The 10 Best Museums to Visit in Athens, Greece

Designed to offer the best conditions for its unique exhibits, the Acropolis Museum is an absolute must-see. As a gate to the glorious world of ancient Athens, it hosts priceless artefacts found on the Acropolis, spanning a period from the Mycenaean era up to the Roman and Early Christian eras. Visit the ground floor to view the excavations below, or stroll through the galleries to admire masterpiece sculptures, inscriptions, finds from sanctuaries and objects used in everyday life. You could even have a delicious meal at the restaurant on the second floor, while enjoying a breathtaking view of the Acropolis.

Founded in 1829, the National Archaeological Museum hosts more than eleven thousand exhibits that cover a large chronological and geographical span. If you’d like to experience the panorama of Greek civilisation at its fullest, admire prehistoric items from preserved paintings of Thera, sculptures, vases or astounding statues. Last but not least, be sure to check out the museum’s huge library, where you can find titles dating as far back as the 17th century.

This museum has a very impressive collection of Cycladic, Ancient Greek and Cypriot art. Don’t forget to visit the museum’s shop to buy some exclusive gifts, or you could stop by the stylish Cycladic Café for lunch.

The Benaki Museum is situated in a majestic neoclassical building. Benaki could be seen as one of the most important museums relating to the history, art, and culture of both ancient and modern Greece. While it is the ideal place for an insight into a variety of eras, it also organises some of the most amazing exhibitions of contemporary art.

Closer to modern Greece, the National Historical Museum covers the events that followed the fall of Constantinople, all the way through to World War II, with an emphasis on the period preceding the Greek War of Independence. Housed in the country’s former parliament building, with its historic assembly hall still intact, the museum features an extensive collection of personal items belonging to famous politicians, kings and leaders of the Greek Revolution. “Visitors flock to see [general and revolution hero] Theodoros Kolokotronis’s famed helmet,” says curator and communications manager Giorgos Nikolaou. The chest containing chief naval officer Konstantinos Kanaris’s actual heart doesn’t go unnoticed either. Recommended by Konstantina Pyrnokoki.

Formerly the Duchess of Plaisance’s palace, the Byzantine and Christian Museum features more than 25,000 artefacts documenting religion, art and everyday life in the early Christian, Byzantine, Medieval and post-Byzantine eras. The only one covering Medieval Greece in such detail, the museum opens a true window into the Byzantine Empire. “We know a lot about Medieval Europe, but not about Medieval Greece, which is why this museum is important,” says theologian Constantinos Filippakopoulos, who specialises in Byzantine culture. “It documents Byzantine life, through exhibits features textiles and papyri, and even entire churches and twin tombs that are housed on its premises.” Recommended by Konstantina Pyrnokoki.

If you want to marvel at one of the largest coin collections in the world, pass by the Numismatic Museum, which showcases 500,000 numismatic items – mostly coins and medals from the 14th century BC up until today. Coins from the sixth and fifth century BC belonging to Roman emperors or Greek kings and rulers are sure to astonish you, as you follow the history of coinage, room by room. Adding to the experience is architect Ernst Ziller’s Neoclassical building, which was once the home of pioneering archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. Recommended by Konstantina Pyrnokoki.

Forget about those annoying ‘do not touch’ signs. A different type of museum, one of just five of its kind worldwide, allows visitors to experience history and art in a new way: through their sense of touch. Founded by non-profit organisation the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece, the Tactual Museum features exact, tangible replicas of prominent Greek artefacts found in other national or international museums (such as the Venus de Milo), thus bringing the country’s heritage closer to people with sight problems. “Everyone needs the beauty and serenity that a work of art can offer,” says social care administrator Georgia Mila. “And thanks to this museum, everyone can access it.” Admission is free for the blind and visually impaired. Recommended by Konstantina Pyrnokoki.

Art connoisseurs Basil and Elise Goulandris had a vision: to someday house their precious collection of artworks in one single building. In 2019 their dream came true, taking the form of a 1920s Neoclassical mansion displaying 180 works, carefully chosen by the couple themselves. One of the greatest private collections to be assembled in the course of the second half of the 20th century, theirs features modern and contemporary artists, covering the period between 1880 and 1980: Cézanne, Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Picasso, Miró, Giacometti and Chagall, to name a few. End your visit with a delicacy from the museum’s charming café on the mezzanine floor. Recommended by Konstantina Pyrnokoki.

If optical illusions and mind tricks are your idea of fun, then the Museum of Illusions should be high on your Athens to-do list. Stand in a room that’s upside down, shrink in size or become a giant, or play a game of cards with yourself. “There are lots of fascinating exhibits, like the chair that doesn’t look like a chair until you take a photo of it from the right angle,” says museum manager Panagiotis Papanikolaou. “My personal favourite, though, are the holograms behind the glass, especially the one who’s ‘shooting’ at you and you see that bullet almost passing through.” Recommended by Konstantina Pyrnokoki.