The Ephesus Archaeological Museum is in Selçuk, the town three kilometres from the ruins, and it holds everything that cannot be left out in the open: the two statues of Artemis of Ephesus, Eros riding a dolphin, the bust of Socrates, and the frescoes and sculptures from the Terrace Houses. It is small, you can see it in 45 minutes, and it rounds off a visit to Ephesus.
Many tours leave it out for lack of time. When the schedule allows, I put it straight after the ruins: the pieces make sense once you know which street they came from.
A little history
It began in 1929 as a depot for the finds of the Austrian excavations. Many of the earlier discoveries had been shipped to Vienna, where the other great Ephesus museum still stands. It opened as a museum in 1964, was enlarged in 1976 and reopened in 2014 after a complete renovation, with a modern layout arranged by where in the city the pieces were found rather than by date. It is small on purpose: it does not try to sum up Ephesus, it keeps what came out of its homes, fountains and temples, which is why you can see it properly in under an hour without tiring yourself out.
What to see in the Ephesus Archaeological Museum
The two statues of Artemis
These are two statues of the city’s goddess, from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, both found in the Prytaneion, the town hall of Ephesus. Their chests are covered in rounded protrusions that have been read as breasts, eggs or bulls’ testicles, and animals fill their robes: lions, deer, bees. They show an Anatolian fertility goddess older than the Greeks, whom Ephesus adopted as Artemis and whose temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The bee, the symbol of the city, appears on its coins and on the goddess’s dress.
Eros on the dolphin and Socrates
Look for a small fountain figure of Eros riding a dolphin, found in one of the Terrace Houses, and a Roman-period bust of Socrates. In the same hall are frescoes of the Muses and the mosaics that could not be left where they were found.
The fountain hall
This hall gathers statues from the city’s fountains, several of them on Curetes Street: pieces from the Fountain of Trajan, a Polyphemus group showing the Cyclops with Odysseus’s companions, and figures of nymphs and gods, displayed to evoke the original façades.
The imperial cult hall
Here are the colossal head and arm of Domitian, or perhaps Titus, from the temple of the imperial cult, and the altar of the Temple of Domitian. The size of the head and arm alone gives you a sense of the scale of the city.
Everyday life
Other rooms hold vessels, oil lamps, medical instruments, coins stamped with the bee of Ephesus, and a small section on gladiators, with gravestones found near the stadium.
Tips for your visit
Allow 45 minutes. Everything is on one floor, it is accessible, and it is air-conditioned.
- It is the perfect midday stop in summer, when the site is baking in the sun.
- You can take photographs, without flash.
- Combine it with the Basilica of St John and the İsa Bey Mosque, both on Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk, and with lunch in town, which is much cheaper than at the ruins.
Tickets and prices
At the time of writing (2026), entry costs €11 under the official 2027 tariff, and it is not included in the ticket for the archaeological site. Prices for foreign visitors are revised every year, so check the official Turkish museums website (muze.gov.tr) before you go. On my tours, when the programme includes the museum, your guide takes care of the ticket.
Where it is and how to get there
The museum is in the centre of Selçuk, next to the tourist office and a five-minute walk from the train station and the Basilica of St John. From the ruins of Ephesus it is five minutes by car or about half an hour on foot along the road.
How I include it in my tours
When time allows, I add it to my full-day private tours of Ephesus and to multi-day tours such as From Cappadocia to the Aegean, straight after the site (and before Şirince when the day includes the village). For the site itself, read the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre.
If you would like a full day in Ephesus with the museum included, message me through the Tailor-made page.