The Athens City Museum

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Updated: August 12, 2022
By Santorini Dave

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Elegant corridor with oil paintings and a crystal chandelier

The Athens City Museum gives visitors a taste of aristocratic life in 19th-Century Athens, when the city first became the capital of Greece.

Tickets: Purchase at the museum or by phone at +30 210 323 1387.

The Athens City Museum is essentially two beautiful 19th-Century neoclassical homes that were once home to the aristocratic Dekozis-Vouros family, which included Lambros Eutaxias, an avid art collector and an enthusiast of Greek history who founded the museum. The older of the two mansions is known as the Old Palace because between 1836 and 1842 it was the residence of King Otto and Queen Amalia, the first royal family of Greece, before they moved into their new palace in the present day Parliament building. Through authentic antique furnishings, photographs, and personal belongings, as well as interactive digital exhibits, the museum allows visitors to experience high-living Athens in the 1800’s, when the city became the capital of the Greek state after the War of Independence (1821-1829).

The two mansions are connected by an interior corridor and exhibits are arranged over 20 rooms and halls. The permanent collection includes personal items and furniture from the first royal couple as well as furnishings, paintings, and other objects from the aristocratic Athenian families of Vouros and Eutaxias. An interesting digital display provides historical insight to the city’s top buildings; select the building of interest and an image of the way that building was in 1842 will reveal itself. The City Museum is also home to the oldest (1674) and largest existing oil painting of Athens that includes the fully-intact Acropolis before it was partially destroyed by the Venetian army in 1687.

Audio guides are available but not consistently offered; ask about this option when purchasing admission as English signage and description throughout the museum could benefit from improvement. During their visit, kids can dress up in reproduction Ottos and Amalia costumes for royal photo ops (10€ per costume, call ahead). A lovely seasonal garden bistro serves drinks, snacks, and refreshments until mid-October. The Athens City Museum is centrally-located, about a 600-meter walk on mostly flat city streets northwest of Syntagma Square, which is also the nearest metro station.

Athens City Museum Hours and Information

  • Hours: 9am – 4pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; 10am – 3pm Saturday & Sunday. Closed Tuesdays, January 1, Orthodox Εaster Sunday & Monday, December 25 & 26
  • Website: athenscitymuseum.gr
  • Location: loannou Paparrigopoulou 5-7
  • Telephone: +30 210 323 1387
  • Admission Fee: Genaral Admission 5€/person, Reduced Admission (seniors, students, kids 8-15 years) 3€. Kids under 8 are free.
  • Parking: Street parking, nearby pay lots
  • Nearest Metro: Syntagma, Monastiraki

Athens City Museum

Exterior of a peach-colored neoclassical mansion on a city street on a rainy day

The Athens City Museum comprises two elegant neoclassical mansions in central Athens.

Library with built-in wooden bookcases, an elegant table, and statues on pedestals

The mansions were once home to the the aristocratic Dekozis-Vouros family, as well as the first royal family of Greece.

Large oil painting of the Acropolis of Athens

The museum houses the oldest and largest existing oil painting of the Acropolis while it was still intact.

Digital display above a diorama of the city of Athens

There’s also a cool interactive digital display that shows what the city’s most prominent buildings and landmarks looked like in the 1800’s.

A woman looks at black and white photos hanging on a wall

The museum introduces visitors to the aristocratic families that once lived within its walls, and allows them to see what life would have been like for them in the 19th century.

Old black and white family photos hang on a wall

Elegant dining table in a room with green-curtained windows and a lovely oil painting

Authentic furnishings and artifacts show the elegant family homes as they were once lived in.

A room with statues, paintings, and papers on display

Antique documents on display in a museum case

An old black and white photo of four men sits on an end table

Large room with elegant furnishings and a crystal chandelier

Intersection of two elegant rooms in a historic family home

Old family photos displayed on an end table

Room with a grand piano and two side chairs

Bronze bust on a pedestal

Round table set for dinner, near a fireplace

Elegant dining table near a window with plush red curtains

Elegant hall with stencilled walls and statuary

Historic room with a mannequin dressed in period costume

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About Santorini Dave

Santorini Dave Author Bio. Santorini Dave was started in 2011 by a guy who loved Greece, travel, and great hotels. We're now a small team of writers and researchers on a mission to deliver the most helpful travel content on the internet. We specialize in Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece and recommend the best hotels, best neighborhoods, and best family hotels in top destinations around the world. We also make hotel maps and travel videos. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.