The museum was built in 1931/32 by the architect W. Stuart Thompson
and was extended in 1950. It contains collections of prehistoric
finds, various items ranging from the Geometric to the Hellenistic period, Roman
and Byzantine finds, excavation finds from the Asklepieion of Corinth, and a collection
of sculptures and inscriptions.
The most important items of the exhibition are:
- Large Mycenaean krater decorated with a painted representation of warriors on a chariot. Dated to 1200 B.C.
- Corinthian amphora with a lid. It bears a representation of two heraldic cocks and a double palmette at the centre. Dated to ca.600 B.C.
- Corinthian aryballos bearing a representation of six dancers and an inscription reading: "ΜΥΡΕΙΑΣ ΠΡΟΧΟΡΕΥΟΜΕΝΟΣ" (dancer Myreias leads the chorus). Dated to ca. 580 B.C.
- Marble sphinx from a funerary monument. It is resting on the hind legs and standing on the fore. Traces of painted decoration are preserved on the torso and the wings. Corinthian product, dated to
the middle of the 6th century B.C.
- Mosaic, pebbled floor, with a representation of griffins devouring a horse. It is one of the earliest preserved Greek mosaics, dated to ca. 400 B.C.
- Terracotta imitations of human parts in natural size from the Asklepieion of Corinth. These were votive offerings to the God of medicine and healing Asklepios, dated to the 4th century
B.C.
- Marble statue of a youth. Roman portrait, possibly of Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus, dated to the end of the 1st century B.C. or the beginning of the 1st century A.D. It imitates a Greek original of the
first half of the 4th century B.C.
- Statues of barbarian slaves. Two marble, larger than life statues, representing barbarian slaves. They decorated the pillars with Corinthian capitals which supported the roof of the "Facade of
the Captives", a two-storeyed stoa to the west of the Propylaia. Dated to the 2nd century A.D.
- Mosaic floor decorated with the head of Dionysos framed by ornaments. It comes from a Roman villa and dates to the 2nd century A.D.
- Byzantine glazed plate. It is decorated with a representation of Digenis Acritas and a princess, and dates from the 12th century A.D. It belongs to a series of imported Byzantine vases, spanning the
period from the end of the 9th until the end of the 14th century A.D.
