National Archaeological Museum

I was definitely in the right place but the guard wouldn’t let me in and it looked nearly empty inside. It didn’t have any hours posted but according to google it should have been? Not sure what happened.

The Italian influence on the architecture of Tirana's monumental public buildings is quite obvious. The building of the National Archaeological Museum in Tirana is heavily influenced by Italian Fascist architecture. Its colonnade and use of white marble could place it in a number of Italian cities.

One of the most important museums in the country, the Archaeological Museum in Tirana contains some of the most famous treasures of Albanian archeology. If you would like to travel through centuries of history and learn about all the ages of an ancient place like Albania, the Archaeological Museum, located in the very heart of the capital, at Mother Teresa Square, should be your first stop.

This Museum was opened in 1948 and today presents the research of archaeological discoveries in the territory of Albania. It is affiliated to the institute of archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of Albania. The Museum houses exhibits from Prehistoric and Classical times up to the Middle Ages and Modern period. More than 2000 items are displayed and these items range from ancient jewellery, to Roman statues, to vast clay pots covered in shellfish that have been found during the many archaeological field trips the museum is involved in. It is also responsible for conducting many archaeological expeditions in the country and is the parent institution of several other museums in the country including the Durrës Archaeological Museum.

Spent 20 minutes and I'm a massive fan of this kind of museum. There's no signposts in any language, so you're going off your preexisting knowledge, and it's essentially just one hall. That said, some of the statues are exceptionally detailed, and I appreciate that they're on public display, even if the presentation needs further development. It's worth it if you need to pass some time and like the antiquities. Costs 300 leks, less if you're a student.