The Agora of Smyrna has been developed as an open-air archaeological museum since the 1990s, with the excavated remains accessible to visitors on a self-guided circuit. The site covers several city blocks, and ongoing excavations continue to reveal new sections — visiting now means seeing an archaeological site in active use, with visible trenches, exposed mosaic floors, and partially reconstructed colonnades.
The most impressive element is the western stoa: a two-storey colonnade of Corinthian columns restored to their full height, giving a visceral sense of the scale of Roman civic architecture. The vaulted basement beneath the stoa — used for storage and commerce in antiquity — is remarkably well preserved and walkable. Entrance is around 80 Turkish lira. Open daily.