Archaeological Museum of Dion: In the shadow of Mount Olympus

The building was constructed in 1983 mainly  to house finds from the archaeological site of Dion. The exhibits are divided according to where they were first discovered, namely in the city center, public buildings, sanctuaries and the necropolis.

The upper floor hosts characteristic finds from the foothills and peaks of Mount Olympus, as well as from ancient Pydna, Ryakia, and Ritini. The exhibition includes statues, votive and funerary monuments, architectural elements, coins and objects related to everyday life in ancient Dion.

The ground floor is taken up by a series of statues, including those of Dionysus, Isis, and Aphrodite Hypolympidia. The Museum also contains notable finds from the necropolis, including additional offerings discovered in Macedonian tombs. The basement of the Museum is dedicated to cotidian objects that offer insight into what daily life was like at ancient Dion.

Although most visitors are drawn to the mosaic from the Villa of Dionysus – the most impressive private residence excavated at Dion – the hydraulis should not be overlooked. It’s the first musical instrument of its kind discovered in Greece and the oldest known example found anywhere in the world, described in ancient texts by Heron of Alexandria and Vitruvius.