Best Athens Museums: places to visit in Athens

If you are a real history buff, then you are visiting the right city. Athens is home to many different museums and there is always one that appeals to you. Usually, only the museum at the top of the list is the lucky one, but we would like you to pay special attention to the other museums that may surprise you. We compiled a list for you with the best Athens museums and surprise, surprise: they are not only about history! Well then, let’s note down 5 places to visit in Athens.

Acropolis Museum

This is a must visit before you visit the Acropolis. Even if you are not a big fan of history, this museum will manage to impress you. The striking, modern architecture seems in strong contrast with the Acropolis itself. The glass walls give you the opportunity though to imagine what Athens was like thousands of years ago. The Acropolis Museum is very well-equipped and makes a museum visit even fun and interesting for children. Its Education Team has developed several lovely activities for families with children and there is more… (keyword: Lego). You don’t have to rush through: there is a lovely restaurant on the top floor where you can enjoy a meal while taking in magnificent views of The Rock, as Athenians call the hill.

Hellenic Motor Museum

Who would have thought about a car museum when we mentioned the places to visit in Athens? It offers a wonderful trip down memory lane with more than 110 cars on display and offers a great insight into the evolution of the car. It has a large collection of veteran, vintage and other cars from the 20th century but also contemporary ones. Great is also its location near our next proposal: the National Archaeological Museum. In this way, you can combine ancient history with modern technology!

National Archaeological Museum

This museum is one of the largest museums in the world devoted to ancient Greek art. Built at the end of the 19th century, it is an impressive neoclassical building, inviting you to explore the inside. You can easily spend half a day here admiring the statues or checking the small artefacts.

Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum

More than 4000 items of jewelry from more than 50 collections by the hand of Ilias Lalaounis are on display in this “gem”. If you love beautiful jewelry and decorative art, this is one of the places to visit in Athens.

Benaki Museum

The Benaki Museum is a collective name for 5 museums that are open to the public. They are at various locations in the city and house different collections. Ceramics, Islamic art, old workshops, icons… so many options and so little time! Have a look at their website and then decide which museum is the one of your choice. Spoiler alert: the Museum of Greek Culture has a wonderful terraced restaurant that offers great views.

The above are only 5 of the places to visit in Athens.

Of course, there are more museums that could be on your list, so let us know which museum you discovered! Which museum should we add to this list? What was the most impressive thing you learned?