The Museum of Cycladic Art is dedicated to this prehistoric Bronze Age culture with the world's largest collection of ancient Cycladic art.
In this complete guide to the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, you'll learn all about the exhibition, history, and helpful information about how to get there and tickets.
What Can I Do at the Museum of Cycladic Art?
The Museum of Cycladic Art stands out among the museums in Athens with the largest collection of Cycladic objects in the world . Around 3000 exhibits are on display, most of which come from the Cyclades Islands, a group of islands in the center of the Aegean Sea.
A tour of the four-story main building allows you to learn more about this early Greek culture, which lived from 5000 to 2000 BC. lived.
Among the most important exhibits are historical treasures such as the Cycladic idols, marble figures, around 230 of which are on display in the museum.
Pottery, bronze tools, weapons and vases are also on display. Objects from everyday life take visitors back to the Bronze Age with re-enacted scenes and provide information about the everyday life of the islanders.
Another important part of the collection deals with Cypriot antiquities and ancient Greek art.
Temporary Exhibitions
Temporary exhibitions closely related to the exhibits, covering topics such as archeology and modern and contemporary art, are presented in the Stathatos Villa, which is connected to the main building by a corridor. You can find an up-to-date overview of all temporary exhibitions here.
Events
The museum organizes various events such as workshops, seminars, lectures, courses for adults and much more. Here is an overview of upcoming events.
Kids Activities
The activities that the museum hosts are also popular and are designed specifically for children. These make the museum an interesting alternative for visitors looking for places to visit in Athens for children. From family activities to children's competitions to summer camps, everything is included. Here is an up-to-date overview.
Museum Cafe
Café that not only impresses with a wonderful ambiance, but also with a menu inspired by Cycladic flavors.
Museum Shop
You can also browse the museum shop, which offers a range of diverse gift items, books and more.
Admission, Tickets and Guided Tours
How Do I Get to the Museum of Cycladic Art?
The Museum of Cycladic Art is centrally located in the Kolonaki district of Athens, close to numerous attractions such as Syntagma Square, the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture, and the Byzantine Museum.
Access to the museum is possible via two entrances. The easiest way to reach the main building on Neophytou Douka Street is with the Hop on Hop off bus tour, where you drive to station A7 “Benaki Museum” and walk a few meters or take metro line 3 to “Evangelismos”. From there it is a 7 minute walk. Alternatively, metro line 2 also runs close to the museum (to "Syntagma").
Visitors arriving from the Piraeus cruise port can go to the nearby Piraeus Metro Station and board the M1 line. A single ticket is sufficient for the 16-minute journey to Monastiraki station. There you change to metro line 3 and get off at “Evangelismos”.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
The Museum of Cycladic Art is open all year round except for some national holidays. The current opening hours can be found on the official website of the museum.
The Museum of Cycladic Art is centrally located in the Kolonaki district of Athens, close to numerous attractions such as Syntagma Square, the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture and the Byzantine Museum. The museum consists of a neoclassical main building and a new building, both of which are connected by a corridor. The full address of the museum is: Neophytou Douka 4, 106 74, Athens
Access to the Museum of Cycladic Art is possible through two entrances. The easiest way to reach the main building on Neophytou Douka Street is with the Hop on Hop bus tour, where you go to station A7 “Benaki Museum” and walk a few meters or take metro line 3 to “Evangelismos”. From there it is a 7 minute walk. Alternatively, metro line 2 also runs close to the museum (to "Syntagma").
Visitors arriving from the Piraeus cruise port can go to the nearby Piraeus Metro Station and board the M1 line. A single ticket is sufficient for the 16-minute journey to Monastiraki station. There you change to metro line 3 and get off at “Evangelismos”.
Tickets for the Museum of Cycladic Art are available at the on-site ticket offices and online in our shop.
History of the Museum of Cycladic Art
The Museum of Cycladic Art was founded in 1986 with the intention of presenting Dolly and Nikolaos Goulandris' private collection of Cycladic art to a wide audience. The two art collectors already showed their private collection in 1978 in an exhibition in the Benaki Museum in Athens, which was very well received.
Over time, the collection has steadily expanded, so that today the museum has one of the world's largest private collections of Cycladic art. Today the museum also presents an important collection of Cypriot art.
The Museum of Cycladic Art is housed in two buildings in the Kolonaki district of Athens. The main building is the neoclassical building designed by Ernst Ziller on Neophytou Douka Street, which was expanded with a new building. The Stathatos Mansion at 1 Vasilissis Sofias Street, Irodotou houses the museum's temporary exhibitions. Both are connected by a corridor.
The Museum of Cycladic Art is employed by the NP Goulandris Foundation .