It possesses one of the richest collections of Punic and Ancient Greek art in Italy, as well as many items related to the history of Sicily.

Formerly the property of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, the museum is named after Antonino Salinas, a famous archaeologist and numismatist from Palermo who had served as its director from 1873 until his death in 1914, upon which he left it his major private collection.

On the ground floor, a section is dedicated to the artefacts found underwater, including materials that were part of the cargo of vessels, stone anchors, strains of lead, lamps, amphoras and inscriptions ranging from the culture of the Phoenicians to that of the Romans.

The Phoenician section displays two large anthropomorphic sarcophagi of the fifth century BC from the necropolis of Pizzo Cannita (near modern Misilmeri).

Although local officials tried to stop them, they continued their work, and attempted to export their finds to England, destined for the British Museum.

Now in the shadow of the activities of Lord Elgin, Angell and Harris's shipments were diverted to Palermo, where they remain to this day in the Archaeological Museum.

[citation needed] This is the Etruscan collection which consists of sarcophagi, gravestones, urns and Attic black and red-figure pottery.

[2] This fragment of the foot of the goddess Artemis had been sold to the University of Palermo by the widow of the British consul Robert Fagan.