Museum Lychnostatis is a private open-air museum in Hersonissos, close to Malia, devoted to Cretan folk tradition, ethnology, nature and folk art. Its traditional buildings, workshops and gardens bring those subjects together across an outdoor setting.
- Location: Hersonissos, Crete, Greece
- Typical hours: 09:00–14:00; closed Saturdays
- Admission: €9 for adults, €5 for students and €4 for children aged 4–12
What Museum Lychnostatis presents
Lychnostatis presents Cretan life through folk traditions, ethnology, nature, the environment and folk art. The museum has operated since June 1992, and its buildings were constructed from stone, wood and clay between 1986 and 1992.
The private collection was formed by Yiorgos Markakis over a period of thirty years. Across the grounds, traditional farmer’s and middle-class homes sit alongside a chapel, windmill, olive-oil press, winepress, raki distillery, threshing floor and shepherd’s shelter.
Craft and work traditions feature in workshops devoted to ceramics, weaving and plant-dyeing, beekeeping and wax, shoemaking, and carpentry. The museum also has a gallery of Cretan folk artists, a temporary-exhibitions hall and a library with books and periodicals on Cretan folk culture.
How the open-air museum is arranged
The grounds combine reconstructed traditional buildings, working-life displays and outdoor collections. You can move from the homes and agricultural structures to gardens that focus on the island’s plants and natural materials.
Outdoor collections include a herbarium, a garden of Cretan fruit trees, a herb garden, a flora and cactus garden, and a mineral and stone exhibition. The different gardens and structures make the museum’s themes visible across the grounds rather than in a single display area.
For group and presentation spaces, the auditorium has 100 seats and the open-air theatre has 250. Visitor services include guided tours, audiovisual shows, a café, Wi-Fi, a shop and a library.
How do you get from Malia to Museum Lychnostatis?
Museum Lychnostatis is about a 13-minute drive from Ibiscus Hotel Malia.
The museum is by the sea in Hersonissos. From Heraklion, the KTEL bus journey takes 50 minutes and stops at number 24, Hotel Belvedere; the car journey takes 30 minutes. From Hersonissos, the bicycle journey takes 15 minutes and the tourist train takes 10 minutes.
Opening times and admission
The museum is open from 09:00 to 14:00 and closed on Saturdays. Visits from November 1 through March 31 require prearrangement. Hours and admission can change, so check the official site before you go.
Admission is €9 for adults, €5 for students and €4 for children aged 4–12. A guided tour carries a €2 charge; groups of more than 10 people should contact the museum by telephone.
For questions about a visit or a group booking, the museum gives the telephone number +30 28970 23660 and the email address info@lychnostatis.gr.
Access, facilities and visit length
Lychnostatis brings together buildings, gardens, workshops and cultural collections, so the time needed depends on how much of the grounds you want to see. Facilities include a café, shop, Wi-Fi, guided tours, audiovisual shows and a library.
If you are planning to fit the museum around time in town, the walkable Malia itinerary offers a way to think about combining local sights. The museum itself is in Hersonissos, rather than Malia’s centre.
FAQs
Where is Museum Lychnostatis?
It is in Hersonissos, Crete, Greece, by the sea.
What can you see at Lychnostatis?
The museum has traditional homes and work structures, craft workshops, Cretan gardens, a herbarium and collections related to folk art and natural materials.
Is Museum Lychnostatis open every day?
No. Its hours are 09:00–14:00, and it is closed on Saturdays. Visits from November 1 through March 31 require prearrangement.
How much is admission?
Admission is €9 for adults, €5 for students and €4 for children aged 4–12. Guided tours cost an additional €2.