Figurative carvings on Roman-era tomb at Archaeological Museum.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Archaeological Museum

Split

LoginSave

A treasure trove of classical sculpture and mosaics is displayed at this excellent museum, a short walk north of the town centre. Most of the vast collection originated from the ancient Roman settlements of Split and neighbouring Salona (Solin), and there's also some Greek pottery from the island of Vis. There are displays of jewellery and coins, and a room filled with artefacts dating from the Palaeolithic Age to the Iron Age.

A lot of the most interesting items, including the larger statues and sarcophagi, are arranged outside in the cloister.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • JULY 11, 2017: Empty courtyard in Diocletian's Palace.

    Diocletian’s Palace

    0.59 MILES

    Taking up a prime harborside position, the extraordinary complex of Diocletian's Palace is one of the most imposing ancient Roman structures in existence…

  • View in a bright sunny day of fortress Klis near Split in Croatia.

    Klis Fortress

    5.35 MILES

    Controlling the valley leading into Split, the imposing Klis Fortress spreads along a limestone bluff, reaching 1260ft (385m) at its highest point. Its…

  • Croatia, Dalmatia, Brac island, Bol, Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape) beach

    Zlatni Rat

    20.5 MILES

    Zlatni Rat, Croatia's most photographed beach, extends like a tongue into the sea for about a quarter of a mile (400m). Despite the hype and constant…

  • 500px Photo ID: 130117679 - Solin ancient arena old ruins, Dalmatia, Croatia

    Salona

    2.95 MILES

    The ruins of the ancient city of Salona, situated at the foot of the mountains just northeast of Split, are the most archaeologically important in Croatia…

  • St Dominus Cathedral belfry, Diocletian's Palace .

    Cathedral of St Domnius

    0.61 MILES

    Split’s octagonal cathedral is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings still standing. It was built as a mausoleum for Diocletian, the last…

  • Teenage girl descending an idyllic lake at the Dalmation coast, named Dragon's eye - stock photo Dragon's eye lake, (Zmajevo Oko) in Rogoznica, Croatia. Natural salt water lake in the middle of nature, not far from the beach. The lake is in the middle of nature and freely accessible to all. Many people take a swim there as well.

    Dragon's Eye Lake

    23.95 MILES

    One of Northern Dalmatia's most striking natural phenomena, Dragon's Eye Lake is a 10,000-sq-metre oval encircled by 4m- to 24m-high cliffs. Connected to…

  • Pustinja Blaca hermitage on the rock.

    Blaca Hermitage

    16.1 MILES

    Things can't have looked too different on the approach to this remote mountain cleft when a small group of priests and their servants, on the run from the…

  • St Lawrence's Cathedral

    St Lawrence's Cathedral

    9.22 MILES

    Trogir's show-stopping attraction is its three-naved Venetian cathedral, one of the finest architectural works in Croatia, built between the 13th and 15th…

View more attractions

Nearby Split attractions

1. Our-Lady-of-Health Church

0.36 MILES

Completed in 1937, this striking Modernist church is notable for the simple, clean lines of its architecture. It's attached to a friary, founded in 1723…

2. Gallery of Fine Arts

0.5 MILES

Housed in a building that was the city’s first hospital (1792), this gallery exhibits 400 works of art spanning 700 years. Upstairs is the permanent…

3. Synagogue

0.52 MILES

Built into the western wall of Diocletian's Palace, Split's synagogue is the third-oldest synagogue in Europe that's still in use. Created out of two…

4. Grgur Ninski statue

0.54 MILES

Sculpted by Ivan Meštrović, this gargantuan statue is one of the defining images of Split. Its subject, a 10th-century Croatian bishop, fought for the…

5. Iron Gate

0.55 MILES

The high arches of this large double gate lead from Diocletian's Palace to the main city square.

6. Golden Gate

0.55 MILES

The biggest and grandest of the city gates, this was the main processional entrance into Diocletian's Palace. Metal bars once blocked the outer entrance,…

7. Temple of Jupiter

0.57 MILES

Although it's now the cathedral's baptistery, this wonderfully intact building was originally an ancient Roman temple dedicated to the king of the gods…

8. Split City Museum

0.58 MILES

Built by Juraj Dalmatinac in the 15th century for one of the many noblemen who lived within the old town, the Large Papalić Palace is considered a fine…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "croatia/dalmatia/split/attractions/archaeological-museum/a/poi-sig/1265830/358789",
  "destination": "Split",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "country": "Croatia",
  "city": "Split",
  "position": "superzone"
}