Ten Best Museums in
Athens
Greece Travel Secrets lists the ten best museums in Athens, with the top two being the National Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis Museum.
Athens has many fine museums, with our favourites including the National Archaeological Museum, the Acropolis Museum, the Benaki Museum, the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments. and the Museum of Cycladic Art. But there are many more fine museums, including the Jewish Museum, children's museums, folk art museums, religious museums, art museums, and a very interesting war museum.
Here, in no particular order, is our list of the ten best museums in Athens.
Ten Best Museums in Athens
National
Archaeological Museum
If you only have time to visit one museum when you're in Athens then make it the National Archaeological Museum. It's the finest collection of Greek art and artefacts in the world, and it's one of those rare national museums whose collection is so rich that it doesn't have anything on display from beyond the country's own borders.
You should allow at least half a day to visit, though if you
are pushed for time consider booking a guided tour before you go, which will
make sure you don't miss any of the highlights. For more information read our
full page on the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
Acropolis Museum
Photo by Arno Senoner on Unsplash
Time for two of the best museums in Athens? Make this the second one, after the National Archaeological Museum. It tells the fascinating story behind the building of the Acropolis, with marvellous views of the Acropolis and Parthenon across the road.
In all it has over 4,000 items on display, all of them found on the Acropolis rock or the surrounding slopes. There are also glass floors in some of the rooms so that you can see the archaeological site on which the museum was built. For more information see the Acropolis Museum website.
Benaki Museum
A short walk from Syntagma Square stands the grand mansion that once belonged to the Benakis family. It now houses the Benaki Museum, a spectacular collection of over 100,000 items covering Greek history. It began with the Benakis family's own collection, but further acquisitions since it opened in 1930 have meant that satellite museums have been opened, showcasing Asian and Islamic art, leaving the main museum to concentrate on Greece. For more details see our full page devoted to the Benaki Museum.
Byzantine and
Christian Museum
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This is a little further on from the Benaki Museum, on the other side of the road. It isn't the best-known of Athens' museums, but it's long been one of our favourites. That's partly because of the buildings and the grounds, but also its displays of over 25,000 icons, paintings, frescoes, ceramics, manuscripts, and many other items. We like it so much we wrote a full page about the Byzantine and Christian Museum.
Goulandris Museum of
Cycladic Art
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This is also definitely on our list of the top museums in Athens, a few minutes further on from the Benaki Museum on the same side of the street. It dramatically and very effectively displays the graceful sculptures of the Cycladic civilisation, which influenced modern artists such as Picasso and Modigliani. In fact Picasso was the subject of one of the museum's ongoing series of special exhibitions, which have included Ai Weiwei, El Greco, Dali, and Caravaggio. Check what's on when you're in Athens, and read our full page about the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art.
National Historical
Museum
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This museum is housed in what was the Greek Parliament Building from 1858 to 1934. That's reason enough by itself for a visit, as you get to see the very grand debating chamber. Other highlights include a room devoted to Lord Byron, containing some of his belongings, and a vast archive of charming old photographs. See our full page about the museum here.
Museum of Greek Folk
Musical Instruments
We both love music and play instruments so naturally we rate this as one of the best museums in Athens. However, we've also sent non-musician friends to visit and everyone has loved it. As with some of the other museums, one of the attractions is to see inside the building it's housed in, in this case a Plaka mansion.
It displays a collection of over 600 musical instruments spanning a period of about 300 years. The real fun thing is that the display cases have headphones so you can hear the instruments being played. They include bouzoukis, Cretan lyras, drums, flutes, and bagpipes. The museum doesn't have a website but you can get all the information you need here.
Jewish Museum of
Greece
This museum is housed in a neoclassical mansion, with the outside remaining as it was but the inside was completely and stylishly redone to house this collection of over 6,000 items. It tells the history of Jewish people in Greece, not flinching from the horrors of the holocaust when Athens, like other places in Greece, lost most of its Jewish population. There are also temporary exhibitions, a modern art gallery, and a comprehensive photographic archive. For further information visit the website of the Jewish Museum of Greece.
Museum of Islamic Art
This newer museum was purpose-designed to better display over 8,000 items of Islamic Art that were originally part of the main Benaki Museum collection, which didn't have space to put everything on display. It's in a neoclassical mansion not far from the Kerameikos cemetery. It's a superb collection, one of the most important in the world, and the items are beautifully displayed. It covers Islamic art from India, Asia, the Middle East, Egypt and North Africa, Sicily, Spain and elsewhere. For information about visiting see the main Benaki Museum website.
War Museum of Athens
A war museum might sound like it could be a sombre experience, and in places it is, but it's an enthralling place too. It tells the story of Greece through the lens of armed conflict, but it's much more than a series of displays about wars and battles. Outside the entrance are some military vehicles old and new, and inside are model ships, weapons, miniature cities, temple friezes, and an engrossing telling of the role Greece played in World War II. See our full page on the War Museum of Greece.
Our Pick of the Athens Guides
Other Athens pages
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Athens Eaters Guide
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Athens Airport Car Rental
Athens Airport car rentals include Alamo/National Car Rental, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt, all with offices at the airport.
Cape Sounion and the East Coast
The beach resorts of Athens are easily reached from the city and also close are Cape Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, ancient Marathon and Rafina's port.
Athens War Museum
The Athens War Museum is a fascinating look at Greek history through the lens of warfare from ancient battles to the Greek War of Independence and World War II.
Athens Olympic Stadium
The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the original Athens Olympic Stadium, built for the 1896 Olympic Games and open to the public for jogging and photography.
Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square or Constitution Square is the main square in Athens and has a metro station, the Greek Parliament building, hotels, cafes, and a post office.
Athens Dining Guide
This Athens dining guide doesn't list restaurants but gives practical advice on types of eating places, tipping, hotel breakfasts and picnics.
Changing of the Guard in Athens
The Changing of the Guard in Athens takes place outside the Parliament building at the top of Syntagma Square and is a must-see for visitors.
Athens Car Rental
Athens car rental options include almost all of the major international car hire firms such as Avis, Budget, Hertz, and Europcar.
Athens Walking Tours and Other Experiences
Athens walking tours and other experiences like cookery lessons, ceramics workshops, dining with a family, and street art are available from Alternative Athens
Athens Acropolis
The Athens Acropolis has the city's most iconic building, the Parthenon, along with other historic buildings and is where the Elgin Marbles were taken from.
Best Views in Athens
The best views in Athens include views from the Acropolis and of the Acropolis from the top of some of the city’s several hills and from hotels and restaurants.
Athens International Airport
Athens International Airport is east of Athens city centre with its own Metro train station, buses to Athens and Piraeus, taxis and car rental offices.
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If you're wondering where to eat in Athens and Piraeus we have a few suggestions including some favorites around the Acropolis, Omonia Square, and Syntagma.
Best Cocktail Bars in Athens
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Greek Architecture
This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.
Athens Airport Hotels
Athens Airport hotels include the luxury Sofitel at the terminals, Holiday Inn near the airport, and others close by like the Hotel Pantheon.
Athens National Historical Museum
The Athens National Historical Museum is in the former Greek Parliament building and houses an archive of historical artefacts and documents.
Athens: Travel Information and Advice about Athens, Greece
Athens is a top vacation destination. The Greece Travel Secrets Athens guide has information on hotels, museums, Athens airport and all the best things to do.
The Best Things to Do in Athens
The best things to do in Athens, Greece, include top archaeological sites like the Acropolis and must-see attractions such as the National Archaeological Museum
Athens Events and Public Holidays
If visiting Athens it helps to know when major events and public holidays take place, as some shops and attractions may be closed, but to be there at times like Easter can make for a magical trip.
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This extract of Artistic Athens in the Lonely Planet book Culture Trails takes visitors on a journey through the artistic side of Athens..
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