Museum of the Battle of Crete, Military museum in Heraklion, Greece.

The Museum of the Battle of Crete documents World War II in the Mediterranean through artifacts, photographs, documents, and personal belongings of those involved. The collection focuses on the military campaign and its impact on the island and its inhabitants.

The museum was founded by the Municipality of Heraklion in May 1994 to collect and exhibit relics from 1941–1945. Its displays centre on the Battle of Crete, the airborne invasion in which German troops landed at Souda Bay and dropped several thousand paratroopers against Cretan and British defenders, including New Zealand units. It also covers the German-Italian occupation and the resistance that followed, in which the British archaeologist John Pendlebury was an organiser.

The rooms display uniforms, weapons, and personal objects that show how soldiers and civilians lived during the occupation years. These items help visitors understand the everyday reality of people caught in the conflict.

The museum stands in central Heraklion, a short walk from the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, so the two can be visited on the same day. It is run by the Municipality of Heraklion and closes on Mondays and public holidays; hours shift with the season, so check before setting out. Allow about an hour for the 1941–1945 exhibits.

The museum preserves letters, diaries, and testimonies from local residents who worked in underground resistance networks during the occupation. These personal documents offer rare insights into how ordinary people lived and showed courage under extreme conditions.