ABSTRACT
The glittering new Acropolis Museum opened on June 20, 2009, amidst a flurry of international attention and press coverage. Located to the south of the Acropolis on Dionysiou Areopagitou, it rests on huge pylons above a recently excavated portion of the ancient city. The second floor is shaped like a colonnaded temple and contains the Archaic sculpture room, several displays that highlight the Periklean building program, and glowing niches set into the walls for smaller finds. The space is organized both thematically and chronologically, beginning in the Bronze Age and ending with a gleaming display of seventh-century CE gold coins. New visitors will be enthralled by the veritable forest of Archaic sculptures. Any questions can be answered by the discreetly hovering docents, employed specifically to wander the museum and engage people in conversation. The topmost floor, aligned at an off-kilter angle that directly mirrors the neighboring Parthenon, is a breath-taking achievement.
