Tip of the day 18/05 – International Museum Day

• May 18, 2023

The International Council of Museums (ICOM), wishing to highlight the role of museums in modern society, designated 18 May as International Museum Day in 1977. The message of this anniversary is “to make museums the agents of cultural exchange, with a view to the development of education and mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples”. Admission to the museums is free.

18 May is dedicated each year to a specific theme relating to museums and the protection of cultural heritage. The theme of this year’s celebration (2025) is: “Museums and societies in constant change”, inviting us to envision new ways to preserve and deepen our cultural identity, enhancing the role of museums as vital social pillars of development.

The Greek Section of ICOM has chosen the  Herakleidon Museum as its honoured institution for 2025, particularly appreciating its scientific, educational and cultural work, as well as its contribution to the promotion of the visual arts at national and international level.

Acropolis Museum will be open from 9 am to 8 pm with free entrance to all exhibition areas. The restaurant will be open during the same hours. On this day, the Museum will inaugurate the presentations of the exhibition Allspice | Michael Rakowitz & Ancient Cultures. The Museum’s archaeologists will present original ancient artefacts from Mesopotamia and the southeastern Mediterranean in a dialogue with a series of contemporary works by the internationally acclaimed Iraqi-American artist Michael Rakowitz Through their tour of the exhibition, visitors will ‘experience’ issues of loss, looting, violent persecution of people and cultural goods due to war, colonialism or forced migration, and reflect on the role of museums as archives of human history, a source of understanding of the past and a factor in shaping the future. A free admission ticket from the Museum’s ticket offices is a prerequisite.

The Hellenic Children’s Museum participates in the celebration of the International Museum Day with a series of educational programmes for families. With the theme “Museums and Societies in Constant Change”, the Hellenic Children’s Museum focuses on the axis “the power of young people”, offering its audience programmes designed by the trainees of the Education at the Museum seminar. Admission to the programmes is free and there will be a first-come, first-served basis.

On the occasion of this year’s theme, the Museum of Cycladic Art invites children and adults to visit the permanent exhibitions and get to know the objects through special activities and narratives. At the same time, visitors will have the opportunity to discover traditional art forms such as basketry and vertical loom weaving, which will be presented live in the museum’s premises. They will also participate in storytelling sessions dedicated to the culture and oral history of the Cyclades and attend screenings related to the Cycladic Identity Initiative of the Museum of Cycladic Art for the preservation of the Cycladic cultural heritage.

The National Archaeological Museum also participates with a series of unique events with free entrance:

1) in the Hall of the Altar of the Museum
17:00: Camerata of the Athens Music School
17:30: Ancient Greek lyre ensemble of the Athens Music School
2) At the Museum’s Atrium
18:00: Wind Ensemble of the Music School of Athens

To celebrate International Museum Day, the National Gallery  organizes an educational activity awaits teenagers and young people up to 25 years old. The National Gallery is forming its own youth councils, offering them the opportunity to envision their own National Gallery. Through a guided tour of the Museum’s collections, the teams will be invited to plan and propose cultural actions and synthesize responses to a series of museum design scenarios related to accessibility, digital transformation and the sustainability of museums of the future

Goulandris Foundation welcomes you also with free admission and a specially designed program of free guided tours of its Collection and the temporary exhibition “Nicholas Kontaxis – Catch Me”!

The EMST becomes also a “meeting point”, a point of inclusion and co-creation in collaboration with Off Stream. Adult audiences, with and without sensory impairments, are invited to multisensory discover a selected artwork of the Museum and co-create its description. Registration is required at info@offstream.org. There will be a first-come, first-served basis. Hours 11.30-13.00

On the occasion of International Museum Day, the Alekos Fassianos Museum offers free admission to the residents and visitors of the city. The exhibition aims to introduce the breadth of Alekos Fassianos’ work, featuring pieces from 1954 until the end of the artist’s life.

Athens Olympic Museum will be open from 11:00 till 19:00 (last entry @18:00) and offer free admission to all visitors!​. As the world evolves, museums play a crucial role in preserving history and linking the past to the present and future. ​ The Athens Olympic Museum, with its invaluable history of the Olympic Games, the legends, the remarkable figures, and their accomplishments, keeps the spirit alive and continues to motivate. ​

And as the city of Athens has more than 70 museums, but most of the travellers visits only few of them, here is a list with the majority of the museums of the Athens, so at your next visit you will be more organized! If you plan  to visit a museum today, check its website before your visit to see if there are special event and fees.

So, how many of them have you already visited?