The War Museum houses exhibits on Greek war history, from ancient times to the present day.
In this complete guide to the Athens War Museum, you'll learn all about the exhibition, history, and helpful information on how about get there, tickets, and tours.
What Can I Do at the War Museum?
The War Museum in Athens presents an impressive collection of the country's military history both on its four floors of the museum and outside.
For the best experience, the museum recommends starting on the first floor, which houses antiques. The ten rooms are divided into different time periods, which gives you an overview of the struggles of the Greek nation in the different epochs.
Small arms, ammunition and uniforms are mainly on display. For example, you can see the historical weapons collection of the Greek Ministry of Defense, but also rare weapons from other countries and nations.
There is also a collection of medals for bravery, as well as maps, paintings, flags and sculptures. The exhibition on the Second World War and a film about Alexander the Great are also well worth seeing.
Outside, you can see cannons and aviation vehicles.
The War Museum also has a library, a film archive, a photo archive with around 20,000 photographs, a historical archive with, among other things, diaries and letters from soldiers, and a congress center where events, exhibitions and congresses are organized.
The permanent exhibition is divided into ten rooms with the following main topics.
Admission, Tickets and Guided Tours
How Do I Get to the War Museum?
The War Museum is located in the center of Athens near Syntagma Square.
The best way to reach it is by Metro 3 to Evaggelismos. It is also very easy with the Hop on Hop off bus tour, which stops with its station A7 "Benaki Museum" in the immediate vicinity of the War Museum. Alternatively, a number of buses also stop near the museum.
Visitors arriving from Piraeus cruise port can go to the nearby Piraeus Metro Station and board the M1 line. A single ticket is sufficient for the journey to “Monastiraki” station. There you change to the M3 and travel one stop to “Evangelismos”. The museum is a 5-minute walk away.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
The regular opening hours of the War Museum are, November to March from 09:00 to 17:00 and April to October from 09:00 to 20:00. The current opening hours can be found on the official website of the museum.
The War Museum is located in the center of Athens near Syntagma Square. The exact address is: Athens War Museum, 2 Rizari, Athens 106 75
The best way to get to the War Museum is by taking Metro 3 to Evaggelismos. It is also very easy with the Hop on Hop off bus tour, which stops with its station A7 "Benaki Museum" in the immediate vicinity of the War Museum. Alternatively, a number of buses also stop near the museum.
Visitors arriving from Piraeus Cruise Port can go to the nearby Piraeus Metro Station and board the M1 line. A single ticket is sufficient for the journey to “Monastiraki” station. There you change to the M3 and travel one stop to “Evangelismos”. The museum is a 5-minute walk away.
Tickets for the War Museum are available on site at the ticket counters and online in our shop.
History of the War Museum
The War Museum was founded in 1964 by the military junta, the Greek military dictatorship (1967 to 1974), with the intention of honoring all those who fought for the freedom of Greece.
However, the museum could only be opened in 1975, after the fall of the dictatorship. The then President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tsatsos and the Defense Minister Evangelos Averof-Tositsas inaugurated the War Museum on July 18, 1975.
Today, the War Museum not only presents memorabilia related to the country's military history, it is also a place for research, preservation of artifacts and venue for various exhibitions. With its impressive collection, it is one of the must-see museums in Athens.