Museums in Athens offer a unique opportunity to witness civilisation's birth with firsthand access to artefacts and artwork from this, the Cradle of Civilisation. The city has no fewer than 70 museums covering almost every aspect of history, culture and art that you can imagine. You can see galleries full of ancient sculptures and paintings and those that showcase the most influential artists of our age. You can see ancient ruins from the society that dreamed up democracy and see quirky museums full of optical illusions.

From cultural institutions to explorations of the development of modern philosophy, Athens has it all. Check out some of the best museums in this ancient city.

  • 1

    Acropolis Museum

    See one of the city's most iconic historical sites

    Acropolis Museum
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    The Acropolis Museum is, surprisingly, a newer museum in the city, which sits right next to the Acropolis and displays archaeological finds discovered there while showcasing live archaeological digs below. This museum is not only next door to the Acropolis itself, but it also sits above an ongoing dig, and the glass floors let you watch the archaeologists excavate the ancient neighbourhood beneath it. It has 3 storeys of permanent collections filled with documents, photographs, artefacts and ephemera.

    After exploring this wonderful spot (and the actual Acropolis next door), you can visit the cafe and gift shop. Guided tours of the museum are available. It's right in the heart of the city centre.

    Dirección: Dionysiou Areopagitou 15, Athina 117 42, Greece

    Horario: Monday from 8 am to 4 pm, Tuesday–Thursday, Saturday–Sunday from 8 am to 8 pm, Friday from 8 am to 10 pm

    Teléfono: +30 21 0900 0900

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  • 2

    Ancient Agora of Athens

    See the heart of Ancient Greek commerce and culture

    Ancient Agora of Athens
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    The Ancient Agora of Athens combines an actual archaeological site with a museum famous for its possession of the Stoa of Attalos. This site was restored in the 1950s by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and displays artefacts in chronological order dating back to the Neolithic period and ranging through the Ottoman rule period. The focus, however, is on Athenian Democracy, the ancestor of all modern democratic thought. The 2nd floor has an open exhibit space with Athenian sculpture and great views of the Agora itself as we as the Acropolis and Pnyx.

    The museum is in the heart of the Athens city centre for easy access. Guided tours are available.

    Dirección: Adrianou 24, Athina 105 55, Greece

    Horario: Daily from 8 am to 5 pm

    Teléfono: +30 21 0321 0185

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  • 3

    National Archaeological Museum

    See Greece's oldest ancient art and artefacts collection

    National Archaeological Museum
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    The National Archaeological Museum is the oldest archaeological museum in Greece and offers more than 11,000 exhibits of Greek art and artefacts from neolithic times through late antiquity. The collection is astounding and showcases everything from ancient household items and pottery to elaborate sculptures. It's so vast that it's easy to spend an entire day just exploring everything on display, and you still might not see it all.

    Whether you take a guided tour or explore on your own after you're done, you can visit the cafe and gift shop for a meal and souvenir. Like many museums in Athens, it's located in the city centre.

    Dirección: 28is Oktovriou 44, Athina 106 82, Greece

    Teléfono: +30 21 3214 4800

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  • 4

    Technopolis City of Athens

    Experience a unique cultural event hub

    Technopolis City of Athens
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    The Technopolis City of Athens is a museum in the former Athens gasworks and draws over 900,000 visitors every year with a wide range of cultural events and happenings. Here you'll see live music ranging from jazz to rock to hip hop. You can attend kids' workshops and arts and crafts fairs. Visit a startup business incubator and see the location of a local municipal radio station. The gasworks control room and original mechanical equipment have been restored and are on display with education about its history and workings.

    Occasionally, the viewing tower is also open to visitors. This museum is a one-of-a-kind cultural hub in the heart of the Athens city centre.

    Dirección: Athens 118 54, Greece

    Horario: Sunday–Thursday from 10 am to 10 pm, Friday–Saturday from 10 am to 11 pm

    Teléfono: +30 21 0346 1589

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  • 5

    Benaki Museum of Greek Culture

    Take a walk through Greek history

    Benaki Museum of Greek Culture
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    The Benaki Museum of Greek Culture houses permanent art collections from prehistoric, ancient Greek and Roman times, along with Byzatine art. There is a collection of historic heirlooms and a collection of 6,000 works of art from mostly 17th- to 19th-century European artists. Rotating exhibits round out the wealth of artwork displayed here.

    Antonis Benakis was the founder of the museum. The collections are housed in a magnificent example of a neoclassical-style building. It was first erected in 1895 as the Harokopos Mansion and has had many renovations and refurbishments through the years. The museum is located 7 minutes north-east of the city centre.

    Dirección: Koumpari 1, Athina 106 74, Greece

    Horario: Wednesday and Friday–Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, Thursday from 10 am to 11.30 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm (closed Monday–Tuesday)

    Teléfono: +30 21 0367 1000

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  • 6

    Museum of Illusions Athens

    Challenge and question your senses

    Museum of Illusions Athens
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    The Museum of Illusions Athens is a fun and family-friendly, ultramodern museum that allows you to engage, explore and challenge your senses in a world of optical illusion. You can navigate a vortex tunnel where you're unsure which way is up and down. You can walk into an upside-down room where you'll feel like you're walking on the ceiling. You'll see structures that look right-side-up but inside-out and challenge every one of your senses. You'll feel as though you're defying gravity and spinning through space.

    This museum is a self-guided one, and you and the kids alike will have a ball working your way through one exhibit after the next. It's in the city centre.

    Dirección: Ermou 119 Entrance from, Astiggos 12, Athina 105 55, Greece

    Horario: Monday–Friday from 11 am to 9 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm

    Teléfono: +30 21 0220 1610

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  • 7

    Byzantine and Christian Museum

    View a massive, world-famous Byzantine art collection

    Byzantine and Christian Museum
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    The Byzantine and Christian Museum is home to one of the largest collections of Byzantine art globally, with rare, preserved artefacts on display in a Florentine-style palace. The thousands of artefacts range from the 3rd century to the modern era. They include such iconic pieces as a mosaic of the Virgin Mary from ancient Constantinople and frescoes, ancient scriptures, coins, paintings, and many others. The museum was founded in 1914, making it a historic institution.

    As with many of Athens's museums, it's located in the heart of the city centre. The museum also has a cafe and restaurant onsite and a museum gift shop.

    Dirección: Leof. Vasilissis Sofias 22, Athina 106 75, Greece

    Horario: Wednesday–Monday from 8 am to 8 pm, Tuesday from 1 pm to 8 pm

    Teléfono: +30 21 3213 9517

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  • 8

    Museum of Cycladic Art

    View ancient art from myriad Near East civilisations

    Museum of Cycladic Art
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    The Museum of Cycladic Art is dedicated to studying ancient civilisations across the Aegean and Cyprus with a focus on the 3rd century B.C.E. It's divided into 2 buildings connected by a walking bridge. It houses permanent collections in the main building, with rotating and visiting exhibits in the adjacent neoclassical Stathatos Palace building. The main building encompasses 4 floors, and the highlight is a rare collage of ancient Cycladic art, Cypriot art and Greek art.

    The rotating exhibits put a new perspective on ancient art by showcasing cutting-edge contemporary art from these regions juxtaposed against the ancient world. The museum is in the heart of the city centre.

    Dirección: Neofitou Douka 4, Athina 106 74, Greece

    Horario: Monday, Wednesday, Friday– Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, Thursday from 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm (closed on Tuesdays)

    Teléfono: +30 21 0722 8321

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    foto de Gary Todd (CC0 1.0) modificada

  • 9

    Hellenic Motor Museum

    See Robert Plant's sportscar

    Hellenic Motor Museum
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    The Hellenic Motor Museum showcases a private collection of rare motor vehicles in a gorgeous ultramodern building with dozens of interesting, iconic and unique cars. For those looking to take a break from the ancient world, this is the place to catch something modern. You can even see a sports car that once belonged to Robert Plant, singer of Led Zeppelin. The museum is located in the heart of the city centre, just blocks from other museums you'll want to visit.

    You can also view a fascinating display covering the wheel's history or visit an automotive workshop from the early 20th century. Finally, you can see a gift shop to grab a souvenir of your trip.

    Dirección: Ioulianou 33, Athina 104 33, Greece

    Horario: Tuesday–Friday from 10 am to 2 pm, Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm (closed Saturday and Monday)

    Teléfono: +30 21 0881 6187

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  • 10

    National Museum of Contemporary Art Αthens (EMST)

    Check out the cutting edge of modern art

    National Museum of Contemporary Art Αthens (EMST)
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    The National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens (EMST) is appropriately a newer museum in Athens, showcasing over 1,300 artworks in just about every medium. It's housed in a former brewery that's been refurbished as a modern art gallery and lets you see everything from paintings and sculpture to drawings, photographs and even film and multimedia presentations. It's 4 floors of exhibits covering 3D artwork, architecture, industrial design and fascinating temporary, visiting and rotating exhibits.

    The artists on display here are both of Greek and international heritage and form some of the most important creators of the modern, postmodern and contemporary eras. It's all right in the heart of the Athens city centre.

    Dirección: Λεωφ. Καλλιρρόης και Αμβρ. Φραντζή (πρώην εργοστάσιο, Athina 117 43, Greece

    Horario: Tuesday–Wednesday, Friday–Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm, Thursday from 11 am to 10 pm (closed on Mondays)

    Teléfono: +30 21 1101 9000

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    foto de MST Athens (CC BY-SA 4.0) modificada