Map
Athens rings from Marasleion
The new Benaki Museum building is located at 138 Pireos Street, one of the central development axes of Athens. The existing building, which is organised around a central courtyard, is already being refurbished, thanks to co-funding by the Ministry of Culture and the European Union. The new building covers a total area of 8,200 m2 with underground areas of 2,800 m2 and an internal courtyard of 850 m2. The exhibition halls span 3,000 m2. There is an amphitheatre capable of seating 300, as well as areas to house the Museum services.
National Gallery Central Building
Since May 2021, the National Gallery-Museum of Alexandros Soutsou has welcomed visitors to its recently refurbished building. The new building complex, with its roots in the heritage of Greek modernism, is a contemporary cultural landmark in the heart of Athens. After the long absence of the main building of the National Gallery from the cultural life of Athens due to the expansion projects, the new facility aims to spread its work through an energetic connection between the urban and the museum experience.
The new modernized building complex of the National Gallery, an open space for access and familiarization with the history of modern Greek art, is articulated in an aesthetic and functional game of built volumes and outdoor spaces. Given the protected shell of the building, its total size was doubled to 20,760 m2: bigger exhibition spaces, contemporary art storage, a 240-seat auditorium, a two-storey art library, up-to-date conservation laboratories, modern offices, new educational areas, a large impressive lobby, where, in addition to the ticket office and the cloakroom, the museum shop and the digital information lounge are located, and finally, a garden-outdoor sculpture gallery and a stylish coffee shop.
The Parthenon (/ˈpɑːrθəˌnɒn, -nən/; Ancient Greek: Παρθενών, romanized: Parthenōn [par.tʰe.nɔ̌ːn]; Greek: Παρθενώνας, romanized: Parthenónas[parθeˈnonas]) is a former temple[6][7] on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of classical Greek art, and the Parthenon is considered an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, democracy, and Western civilization.[8][9]
The Parthenon was built in the 5th century BC in thanksgiving for the Greek victory over the Persian invaders during the Greco-Persian Wars.[10] Like most Greek temples, the Parthenon also served as the city treasury.[11][12]Construction started in 447 BC when the Delian League was at the peak of its power. It was completed in 438 BC; work on the artwork and decorations continued until 432 BC. For a time, it served as the treasury of the Delian League, which later became the Athenian Empire.
Closed
1 January, Orthodox Easter Sunday, 1 May, 25 and 26 December
Reduced Christmas hours
On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve (24 and 31 December), the Museum is open from 9 am to 3 pm.
Reduced Easter Hours
On Orthodox Good Friday, the Museum is open from 12 noon to 6 pm; on Orthodox Holy Saturday, from 9 am to 3 pm.
Free admission days
6 March (Melina Mercouri Day), 25 March (National holiday), 18 May (International Day of Museums), 28 October (National holiday).
Shops
The shops remain open during the scheduled days and hours of the Museum’s operation; they close 15 minutes before the Museum’s closing time.
Café & Restaurant
The café and restaurant remain open during the scheduled days and hours of the Museum’s operation. Every Friday and Saturday, the second-floor restaurant remains open until midnight.
The Panathenaic Stadium (Greek: Παναθηναϊκό Στάδιο, romanized: Panathinaïkó Stádio, [panaθinai̯ˈko ˈstaðio])[a] or Kallimarmaro(Καλλιμάρμαρο [kaliˈmarmaro], lit. 'beautiful marble')[4][5] is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. One of the main historic attractions of Athens,[6] it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble.[5]
A stadium was built on the site of a simple racecourse by the Athenian statesman Lykourgos (Lycurgus) c. 330 BC, primarily for the Panathenaic Games. It was rebuilt in marble by Herodes Atticus, an Athenian Roman senator, by 144 AD it had a capacity of 50,000 seats.