Side Museum

Do not put off going here because it's called a 'museum', and, stereotypically, museums are indoor places with artifacts in glass cases. Mostly, this is a wonderful kind of sculpture garden, overlooking the sea, with plenty of benches and seating areas to sit and relax in the sun (or shade) while you admire the precious carvings and artifacts taken from the various local archaeological sites, to be preserved and protected. Inside the old Roman bath building, there is a collection of smaller items: coins, metal and clay artifacts, (in glass cabinets!) plus statues and a very impressive section of a marble facade. Information about artifacts was given in Turkish and English language - I didn't notice if there were other languages. There was also fascinating panelling on the wall between the cafe and the toilets about the old Side language, including the Side alphabet. There is a lovely little shop/cafe for refreshments, with a terrace overlooking the promenade and the sea. Didem, who works there, was very knowledgeable and helpful, and helped me identify various characters depicted in statues, carvings and coins. A brilliant little exhibition!

Joint ticket for museum and archeological site ~ 10€ definitely worth it. Exciting to be on a working site and it wasn’t too difficult to see their strategy for restoration. We didn’t have a guided tour but I guess there is a lot of interesting information being revealed about Side’s history

This is a small and partly open-air museum in the Side ruins, included in the ticket with the theatre and forum. Ticket is free for children and €10 for adults. It’s well worth €10 if the theatre is open. The theatre is currently closed (2025) so you get less for your money buy in my opinion, it’s still worth buying for the museum and forum. The museum is a lovely, ambient place with very nice exhibits from Side. It has a nice gift shop (where you can and should haggle, despite being listed price). The museum will take you about an hour at most to get through.

This museum is a true pearl among archaeological museums. An amazing collection, beautifully and thoughtfully organized. I believe it is a must-see place in Side!

Definitely worth the visit. It's not a big museum, but it's nicely done.

Amazing place to visit the old town in Side is full of ruins and indeed a beautiful place, Museum is mesmerizing

The layout is impressive: colonnaded streets, a well-preserved agora, and fragments of once-majestic buildings scattered throughout. It’s worth paying the €10pp to view the museum and the archeological sites!

This museum is NOT wheelchair friendly, only if you have very big all terain wheels. Otherwise this can be a very painful experience. Do not try this if you suffer from pain. The staff does try to help you but this is even a challenge as an ambulatory wheelchair user with back pain and strong pain killers.. The toilet was looking very nasty. There are seats if you need a rest in between, normal toilets are okay.