Start with the museum closest to where you live
Greece is considered a vast exhibition space. So chances are there’s a museum near your neighbourhood that you either didn't know was there or neglected to visit. A brief search online can help you locate your nearest museum, while through its website you’ll find useful information about its opening hours and the days of free admission. For instance, every year many Greek museums offer free admission on some Sundays during November and December.
You can broaden your search based on your interests: If you're interested in a specific period in history and wish to visit a museum that will help you learn more about it, you can set specific filters in your search and organize a visit. Venues offer free admission to specific categories of citizens, such as students, unemployment card holders and single-parent families, so check the relevant list to see if you're entitled to free entrance.
For instance, the Benaki Museum houses a variety of prehistoric, ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic works of art that are sure to intrigue you, while equally important are the collections of the Museum of Cycladic Art focusing on the ancient civilizations of the Aegean and Cyprus. In the meantime, from 1 December 2023 through to 14 April 2024, the Acropolis Museum will host unique works in the temporary exhibition "NoHMATA - Meaning through time. Personifications and allegories from antiquity to today".
Combine pleasure with utility
With Christmas coming up, many people are planning holiday getaways. Combine your trip with one or more visits to museums in the area you’ll be visiting, the cost of which is often included in the price of the trip.
Try the virtual tour
Who said that visiting a museum necessarily requires your physical presence? Today, as technology evolves rapidly, you have the opportunity to visit various places, both inside and outside Greece, from the comfort of your own home. All you need is an internet connection and you’re there! Even though virtual tours are a completely different experience, they’re worth experiencing, especially if you have limited free time.
The Acropolis Museum gives visitors the opportunity, through a spherical 360o video, to feel that they are in its exhibition spaces, but also to navigate through the museum themselves. Similarly, at the National Archaeological Museum visitors can digitally browse through 36 rooms and explore 86 of its exhibits.
You can gain so much from visiting a museum! Because museums open up your mind, they enable you to travel to another era and place, and thus take a break from your daily routine. This alone is enough to give you a lift and enhance your well-being. Why are you still thinking about it? Visit a museum now!