The permanent collection of the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes consists of excavations of Italian domination mainly in Rhodes and the rest of the Dodecanese. Mycenaean jewelery, pottery and small objects from the burial ensembles of Ialysia and Kamira from the Geometric to the Classical period (9th-4th centuries BC), sculptures of the Classical and Hellenistic period and Rhodian coins of Hellenistic times are the main exhibits of the Museum. The aim of the exhibition is to highlight the most important finds from Rhodes that help in the fullest understanding of the ancient history of the place.

The Archaeological Museum is housed in the medieval building of the Grand Hospital of the Knights. Its construction began in 1440 by the Grand Master de la Lastic (de Lastic), with money left by his predecessor Fluvian (Flavian), but completed 49 years later by Master D’Aubusson. It is a Gothic-style building with Renaissance elements. An oak door is the entrance to the Museum, which is covered with Late Gothic crosses. The building includes an inner courtyard surrounded by a two-storey gallery, which opens the Museum’s rooms and storerooms.