With imaginative children’s workshops, family backpacks, gallery talks for adults, Christmas tunes, harp melodies in the Parthenon Gallery and more surprises, the Acropolis Museum has the whole family covered this holiday season.
Christmas at the Acropolis Museum Program
MUSIC: 18 December, 12 noon
The Athens Big Band will present Christmas songs on the ground floor.
CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP: 28th December, 11:00am to 4:00pm
The Trees of the Gods. Using today’s festive plants as a starting point, children and adults can discover the special importance of particular plants in ancient Greece, such as the olive, oak and laurel. They will be presented with the beautiful foliage and fruits that can be seen in the museum’s artefacts, in order to create colourful and festive trees.
Children’s workshops at the museum. Photograph by George Bitsaropoulos, courtesy of Acropolis Museum.
The workshop is held by the museum’s archaeologist hosts and is designed for kids from 4 to 12 years old and their parents. Participation is free for children. A general admission fee is required for parents. The workshop is taking place at the balcony of the second floor that overlooks the Archaic Gallery. Program held in Greek and in English.
CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP: 29th December, 11:00am to 4:00pm
The Ship of the Panathenaic Festival. A boat with an impressive colourful sail used to travel on wheels up to the foot of the Acropolis for the splendid Panathenaic festival. Children and adults will bring the sea to the land of the museum in a colourful paper mosaic, at the same time discovering the marine world in the artefacts of the Acropolis Museum.
Photograph by George Bisaropoulos, courtesy of Acropolis Museum.
The workshop is held by the museum’s archaeologist hosts and is designed for kids from 4 to 12 years old and their parents. Participation is free for children. A general admission fee is required for parents. The workshop is taking place at the balcony of the second floor that overlooks the Archaic Gallery. Program held in Greek and in English.
CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP: 30th December, 12:00pm to 7:00pm
Suspended Creations.The ancients used to hang sacred ornaments and everyday objects, on the walls of buildings and the trees of sanctuaries. Through art and ancient texts, children and adults will see such objects in the form of clay and metal panels, garlands and wreaths of flowers, ribbons and fabrics, musical instruments and pottery. They will decorate walls and bright trees at the museum with their own colourful, suspended creations.
The workshop is held by the museum’s archaeologist hosts and is designed for kids from 4 to 12 years old and their parents. Participation is free for children. A general admission fee is required for parents. The workshop is taking place at the balcony of the second floor that overlooks the Archaic Gallery. Program held in Greek and in English.
MUSIC: 27th – 30th December, 11:00am-1:00pm
Harp melodies in the Parthenon Gallery. Visitors will enjoy their walk through the Parthenon Gallery listening to live harp music by Thodoris Matoulas.
The magical Parthenon Gallery on the top floor of the museum. Photograph: Why Athens.
GALLERY TALKS IN DECEMBER
Gallery talks for visitors will continue during the month of December. Visitors have the opportunity to travel to Dodona, to the temple of Zeus and discover ancient divinities with archaeologist hosts, at the temporary exhibition ‘Dodona.The Oracle of Sounds’.
Figurine of Zeus Keravnios. The god of sky and natural phenomena is holding his characteristic symbol of thunder. 470-460 BC © Acropolis Museum.
Gallery talks schedule:
Friday 2, 9, 16 & 23 December, at 1:00pm in Greek and at 11:00am in English
Sunday 4, 11 & 18 December, at 1:00pm in Greek and at 11:00am in English
Saturday 24 & 31 December, at 1:00pm in Greek
Visitors can also participate in evening walks through the museum’s permanent exhibition galleries with an archaeologist host.
Schedule:
Friday 2, 9, 16 & 23 December, at 8:00pm in Greek and at 6:00pm in English.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
Family Backpacks
The museum invites families to enjoy their visit and learn about the exhibits in a creative way through the specially designed family backpacks available for loan at the information desk.
Festive meals at the café-restaurant with Christmas jazz
The museum’s ground floor café and second floor restaurant will serve traditional festive meals and sweets. Christmas jazz nights are also taking place every Friday during the holiday season. For reservations, contact the restaurant during museum opening hours on +30 210 9000 915.
Lucky charm 2017
The Acropolis Museum’s good luck charm for 2017 is inspired by the lion’s head that was used as a waterspout on the ancient temple of the Acropolis, from the last quarter of the 6th century BC. The multi-coloured head of this regal animal decorated the roof of the temple and protected the sacred building from every evil. Available to buy from the museum’s gift shop.
Find more events on in Athens.
