Benaki Museum
The Benaki Museum, housed in the neoclassical mansion on Koumbari Street, presents Greek history and art from prehistory to the modern Greek state.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Antonis Benakis founded the museum in 1930 and donated it to the Greek state in memory of his father, Emmanuel Benakis. The museum was housed in the family mansion and opened on 22 April 1931. The founder had begun collecting works in Egypt around thirty years earlier and settled permanently in Athens in 1926.
The main building is neoclassical and stands on Koumbari Street, opposite the National Garden. Its construction began in 1867–1868 for the merchant Ioannis Peroglou; the Benaki family acquired it in 1910, and it was extended for the museum’s needs between 1929 and 1931. Further additions were completed in 1997 and, after earthquake damage, the building reopened in 2000 following restoration.
Since 2000 the collections have been organised by theme across several buildings. The central building presents Greek history chronologically, from prehistory to the Greek state of the 19th century, while other sections are devoted to Islamic, Coptic and Chinese art. The museum also holds photographic archives with around 300,000 negatives and 25,000 photographs, and a library of around 200,000 volumes.
Highlights
- Greek culture from prehistory to the modern Greek state
- Neoclassical mansion opposite the National Garden
- Photographic archives with around 300,000 negatives
- Islamic, Coptic and Chinese art in the museum’s sections
- Library with around 200,000 volumes
Permanent exhibition
- Μόνιμη έκθεση ελληνικού πολιτισμού – A chronological presentation of Greek history and art in the central building, from prehistoric times to the Greek state of the 19th century.
- Founded
- 1930
- Visitors per year
- approx. 141,810
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €12 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €9Students, people over 65, teachers in Greece, members of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece, holders of the European Youth Card |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 21 · Children and young people under 22 have free admission. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freePeople with disabilities have free admission. |
| Temporary exhibition | –€8–10 (reduced €6–8); combined ticket for the permanent and temporary exhibitions with a 20% discount on the total cost. |
| Journalists | €1 |
Free admission: Every Thursday 18:00–24:00 for the permanent exhibition (except for organised guided tours and group visits); International Museum Day (18 May) for permanent and temporary exhibitions, provided the building is open.
Free admission also applies to members and friends of the Benaki Museum, holders of Ministry of Culture cards, unemployed people with an unemployment card in Greece, tour guides and ICOM members. The Turbopass is not valid at the Benaki Museum.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Visitors using a wheelchair use the entrance on Leoforos Vasilissis Sofias.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
Café-restaurant hours: Monday and Sunday 10:00–18:00, Wednesday to Saturday 10:00–01:00, Tuesday closed. Shop: 10:00–18:00, Tuesday closed. Pets are allowed in the shops and the outdoor courtyards, but not in the exhibition spaces or restaurants.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Audio guide | yes (ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΆ, ΑΓΓΛΙΚΆ, ΓΑΛΛΙΚΆ, ΙΣΠΑΝΙΚΆ, ΡΩΣΙΚΆ, ΚΙΝΕΖΙΚΆ, ΟΥΚΡΑΝΙΚΆ) |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Free audio guide via QR codes. |
