and birds and aquariums coloured with tropical fish. Nearby, marvel at the gigantean deinotherium, a prehistoric elephant that once inhabited the island. The Fossils Room preserves evidence of 8,200 prehistoric animals that roamed Crete’s landscape.
Children will delight in learning as they experiment with interactive exhibits in the Stavros Niarchos area. Among many hands-on displays, a large model of an ancient ship provides plenty of imagination material. For something the whole family can enjoy, see a hologram and optical illusion show at the Light Mysteries exhibit.
Find the Natural History Museum of Crete just west of the port. It is open daily. Expect a small admission fee.
