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Valletta · Malta

National Museum of Archaeology

Known locally as Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Arkeoloġija

A museum, archaeology site in Valletta that helps explain Malta’s prehistoric sequence before visiting the megalithic sites themselves.

Plan a trip here Website / visitor information
National Museum of Archaeology Hispalois · CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical visit
1 hour 15 minutes
Setting
Indoor
Region
Valletta
Last checked
9 Aug 2026

Why visit

National Museum of Archaeology provides a focused way to understand Malta’s prehistoric sequence before visiting the megalithic sites themselves. Objects from the Neolithic and Temple Period provide scale, chronology and human detail to monuments that can otherwise appear abstract, including carved figures and decorated stone from several major sites. Its value lies in the combination of surviving fabric, setting and interpretation, which places the site within the wider history of Malta and the central Mediterranean. Allowing time to examine the details rather than treating it as a brief photo stop gives context that is difficult to gain from the exterior or landscape alone.

What you will see

  • Sleeping Lady figurine.
  • Temple Period sculpture.
  • Auberge de Provence interior.

History

The museum occupies the Auberge de Provence, a sixteenth-century residence built for the Provençal langue of the Order of St John. Its archaeological collections draw on excavations across the Maltese islands and focus particularly on prehistory.

Visitor tips

  1. 1

    Pairing National Museum of Archaeology with nearby places in the same region can reduce backtracking, but current access and transport arrangements should be checked on the day.

About Valletta

The fortified capital concentrates sixteenth-century planning, major churches, state rooms, museums and wartime sites within a compact peninsula.

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Combine it with

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Already worked out

Ready-made trips through Valletta

All ready-made trips
Malta Prehistory 3 days · 7 stops · Moderate pace Malta Prehistory links complementary places at a pace that leaves time for interpretation, short walks and changes of base. Current site access, sea conditions and transport arrangements should be checked before each travel day. Valletta and Grand Harbour 3 days · 10 stops · Moderate pace Valletta and Grand Harbour links complementary places at a pace that leaves time for interpretation, short walks and changes of base. Current site access, sea conditions and transport arrangements should be checked before each travel day. Valletta to Mdina Highlights 3 days · 8 stops · Moderate pace Valletta to Mdina Highlights links complementary places at a pace that leaves time for interpretation, short walks and changes of base. Current site access, sea conditions and transport arrangements should be checked before each travel day. Malta First-Visit Circuit 5 days · 13 stops · Moderate pace Malta First-Visit Circuit links complementary places at a pace that leaves time for interpretation, short walks and changes of base. Current site access, sea conditions and transport arrangements should be checked before each travel day.