Museum Fact Sheet

Overview

The National Hellenic Museum is the only major museum in the United States dedicated to telling the story of Greek history, culture and arts from ancient times to today.

Museum Mission

The National Hellenic Museum’s mission is to preserve and explore Hellenism and to chronicle the Greek American journey through exhibitions, oral histories, archival collections and education programs. Our purpose is to inspire in people of all backgrounds a curiosity for their own story through a greater connection to Greek history, culture and the arts.

Museum Opening, Hours and Information

• The 40,000-square-foot Museum is located at 333 S. Halsted St on the corner of Halsted and Van Buren.
• The Museum’s grand opening is Dec. 10, 2011.
• The Museum is open Tuesdays—Fridays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday evenings 5 pm. to 8 p.m.; and weekends 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed on Mondays.
• Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students and $7 for kids ages 3-12. Members and children under the age of 3 are always free.
• The Museum is within easy walking distance from the CTA Blue Line’s UIC-Halsted station, and the CTA Bus Route 8—Halsted. Parking is available at privately managed lots throughout Greektown.
• The Museum was designed by architect Demetrios Stavrianos. Stavrianos is a principal at the Chicago office of RTKL Associates, Inc., a worldwide architecture, engineering, planning and creative services organization.

Exhibits

• Gods, Myths and Mortals: Discover Ancient Greece opens Dec. 10 with the Museum’s grand opening. Located in the John P. Calamos, Sr. Great Hall, this 4,000-square-foot special exhibit created by the Children’s Museum of Manhattan gives visitors of all ages the chance to meet with Greek gods, enjoy 25 interactive experiences and imagine themselves in the detailed texture of life in ancient Greece. Gods, Myths and Mortals runs through summer 2012.
• Scheduled to open in 2012, In Search of Home: the Greek Journey From Myth to Modern Day, is a 5,500-square-foot highly interactive and immersive exhibit. Located in the Halikias Family Exhibition Gallery, In Search of Home is the Museum’s signature experience and a definitive showcase for the exploration of the extraordinary elements of Greek history, culture and art that are at the very foundation of western civilization and continue to influence our lives to this day. A second-floor window facing old Greektown is an intimate showcase for an augmented reality experience. Visitors can peer out and see images of 1920s Greektown in Chicago, Greektowns across the nation and other ethnic neighborhoods in the city.
• Preview In Search of Home: The Greek Journey From Myth to Modern Day. Guests can explore this “behind-the-scenes” preview designed to showcase the Museum’s signature permanent exhibit scheduled to open in 2012. The preview also demonstrates how curators research, design and construct exhibits while inviting guests to participate in the design process and learn more about the Greek legacy.
• The Greek tradition of storytelling is featured in the Frank S. Kamberos Oral History Center. HOMER: The Oral History Project celebrates that history of Greeks and Greek Americans and serves as a multi-media repository for Greek American histories.
• The 2,800-square-foot Gus & Mary Stathis Library and Resource Center will inform visiting scholars, students and guests interested in a comprehensive collection of Greek American history.

Museum Amenities

• The Thomas & Melpomene Mathews Grand Lobby provides a tranquil transition from Halsted Street for guests to enter the Museum. Nearby, the Museum Gift Store features a wide range of items to make guests’ visit complete.
• Located on the first floor, the John P. Calamos, Sr. Great Hall is a 5,300-square foot space that will host events, programs and exhibits such as Gods, Myths and Mortals, opening Dec. 10 with the Museum’s grand opening.
• Located on the first floor, the Dr. Mary Dochios Kamberos Special Events Hall provides 1,700-square-feet of flexible event space, with state-of-the-art lighting and technology for a range of theater, dance and music performances; lectures; film screenings and private receptions.
• The symbolic heart of the new building is a dramatic, sky-lit east-to-west-staircase leading to the permanent exhibit that represents the immigrant experience, cultural ties to Greece and the limitless potential of Greek Americans in the United States.
• The Museums’ Education Center is open to guests and school children and is a vital part of the Museum’s mission. Programs can be combined with interactive crafts and activities to make the overall experience fun and engaging. Curriculum topics include ancient art, qualities of a hero, cultural identity and the American immigrant experience, and Ancient Greek influences on America.
• The 3,600-square-foot rooftop terrace features an Illinois prairie garden and a panoramic view of Greektown and Chicago’s iconic skyline. The rooftop terrace can be booked for weddings, parties and gatherings. When the space is not booked, Museum patrons can relax with snacks, drinks and free Wi-Fi internet access.
• The Museum’s lower level houses and protects its collections and archives in a new, high-density storage system with full security monitoring and temperature and humidity controls.

 

The National Hellenic Museum’s mission is to preserve and explore Hellenism and to chronicle the Greek American journey through exhibitions, oral histories, archival collections and education programs. Our purpose is to inspire in people of all backgrounds a curiosity for their own story through a greater connection to Greek history, culture and the arts. Located at the corner of Halsted and Van Buren in the heart of Chicago’s famed Greektown, the Museum celebrates its grand opening in December 2011. For more information, visit www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234.

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Media Contacts:
Veronica Jackson
PCI
312/558-1770, ext. 128
vjackson@pcipr.com