Besides the two great archaeological museums, the Acropolis Museum and the National Archaeological Museum, Athens has a network of excellent public and private museums. Many lie along Vasilissis Sofias Avenue and in the Kolonaki district, a few minutes from Syntagma: a true "museum mile" you can walk. They are also the ideal refuge in the hottest summer hours or on rainy days.
Greek art and history
Benaki Museum. Founded in 1930 by the collector Antonis Benakis in the family house opposite the National Garden, it tells the story of Greek culture from prehistory to the 20th century: ancient gold jewellery, icons (including two attributed to the young El Greco), traditional costumes, reconstructed Macedonian house interiors, mementoes of the War of Independence and Lord Byron. The rooftop café has a fine view. The Benaki has other branches: the Museum of Islamic Art near Kerameikos, the 138 Pireos Street building for major temporary exhibitions, and the house-studio of the painter Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika in Kolonaki.
Museum of Cycladic Art. Founded in 1986 from the collection of Nikolaos and Dolly Goulandris, it is famous for the Cycladic marble figurines of the 3rd millennium BC, female figures with folded arms and faces reduced to an oval, which fascinated artists such as Picasso, Brancusi and Modigliani. It also shows ancient Greek and Cypriot art; temporary exhibitions are held in the elegant Stathatos mansion, linked by a glass passage. See Cycladic civilisation.
Byzantine and Christian Museum. In Villa Ilissia, built in the mid-19th century for the Duchess of Plaisance, an eccentric Frenchwoman in love with Athens, and in large modern underground halls, it traces art from late antiquity to the modern age: early Christian sculpture, mosaics, detached frescoes, portable icons, textiles and illuminated manuscripts. Next door is the War Museum.
National Gallery. Reopened in 2021 after a long expansion, it is the main museum of Greek painting from the post-Byzantine era to the 20th century, with works by El Greco, the painters of the Munich school, Nikolaos Gyzis and Nikos Engonopoulos.
Curious and lesser-known museums
| Museum | Why go |
|---|---|
| Numismatic Museum | In the Iliou Melathron, Heinrich Schliemann's mansion designed by Ernst Ziller, with coins from antiquity to today and a lovely garden café |
| Museum of Greek Popular Musical Instruments | In Plaka, hundreds of traditional instruments, from the Cretan lyra to the bouzouki, with audio to listen to |
| Museum of the City of Athens | In the house where King Otto lived, on Klafthmonos Square: the 19th-century city in paintings, furniture and models |
| Epigraphic Museum | The richest collection of Greek inscriptions, next to the National Archaeological Museum |
| Kanellopoulos Museum | In a mansion below the Acropolis, a private collection from antiquity to icons |
| Jewish Museum of Greece | The history of Greece's Jewish communities, decimated by the Holocaust |
| Ilias Lalaounis Museum | Designer jewellery inspired by ancient art, in Makrygianni |
| Museum of Greek Folk Art | Costumes, embroidery, ceramics and the Ottoman bathhouse in Plaka |
| Herakleidon | Art and science, with exhibitions on Escher and ancient Greek technology, in Thissio |
Modern and contemporary art
The Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation, opened in 2019 in Pangrati, displays a private collection of modern art with works by Cézanne, Van Gogh, Picasso, Giacometti and the leading Greek painters. The National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) occupies the former Fix brewery on Syngrou Avenue. See contemporary art and street art.
For children and families
The Eugenides Foundation Planetarium, the Goulandris Natural History Museum in Kifissia, the Children's Museum and the interactive exhibitions of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center are designed for younger visitors. See Athens with children.
Practical tips
- State museums follow the Ministry of Culture rules: free entry for EU citizens up to 25 and on certain days of the year; see tickets and opening hours.
- Private museums (Benaki, Cycladic, Goulandris, Acropolis) set their own prices and hours, often with one late-opening evening a week.
- Many museums close one day a week, usually Monday or Tuesday: check before you go.
- A good half-day route: Museum of Cycladic Art, Byzantine Museum and coffee on the Benaki roof.