ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A bomb hoax forced Greek authorities to evacuate the Acropolis Museum in Athens and an adjacent subway station for more than an hour.

Police say an anonymous caller made the telephoned threat on Friday afternoon to a Greek newspaper, saying a bomb would explode at the landmark museum in 40 minutes.

The deadline expired without incident and after a search by bomb disposal experts the building reopened to visitors.

The museum, just outside the ancient Acropolis site, is Greece’s most popular, attracting about 1 million visitors every year. It houses collections of sculptures from the citadel’s marble temples, as well as free-standing statues and pottery excavated on the hill over the past century and a half.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.