Opposite the main entrance to the fortress Fortezza is Archaeological Museum of Rethymnon. The artifacts exhibited in the museum, represent the history of the region from the Neolithic to the Roman period. The exposition is presented in chronological order.

Archaeological Museum of Rethymno was founded back in 1887. Since 1991, the museum is housed in the Turkish bastion. Well fortified building served as additional protection of the central entrance to the fortress. Until the 1960s, the construction was used as a state prison. Previously, the museum was located in the building of the Venetian Loggia.

The museum exhibition is vast and very diverse. The museum: a large collection of ceramics, sculptures, figurines, a variety of funerary artifacts, jewelry, housewares, Roman lamps, stone products, tools and more.

The most interesting exhibits include pozdneminoyskie tombs, terracotta figurines, helmet pozdneminoyskoy era print from Monastiraki, stone decoration of the cave of Gerani. Notable exhibits such as a Roman copy of the statue of "Big gerkulanka" from the ancient city of Eleftherna, a marble statue of Aphrodite (1st century BC), the Minoan goddess figurine with raised arms found in Pankalohori (1320-1200 BC), the head terracotta female figurine from Axos (530 BCE). Of particular interest is also an excellent collection of coins from different periods and regions, including coins minted at Knossos. In the museum you can see the marble tombstones with the image of a warrior found in Eleftherna, which dates from the second half of 6th century BC and a marble sarcophagus depicting mythological scenes I-III century AD

A rich collection of the Archaeological Museum will impress even the most experienced lover of history.