The Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum was set up to house the private collection which Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos donated to the nation in 1972.

The collection comprises more than 6,000 items and works of art from prehistoric to modern times. The collector’s intention was to demonstrate the continuity of Greek art throughout the centuries, and to return valuable Greek antiquities to the land in which they were created.

The Museum was opened to the public in July 1976. It is housed in a neo-classical town house built in the late 19th century at the foot of the Acropolis, made available as a home to the Museum by the Ministry of Culture.

With encouragement and funds from Alexandra Canellopoulos, the Museum has subsequently been expanded and modernized to ensure the collection is displayed as fully and effectively as possible.

Visitors to the Museum have the opportunity to trace the evolution of Greek art, admiring its remarkable range and appreciating how it has been influenced by the great physical and human diversity of the Greek world.

The Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum is a legal entity in public law, independently administered by a Board of Trustees.