Blog | Benaki Museum

A must visit after a brief stroll around Kolonaki upmarket district. It is located right opposite the lush greenery of the National Gardens and the garden of the Presidential Mansion. Its impressive neoclassical building continues to resist the aesthetic deterioration of postwar Athens. Its permanent collection with more than 40,000 items offers a timeline of Greek history through the private collection of Antonis Benakis; the wealthy cotton merchant who donated all he owned to the state in the 1950s. There’s a wide range of Mycenaean jewellery and dazzling embroideries. Also on display are the personal belongings of one of Greece’s most revered politicians, Cretan statesman and Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos. The exhibits are impeccably labelled and you can spend several hours strolling the museum. A break at the rooftop café offers a refreshing view of the National Gardens. The museum shop stocks a fine selection  of art books, catalogues, CDs and stationery.

Wed-Fri 09:00-17:00/ Thu -Sat 09:00-24:00/ Sun 09:00-15:00  Admission fee: €7 Temporary Exhibition: €3-5 Concessions: €5 persons over 65, an adult accompanying a child Free admission: Every Thu (except temporary exhibition and guided group which costs €7), academics and teachers, archaeologists, conservators, journalists, families with three or more children.

Free admission every Thursday to all the Benaki Museum Buildings. www.benaki.gr

Source: https://www.bestofathens.gr/guide/place/museum/benaki-museum