Australian National University Classics Museum, Classics museum in Acton, Canberra, Australia

The Australian National University Classics Museum is a teaching museum in the foyer of the AD Hope building on the ANU campus in Acton, Canberra. Its roughly 650 objects, from Greek and Roman pottery and coins to a Roman marble portrait head, are kept in glass cases that students of ancient history and art history are allowed to handle.

Dick Johnson, ANU Professor of Classics, founded the museum in 1962 so Canberra students could learn from ancient Greek and Roman objects. It has occupied the foyer of the AD Hope building on the Acton campus since the 1970s, and a Friends group formed in 1985. A 2010 refurbishment added new display cases, captions, panels and lighting; it reopened on 25 August 2010.

The collection shows everyday objects like household vessels, tools, and ornaments from the ancient Mediterranean world, giving visitors a concrete sense of how ordinary people lived. Looking closely at the craftsmanship, you can notice differences in style and technique across regions like Greece, Egypt, and the Near East.

The museum is inside the AD Hope building on the ANU campus, which is easy to reach on foot from the central areas of the university. Curator-led tours are available during the week, and schools or groups can arrange a dedicated visit by booking in advance.

From 2023, the museum began returning objects to Italy after finding that some had come from illegal excavations carried out in the 20th century. This made it one of the few Australian institutions to actively send objects back to their country of origin.