The Benaki Museum is not a single museum building but a cultural institution with collections, museums, archives and historic properties spread across Athens and beyond.
Founded by collector and benefactor Antonis Benakis in 1930, the institution has grown far beyond its original home in Kolonaki. Today, its collections range from Greek art and material culture to Islamic art, photography, modern Greek creativity, toys, archives and traditional crafts. The official Benaki network also includes specialist artist houses and historic properties, although not every location is currently open for normal walk-in visits.
This guide helps you understand the different Benaki Museum locations and decide which one best fits your visit.
Which Benaki Museum Should You Visit?
Choose your Benaki location according to what you most want to see. You do not need to visit every branch to enjoy the museum.
Benaki Museum Locations
Benaki Museum of Greek Culture
The original Benaki Museum occupies the Benakis family building in Kolonaki, close to the National Garden and Parliament.
Its permanent displays follow Greek culture chronologically from prehistory through Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods to the formation of modern Greece. This is the best starting point for visitors who want a broad historical overview rather than a specialized collection.
Benaki Museum / Pireos 138
Pireos 138 is a large exhibition and cultural venue built around an internal courtyard. Its spaces host major temporary exhibitions and activities, while the building is also associated with the Benaki’s Photographic Archives, Historical Archives, Performing Arts Archives and Modern Greek Architecture Archives.
It is the better choice if your interest is contemporary exhibitions, photography, architecture or changing cultural programming.
2026 note: Pireos 138 is fully closed from 30 July until 8 October 2026.
Ghika Gallery
The Ghika Gallery occupies the former home of artist Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika on Kriezotou Street.
Rather than functioning simply as a gallery of Ghika’s paintings, it explores the wider artistic and intellectual life of Greece during much of the 20th century. Ghika’s living quarters and studio also form part of the experience.
The gallery is open on selected days and is closed during August.
Toy Museum
Located in Palaio Faliro, the Benaki Toy Museum is based on the collection of Maria Argyriadi.
Its holdings include toys, books, clothing and other objects connected with childhood from Greece and around the world. The Greek material ranges from antiquity to modern times, while the wider collection includes objects from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.
It is the most obvious Benaki choice for families and visitors interested in the history of childhood.
2026 note: The museum is fully closed from 30 July until 31 August 2026.
Yannis Pappas Studio
This Zografou property preserves the former home and studio of painter and sculptor Yannis Pappas.
The unusual appeal here is context: visitors encounter the artist’s work in the environment where he lived and worked. The studio also continues to serve an educational role for students of the Athens School of Fine Arts. Admission is currently free.
Mentis–Antonopoulos (NEMA) Passementerie
NEMA preserves traditional techniques associated with passementerie — decorative braids, ribbons, tassels and related textile crafts.
Rather than a conventional art museum, it functions as a specialist heritage workshop and educational centre preserving manufacturing, weaving and embroidery knowledge. Admission is currently free.
Museum of Islamic Art — Currently Closed
The Benaki Museum’s Islamic art collection contains more than 8,000 works tracing Islamic art from the emergence of Islam through the Ottoman period, with material from regions stretching from India and Persia to North Africa and Spain.
However, visitors should be aware that the Museum of Islamic Art has been closed to the public since 14 October 2024. Do not plan a visit without checking for a reopening announcement.
Patrick & Joan Leigh Fermor House
The Leigh Fermor House is in Kardamyli in the Peloponnese, not Athens.
Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor donated their home to the Benaki Museum, and the property now supports residencies, educational activities, events and scheduled public visits.
Visits are not casual walk-ins: advance online ticket purchase is required. During the June–September summer period, the official programme provides one scheduled public visit per week on Monday; different arrangements apply from October to May.
Other Benaki Properties
The official Benaki network also lists the Valadoros Collection and Delta House, but neither should currently be treated as a normal visitor museum.
The Valadoros Collection is closed for refurbishment. Delta House in Kifisia is temporarily closed for technical reasons, and the Historical Archives previously based there have operated from Pireos 138 since January 2025.
Benaki Museum Tickets, Prices & Free Entry
Benaki Museum Opening Hours
Benaki Museum opening hours vary by location. Always check the specific museum before visiting, especially around public holidays, seasonal closures and temporary exhibitions.
| Location | Opening Hours | Important Note |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of Greek Culture | Wed, Fri & Sat: 10:00–18:00 Thu: 10:00–00:00 Sun: 10:00–16:00 | Closed Monday & Tuesday |
| Pireos 138 | Regular hours temporarily suspended | TEMPORARILY CLOSED Closed until 8 October 2026. |
| Museum of Islamic Art | No current visitor hours | CURRENTLY CLOSED Closed to the public since 14 October 2024. Check the official Benaki Museum for reopening updates. |
| Ghika Gallery | Wed–Sat: 10:00–18:00 | Closed Sunday–Tuesday; seasonal closures may apply |
| Toy Museum | Thu–Sun: 10:00–18:00 | Closed Monday–Wednesday. Check the current schedule before visiting. |
Benaki Museum Collections: What Can You See?
The strength of the Benaki Museum lies in the breadth of its collections rather than one single archaeological period.
Across the institution, collections include:
The institution reports holdings of more than 500,000 works of art, books, photographs and rare documents.
Not all of these objects are permanently displayed. Some collections belong to archives, research holdings or rotating exhibitions, while others are associated with specific Benaki locations.
History of the Benaki Museum
The institution was founded by Antonis Benakis in 1930 and opened to the public the following year.
Benakis developed extensive collections while living within the Greek diaspora community in Egypt. The original museum was established in his family’s Athens residence, which was adapted to house his Greek and Islamic art collections as well as Chinese ceramics.
As donations and collections expanded, the original building could no longer contain the full scope of the institution. Rather than remaining a single encyclopedic museum, Benaki gradually developed into a network of specialized venues, archives and historic properties.
That decentralized structure is fundamental to understanding the Benaki Museum today: the institution’s collections are connected, but visitors encounter them in very different buildings and contexts.
Planning Your Benaki Museum Visit
Practical Visitor Tips
- Check the exact location. “Benaki Museum” can refer to several different venues, so confirm the building before setting out.
- Check current opening days. Schedules vary significantly and several locations have seasonal closures.
- Check temporary exhibitions separately. Pireos 138 in particular changes according to its exhibition programme.
- Do not assume one ticket covers everything. Admission policies vary by venue.
- Allow for travel between locations. Benaki properties are spread across Athens, while the Leigh Fermor House is in the Peloponnese.
- Check accessibility by building. Facilities and approaches differ between historic houses, galleries and purpose-built exhibition spaces.
Benaki Museum FAQ
The Benaki Museum is a private-law cultural foundation founded by Antonis Benakis. It operates a network of museums, galleries, archives, workshops and historic properties rather than a single museum building.
The official Benaki visitor directory currently lists ten named properties, but that does not mean ten conventional museums are open to visitors. Some are specialist workshops or historic houses, while the Museum of Islamic Art, Delta House and Valadoros Collection are currently closed.
The Benaki Museum of Greek Culture in Kolonaki is the original museum and the main starting point for most first-time visitors.