The Archaeological Museum of Aiane presents the history of ancient Aiane, capital of Elimiotis, one of the most important kingdoms of Upper Macedonia, and its region from prehistory to Roman times. The museum’s collections include important finds of the Late Bronze Age (fifteenth-twelfth centuries BC) and the of the Archaic and Classical periods (sixth-fifth centuries BC), which illustrate the formation of the Doric-Macedonian peoples in the region and the urban and political development of Aiane, which begins in the sixth century BC.

The museum is housed in a two-storey building with a total surface area of 4,500 square metres. It comprises eight exhibition rooms (971 square metres), of which only two are open to the public (242 square metres), storerooms, offices, a library, a drawing studio, a multi-purpose exhibition/lecture hall, a guesthouse and conservation laboratories for metal and terracotta objects. From 1995 until October 2002, when the two permanent exhibition rooms opened, the multi-purpose hall housed a collection of icons, texts, maps and copies of antiquities.

The museum is overseen by the Seventeenth Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities. Its collections add a new dimension to the history of Macedonia. Its purpose is to educate the uninitiated public and help visitors recognize these new elements and understand the latest scientific opinions. It also aims to contribute to the cultural life of the region with educational programs, lectures, conferences and temporary exhibitions. Since 1988, the museum has organised three educational programs for children and foreign students, three scientific workshops, dinners featuring ancient diet (1995, 1996, 2000) and outings on horseback along ancient routes connected with important historical events (1996, 1997, 2000, 2002). It also organized in collaboration with the Municipality of Aiane a road race, the so-called ‘Road of Apollodorus’, named after a runner from ancient Aiane. The museum has created five films on archaeological subjects and continues to inform, interest and involve the public in its activities (lectures, organized visits and photographic exhibits). This is to encourage the development of a historical and national self-consciousness, an environmental conscience and the connection between the natural and cultural environment, as well as self-esteem through cultural creation.