Musei nazionali di Matera - Sede Ridola

Loved it. It does need new money for new presentation, but the Neolithic pottery they have, is the prettiest of them all. People working there were awesome. Maybe add more dates to every piece. You have it in the beginning, but it's hard to remember what was when. The Neolithic pottery they have is so gorgeous. Ah and also some pretty Greek ones.

Well at the beginning i thought it was only a regular archaeological museum. But I have to admit that the things there were well maintained, clean, with clear explanation on each pieces. But then apparently I was lucky, because there was another installation at that time that talked about history of human race from Darwin's theory, to different ages of human race with full multimedia, visual and audio effect. It was amazing.

The museum is definitely worth a visit. It shows finds from local excavations. For me, the reconstruction of a prehistoric hut, oven and hearth is especially valuable. I haven't seen them in a museum in Italy yet. And of course, stories related to the ancient whale, whose remains were discovered in these areas are also a "must have".

Interesting museums worth visiting once.

This is an ok place to visit in matera. Nothing special, but characteristic. You can find there archeological stuff from many historical period, starting from Paleolithic to Greeks. The thing is...it doesn't cost much: something like 2 euros, so go there if you have time.

Lots of local archeological artifacts and taranto exquisite crafts, the content on the introduction board is very detailed. Also there is a collection of photos that records how the relics around Matera was found.Not to be missed!

A shame, the exhibit is closed for renovations for an undisclosed amount of time from April 7 even though it says it's open 😞

What a great stop on an afternoon when we didn't have much else planned! Dedicated, enthusiastic staff -- explained so much, I wondered if they were about to give us a tour! Extensive info about prehistoric and early human settlements in the area. Lots of info about the Greek settlements. Lots of info about the whale skeleton, but not very much of the skeleton itself is on display at this time.

WORTH THE TRIP TO MATERA Matera is magnificent. There's so much here to fascinate. We attended this museum as sort of an afterthought But it is a ROCK STAR! As rich with treasures as the Met in NYC or the Oriental Museum in Chicago, the world class relics here are LOCAL! All found within walking distance. It's exciting, truly. Come here, for sure. It's wonderful!

A hidden gem and excellent value in central Matera, it looks more like a bank than museum from the outside and entry is just €2 (teachers get a discount with ID). The museum is very well laid out so you can follow a single path rather than bounce back and fourth across and between rooms as is the case at many larger museums (the Smithsonian in DC and the Met in NYC come to mind). For the minimal fee, you will find an abundance of archeological relics and remains dating back to the 6th Century B.C. as well as recreations of village life and cave paintings from that time in this 105 year old museum. A great way to spend an hour or two on a blustery winter day as we did during the worst snowstorm in Matera over the past 60 years, you can leisurely stroll through at your own pace without hectic crowds hovering in front of you. The day we were there, we saw only one or two other couples in the museum the entire time. There is a room of to your right as you descend the stairs toward the exit with a snack and coffee machine which was quite reasonable (caffe latte, espresso, cappuccino, or hot chocolate were just €.40 each). The staff are very friendly and helpful, but their English is limited and all exhibits as well as their App (with slideshows and verbal descriptions accessed via the web with a QR code reader) are only in Italian. Lack of English descriptions and translations were the only thing keeping me from giving them a perfect score. CombatCritic Gives Museo Archeologico Nazionale Domenico Ridola 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!