Athens Benaki Toy Museum

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

The Benaki Toy Museum of Athens is located close to Flisvos Marina in the area of Faliro. It opened its doors to the public in 2017.
The museum's exhibits are based on Maria Argyriadi's collection, which is considered to be among the top 10 in Europe. She has been studying, collecting and preserving toys and dolls, since the 1970s. Her collection now numbers more than 20,000 objects linked to childhood, like toys, books, ephemera, clothing and other items associated with childhood from Europe, Africa, Asia and America.

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The museum's goal is to cover all aspects of the process of playing, which is why it investigates play in Europe (including Greece of course) and children's everyday lives in traditional and urban Greek society.

• The Greek Collection presents toys and items from ancient Greece, Roman times and the Byzantine era, handmade objects from the 18th up to the 20th century, festive and commercial toys from the 20th century, board games, and customary seasonal toys, among others.
• The European Collection features toys and dolls dating from the 17th century to the 20th century. Those mainly originate from Germany, France and the UK. European dolls wearing traditional costumes from various regions of Greece are also part of the collection.
• The Library consists of books concerning toys and kids and children's literature, photographs, archival material and data on Greek toy manufacturers.

A theatrical doll, created by set-designer Dionysis Fotopoulos, and a wooden horse, which Eleftherios Venizelos (a prominent figure in Greek politics) gave to his grandson, are two of the items that greet visitors as they enter the new Benaki Toy Museum.

The Museum is open Thursday to Sunday from 10:00-18:00. Note that it is closed throughout August.

How to get there

The Benaki Toy Museum is located in the area of Paleo Faliro.

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 ABC and many other places of interest in Athens at their own pace.

By bus/trolleybus: The closest bus stop is "Oulen". Check the routes and the official timetables on OASA Telematics.

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