War Museum Athens
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This museum definitely has a good, extensive collection of artifacts, from thousands of years ago to the 20th century, including some military vehicles & aircraft outside. For a foreigner, the part of the exhibition about ancient warfare may be especially interesting. Ticket costs 6 EUR, which is affordable. Staff were nice, welcoming and non-intrusive (saying this as a positive thing!). I've put 4 stars and not 5 because the museum could do with a renovation and, perhaps, finding some more creative/innovative/catchy ways to present their collections - because at times it felt a bit like a 'library' of artifacts. If one is a military geek, s/he will easily know what is where, but if one is from general public (like, probably, most visitors are), s/he might struggle to keep the focus and connect all the dots, so some storytelling, more 'recreations' of scenes (with settings/props/mannequins), some multimedia and/or interactive activities would be great. All that said, I enjoyed the visit, keep up the good work.
A DA D
00
Visited 24 Oct 2021 (6 euros/person). Would recommend for military history diehards and those with kids who like to look at a bunch of guns. Disappointment. Sought to learn about Greek military history, whatever they wished to impart. Sadly I walked away with little broader insight into the subject matter. Museum has many great artifacts with which they might educate visitors. Instead exhibits are a hodgepodge of inconsistent curations assembled across many decades by many people in different styles and qualities. Information that does get shared is so granular that the big picture never emerges. Result is that this is largely “a bunch of stuff” museum with artifacts and photos presented with little to no context and few if any captions. Often if there are captions, there is no English. For example, museum showcases Greek involvement in Korean War. There is a wall full of photos with just a handful of captions, only in Greek. Accompanying descriptive text is only in Greek. This isn’t the anomaly, this curation style spans 20th century exhibits. It seems a surprisingly dated, lazy way to impart important history...like World War II...not just to Greek children but to foreigners like myself. A bunch of photos, a bunch of weaponry, and an absent narrative. In another exhibit there is a wall of beautiful early 20th century weaponry. None of these artifacts are captioned in Greek or English. Wars of antiquity are covered a bit better but still lack an easy-to-follow narrative. It’s “Here’s a map but we won’t help you with any context.” Curators have thrown in a few TVs showing generally low-yield content with awful reenactments. TVs alone do not absolve the curatorial challenge of *explaining* subject matter. Top floor has a few broader summaries which are most welcome. However floor is darkly lit. Greek captions are presented on displays probably as originally intended, which is to say at a legible reading angle. English captions seem an afterthought and are displayed at an angle making the small text very difficult to read. I garnered the most insight from raised-relief maps associated with various exhibits. They seem to have been executed many years ago, but the quality is outstanding. Regrettably the great workmanship is accompanied by all-Greek text so unless you already know what you’re looking at, it’s a loss. The good news is the Athens War Museum can do a lot on a low budget to improve. They have all the artifacts to drive a top-notch military history presentation. They just need to figure out how to tell stories. And if it is within your mission to attract a foreign audience, then tell your stories also in English and caption also in English. I urge Athens War Museum curators to visit the Epigraphic Museum’s “Red Room” to see what a simple, easy-to-read narrative that includes English looks like when it is well done. How nice not to have to fight every step to extract information the museum seeks to impart.
Steve KleimanSteve Kleiman
100
Anyone who wants to know how Greece fared in wars during the past 2500 years should visit this museum. We'll defined time periods covering from Ancient Greece with a wonderful presentation of the naval War against the Persians in 450 B.C. to Byzantium, the 1821 War of Independence from the Ottomans to WW I and Ii, Korea and the Cyprus invasion in 1974, the visitor gets a full lesson in history. Military weapons and uniforms displayed add color to the exhibits. Only problem we noticed was the inadequate lighting which does not always project the exhibits as they should be seen. Quite and experience.
Miran SarkissianMiran Sarkissian
10
We had an extraordinary experience here, both adults and kids. Museum is not that big, but it has a solid base of pieces starting from ancient Greek to WWII. The order is nicely thought chronologically and, for each epoch a lot of explanations, pictures, pieces. You'll find dioramas of famous battles of Thermopylae and Marathon explained. Also modern WW era weapons and equipment. Boys will be thrilled. Don't forget to visit outside planes and vehicles behind the museum. Some parts were not translated from greek, I wish they were. Oh, personnel was very nice. Highly recommend👍🏻
Cristian RomanescuCristian Romanescu
00
This is the most fantastic🤩 display of weapons; knives and swords and handguns and rifles and shields and helmets and chainmail represented throughout history, that I have seen👀 anywhere outside of the Cody museum in Wyoming. I think it's the only F104 Starfighter I've ever seen out of the US.😳 The displays in this museum are very well presented! And the dioramas are amazing works of art! Lots of history about the Greek armies involvement in the Korean War. This is also the only place I've been who offers a senior discount!🥸 And you don't have to be an EU resident 🥳
Michael ScottMichael Scott
10
This is my second visit here but this time I found it more neglected. The beautiful building's glass windows became blur It seems like a couple of years nobody cleaned them. Historical photos have opened from the frame. The authorities don't care about them. It feels very sad that a country who had a rich history their museums are very neglected. The Greek government should take care of their museums not only for its tourism but also for future generations.
Md Sumon ChowdhoryMd Sumon Chowdhory
00
Nearby Attractions Of War Museum Athens
Panathenaic Stadium
Athens National Garden
Lycabettus Hill
Lycabettus Hill
Athens Concert Hall
ΑΤΤΙΚΑ ΠΟΛΥΚΑΤΑΣΤΗΜΑΤΑ Α.Ε.
Pallas Theater
Benaki Museum
Hilton Athens
Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens

Panathenaic Stadium
4.7
(13.7K)Click for details

Athens National Garden
4.6
(14.4K)Click for details

Lycabettus Hill
4.7
(8.7K)Click for details

Lycabettus Hill
4.7
(8K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of War Museum Athens
TGI Fridays Κολωνάκι
LOT 51
OROSCOPO restaurant
Ciao Italia - Pizzeria (Pangrati, Athens)
Mavro Provato of Press Café
Agora Select
Cookoovaya
Prasini Tenta, Lykavitos
Αρbarοριζα
Chelsea Hotel

TGI Fridays Κολωνάκι
4.4
(2.6K)Click for details

LOT 51
4.3
(2.1K)Click for details

OROSCOPO restaurant
4.7
(1.8K)$$
Click for details

Ciao Italia - Pizzeria (Pangrati, Athens)
4.2
(2K)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
Rizari 2-4, Athina 106 75, Greece
Map
Phone
+30 21 0725 2974
Call
Website
warmuseum.gr
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.7
(1.4K reviews)
Ratings & Description
cultural
accessibility
Description
The Athens War Museum, established on July 18, 1975, is the museum of the Greek Armed Forces. Its purpose is the exhibition of weapon artifacts and the relevant research in the history of war. It covers the history of war in all ages.
attractions: Panathenaic Stadium, Athens National Garden, Lycabettus Hill, Lycabettus Hill, Athens Concert Hall, ΑΤΤΙΚΑ ΠΟΛΥΚΑΤΑΣΤΗΜΑΤΑ Α.Ε., Pallas Theater, Benaki Museum, Hilton Athens, Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens, restaurants: TGI Fridays Κολωνάκι, LOT 51, OROSCOPO restaurant, Ciao Italia - Pizzeria (Pangrati, Athens), Mavro Provato of Press Café, Agora Select, Cookoovaya, Prasini Tenta, Lykavitos, Αρbarοριζα, Chelsea Hotel

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