The Archaeological Museum opened in 1998 and features a permanent exhibition on the theme of “The Iceman” spread across three floors of the museum. Ötzi, the Copper Age mummy (3300 BC) and his equipment, discovered in South Tyrol in 1991 near the Similaun Glacier, form the centrepiece of the exhibition. The entire story – the discovery, the recovery, the subsequent excavation campaigns, the clinical examinations and the criminal case – is illustrated in detail with the aid of explanatory panels, photos, videos and interactive multimedia stations. The top floor, meanwhile, is dedicated to the archaeology of South Tyrol, with exhibition themes that change periodically.

The museum is located in the centre of Bolzano and is easily accessible on foot or by public transport (disabled parking spaces are available in Via Cassa di Risparmio). To the left of the long entrance staircase, there is an alternative entrance: after passing two flights of steps, you reach a spacious lift (150x130 cm) which takes visitors to the ticket office and the start of the museum tour. All exhibition floors are accessible by lift. A lifting platform (106x80 cm) allows visitors to get a better view of the Ötzi mummy through the small window overlooking the cold storage room. The education room and the toilet on level -2, as well as the library on the 3rd floor, are accessible via a stairlift. There are 3 accessible toilets in the building.