Aristotle’s Lyceum (Lykeion) in Athens

Greece › Athens › Archaeological Sites › Aristotle’s Lyceum
Updated: November 8, 2022
By Santorini Dave

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Urban grassy expanse with areas cut away for an archaeological dig

Aristotle’s Lyceum isn’t one of Athens showiest archaeological sites, but is worth a visit for fans of the ancient Greek philosophers.

Tours and Tickets:
• Athens Pass Combo Ticket (7 archaeological sites + Acropolis Museum. No tour.)

Lyceum Hours and Information

  • Hours: Open daily. Summer 8am – 8pm; last entrance to the site at 7:40pm. Hours are reduced gradually in the fall through winter (check website for details). Closed 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Orthodox Easter Sunday, 25 & 26 December.
  • Website: odysseus.culture.gr
  • Location: Rigillis 11
  • Telephone: +30 210 72 51 348
  • Admission Fee: Summer (April to October) entrance fee: 4€. Winter (November to March) entrance fee: 2€. Reduced admission 2€. You can also purchase a 30€ combo ticket for this and 6 additional sites: Acropolis, Ancient Agora of Athens, Roman Agora, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Kerameikos, and Hadrian’s Library. The combo ticket is valid for 5 days and offered year round. Purchase on site or in advance online.
  • Free Entry: 6 March (in memory of Melina Mercouri), 18 April (International Monuments Day), 18 May (International Museums Day), the last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days), 28 October, every first Sunday from November 1st to March 31st.
  • Parking: Street parking, nearby pay lots.
  • Nearest Metro: Evangelismos

Map showing the location of Aristotle's Lyceum archaeological site in Athens

Aristotle’s Lyceum in Athens

  • Aristotle’s Lyceum (also known as the Lykeion) is located by the Kolonaki area in central Athens near the Byzantine and Christian Museum.
  • The ruins here aren’t as aesthetically impressive as those found in other Athens archaeological sites, but the Lyceum’s historical significance makes it worth a visit if you’re in the area, especially if you’ve purchased the 5-day combo ticket that includes the Acropolis. If you’re a fan of Aristotle’s significant influence on humanity, then it’s a must see.
  • The site originally housed a temple dedicated to the wolf God, Apollo Lyceus, before later becoming an ancient gymnasium and civic center. This is one of the three oldest gymnasiums of ancient Athens, the other two being Plato’s Academy and Kynosarges.
  • The site is best known as the home for the Peripatetic School of Philosophy, built in 335 BC by Greek Philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC). Other famous philosophers who taught there were Isocrates, Plato (a teacher of Aristotle), and Socrates.
  • Also noteworthy at the site is the infrastructure for the ancient baths. Look for the pipes running through the ground in what used to be a floor; they were used to funnel in heat to create a ‘steam room’.
  • Athenian Assembly meetings were held here before the Pnyx became the official meeting place in 5th century BC.
  • Roman general Sulla destroyed the Lyceum during an assault on Athens in 86 BC.
  • The archeological remains of the Lyceum were discovered in 1996 and first opened to the public in June of 2014.

Green metal gates and informative signage for an archaeological site in Athens

Aristotle’s Lyceum in Athens (also called the Lykeion) is located in the Kolonaki neighborhood, near the Byzantine and Christian Museum and not far from Syntagma Square.

Ticket booth for an archaeological site in Athens

The site is open year-round; the ticket booth is located right inside the gate. Admission is included in the 5-day, 7-site Athens Combo Pass.

A level, brick-paved path with signs pointing to the Lykeion

Benches set up as an ampitheater, overlooking an archaeological site

Grassy area with exposed stone ruins

Red gravel path leading around the perimeter of an urban archaeological site.

A level, crushed-gravel path lines the site’s perimeter.

A woman and a man read a sign posted at an archaeological site on a sunny day

Descriptive signs are posted in Greek and in English.

Urban archaeological dig site in a grassy area on a sunny day

Exposed stone pipe running through an archaeological dig site

Stone square foundation at an archaeological dig site

Excavated stone tunnel in an archaeological dig

Square area lined wth a low stone foundational wall in an archaeological dig site

Archaeological dig area covered by a glass roof

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About Santorini Dave

Santorini Dave Author Bio. Santorini Dave was started in 2011 by a guy who loved Greece, travel, and great hotels. We're now a small team of writers and researchers on a mission to deliver the most helpful travel content on the internet. We specialize in Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece and recommend the best hotels, best neighborhoods, and best family hotels in top destinations around the world. We also make hotel maps and travel videos. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.