Athens Hellenic Maritime Museum

Location: Piraeus
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

The Hellenic Maritime Museum in Athens: The Hellenic Maritime Museum is located on Akti Themistokleous Street, in the region of Freatida in Piraeus. It was founded in 1949 and has a total of 9 rooms.
Its exhibits date from the prehistoric to present times. They include nautical instruments, models of ancient and modern ships, maps, flags, medals, and weapons.

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It also hosts works of art, such as paintings of seascapes made by some of the best Greek painters of the 19th and the 20th century. All these exhibits aim to present the long and glorious naval history.

Outside the museum, there is a copy of the submarine Papanikolis, who played an important role in the battles of the 1st and the 2nd World War. The Hellenic Maritime Museum is located in Piraeus as a recognition of the importance of Piraeus Port for the culture of Greece. It is found right above Marina Zeas, a small port for private yachts lined by cafeterias.

The permanent exhibition of the Hellenic Maritime Museum consists of numerous exhibits. Namely, the collections of the museum are:

• Prehistoric and Classical Antiquity - consisting mainly of prehistoric and ancient ship models, such as triremes and merchant ships
• Byzantine Era - presenting models of ships that existed during the long Byzantine period and various other objects, such as a pithos with two ships engraved on it
• Pre-Revolutionary period and the 1821 Navy - with exhibits focusing on the navy of the Greek Revolution, such as drawings, paintings, photographs and weapons
• The Navy in Modern Times (1827-1945) - two rooms dedicated to the history of the navy since the establishment of the Greek state, with emphasis on the Balkan Wars and World War II
• Merchant Shipping from 1827 to the present - featuring almost every type of merchant ship from the late 19th to the 20th century, from ocean liners and tankers to cruise ships and ferries
• Traditional Shipbuilding and Ships - presenting mainly miniatures of the traditional ships that sailed in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Aristotle Onassis Collection - exhibiting objects from the collection of the eminent Greek shipowner, like ship models, nautical instruments, furniture and engravings
• Art Collection - featuring paintings and a few sculptures created by Greek and European artists

Moreover, the Nautical Museum houses a specialized library with 10,000 volumes and vast archival material, apart from a photo collection. There are also 200 maps dating from the 16th to the 20th century and the archive of Admiral Kriezis, which has been donated to the Museum.

The Hellenic Maritime Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday.
Its opening hours are 09:00-14:00.

Official website: www.hmmuseum.gr

How to get there

There are many ways to reach the Hellenic Maritime Museum from any location in Athens.

Private transfers: We recommend using an online pre-booked transfer service, which provides transfer by taxi, minibus, or private VIP car and arranging a pickup directly from the port, airport, or your hotel. Alternatively, there’s the option of arranging a pickup by a local driver directly at the following numbers: (0030) 18288, (0030) 18222, (0030) 18180. You can also book your taxi online.

Car rental: There is the option of renting a car and picking it up directly from the airport, port, or your hotel. Using a rental car allows visitors to discover the Hellenic Maritime Museum and many other places of interest in Athens at their own pace.

By metro: The closest metro station is Dimotiko Theatro (Blue Line). Note that in order to reach the Hellenic Maritime Museum from the metro, a 20-minute walk is needed. Get a map of the metro here.

By bus/trolleybus: The closest bus stop is "Platia Freattidos" (Bus line 904). Check the routes and the official timetables on OASA Telematics.

By tram: The closest tram stop is Plateia Deligianni (Route 7, Aghia Triada-Asklepieio Voulas). Get a map of the tram here.