National Hellenic Museum

What is National Hellenic Museum?

The museum covers two stories at once: the cultural traditions of Greece, both ancient and modern, and the experience of Greek immigrants who settled in America and built new lives here. Its setting in Greektown, a neighborhood shaped by those immigrants, gives the exhibits extra meaning, since the streets outside are part of the same story.

Over the years it has become a central part of Chicago's Greek community, a place where families can see their own history reflected and where visitors from elsewhere can learn about it.

History of National Hellenic Museum

The museum was established in 1983 under the name Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center. A modernization program followed, and at the end of 2011 the museum moved into its present building on Halsted Street. The official opening was held on December 10, 2011, and was celebrated as a major event among Chicago's Greek residents. Today it goes by the name National Hellenic Museum.

Visiting National Hellenic Museum: tips

The museum is listed as wheelchair accessible. Allow about an hour for the galleries. It is well placed for a Route 66 start: Lou Mitchell's diner and Hull House are each about 0.3 mile away, and the Chicago Design Museum is about 1.1 miles away. Hull House pairs especially well with this museum, since both tell the stories of immigrants who arrived in Chicago and made new lives there. Food and lodging are both within about 0.1 mile, and EV charging is about 0.2 mile away.