The National Historical Museum is a repository and research center showcasing the modern history of Greece. It is housed in the building that was once the Greek parliament.
The National Historical Museum has exhibits from the 15th to the 20th centuries. The building was once the house of prominent Greek merchant, A.I. Kontostavlos. In 1837, it became the residence of king Otto of Greece. After King Otto was forced to grant a constitution to the people of Greece, it was converted into a parliament house where both the parliament and senate met in 1844. A fire destroyed the original parliament building and a new neoclassical style structure with two amphitheaters one for meetings of the parliament and the other for the senate was designed by architect, Francois Boulanger. Construction began in 1858 and was completed in 1875. From 1875 to 1935, it remained the official parliament house of Greece.
The Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece took over the building in 1962 and converted it into a museum dedicated to Modern Greek history. Exhibits showcase the Frankish rule, the Ottoman era and the independence movements. There are also objects that relate to Modern Greek scholars and clergymen and the international Philhellenes, a group of thinkers including the English poet, Lord Byron who fought to deliver Greece from Turkish rule.

One of the most important among museums in Athens, the Numismatic Museum has coins dating back to classical Greek and Roman times to the modern day. The display takes visitors on a trip down the history of coins and coinage of Greece.
The Numismatic Museum is housed in the Ilou Melathron, a large three storey mansion built in a combination of renaissance revival and neoclassical styles. It was constructed as the residence of Heinrich Schliemann, a famous archeologist known for the discovery of the remains of Troy and Mycenae. The design was by well known architect Ernst Ziller. The interiors were decorated in the style of ancient Pompeii with mosaic flooring and fresco covered walls. In 1927, the building became the Greek Supreme Court. In 1998, the collections of the numismatic museum that were in the University of Athens, the Athens Academy and the National Archeological museum were transferred to the building after extensive renovation and restoration. The Numismatic museum was opened to the public in 2007.
Exhibits include coins, medals, dies and stamps from the 14th century BC to recently minted coins. Wealthy Greek collectors like the Zosimades Brothers, Giannis Dimitriou and Grigorios Empedoklis donated their coin collections to the museum. There is a room with photographs and museum archives. The building also houses a library with an impressive collection of books relating to coin collecting and a well equipped laboratory for the maintenance of the collections.

This museum dedicated to Greek handicrafts is located in Plaka, Athens. It has vast collections of exhibits representing folk art from all parts of the country.
The Museum of Greek Folk Art opened its doors to the public in 1973. The building has three floors with a wealth of objects depicting the richness of folk art in Greece. It also has a library with 5000 books on folk art and crafts, folklore and ethnology, photographs, film and audio archives. The museum organizes programs for children including pottery classes and shadow theater performances. On the last day of the carnival, it hosts a festival where folk dancers from every part of Greece perform.
Exhibits displayed at the museum include embroidery, weaving, pottery, metalwork, wooden handicrafts, religious and secular silver work, folk paintings and objects made of carved stone. It has a permanent exhibition of paintings by Greek folk artist Theofilos Chatzimichail including murals removed from a house in Mitilini. The top floor has a display of costumes from all over Greece worn by Greek men and women for festivals and weddings. The museum seeks to show visitors the work done by rural people in the different regions of the country.

Harma Gallery is a modern art gallery located in the very heart of Athens, on Thespidos Street near the famous Acropolis. It holds a rich collection of original contemporary works of art. The gallery features masterpieces in many different styles so as to please any discerning taste.

Housed in one of the few surviving Ottoman buildings in the city, the Athens University Museum is dedicated to the display of scholarly exhibits. It also hosts international and national scientific meetings and seminars organized by the University of Athens.
In 1831, the architect, Stamatios Klanthis, bought and developed the old Ottoman building along with his friend and partner, Eduard Schaubert. The two architects later designed the modern city of Athens. When they were in residence, it was the venue for informal meetings of intellectuals and artists. It was taken over by the Greek government in 1835 and served different purposes over the years. It first housed a secondary school, but later became the newly established Greek University. The Greek ministry of education had its offices in the building and then it was used by the army until 1861.
In 1963, the House of Kleanthis was declared a listed building by the Greek Archaeological Service and donated it to the University of Athens in 1967. The building was restored and converted into a museum. Exhibits displayed here include rare editions of books and scientific abstracts, early editions of newspapers and magazines, letters of significance, portraits by 19th century Greek painters and banners, flags and medals that relate to the University of Athens. There is also an impressive collection of scientific instruments used in physics, chemistry and pharmacology laboratories.

This small museum has a wide range of traditional Greek musical instruments arranged in three halls on three floors. It is housed in the Lassanis Mansion, belonging to a wealthy Athenian family, built in 1842.
Eminent Greek musicologist, Fivos Anoyanakis, researched traditional folk instruments for 50 years. The museum now houses exhibits gathered by him from different parts of the country, featuring musical instruments used by Greek performers from 1750 onwards.
The displayed instruments are grouped by the material responsible for their sound. They are divided into four sections, such as drums, wind instruments, string instruments and bells. Only half of the instruments available in the collection are on display at a given time. Others are used by researchers or form part of travelling exhibitions organized by the museum and held in schools all over the country. Each exhibit has a detailed description and visitors can listen to the recorded sound that the instrument makes.
The museum has a research centre, warehouse, archives and a shop in the building that was once the stables of the Lassanis Mansion. The shop stocks CDs and cassettes of Greek folk music. Concerts are organized in the courtyard during summer.

The Ancient Agora Museum has collections that showcase life in one of the earliest democracies in the world. It is housed in a restored monument, the Stoa of Attalos that dates back to 150 B.C.
The Stoa of Attalos was restored and rebuilt by the American School of Archeological Studies as a museum to display the objects excavated at the site of the Agora in Athens. The government of Greece took over the site and the building in 1957. The exhibits reflect the civic life and the democratic choices made by the people who lived in ancient Greece.
Exhibits include a 5th century water clock called a clepsydra that was used to show time in the law courts, ostracas or inscribed pots used in voting to oust corrupt politicians, and 4th century bronze ballots that were also used in early Greek law courts. There are inscribed steles including an important inscription of 336 BC where the people voted for the legislation against tyranny. Objects like coins, weights and measures, displayed in the museum, showcase the commercial activity of ancient Greece. Other notable exhibits include 6th century ceramic containers, large sculptures of gods and an allegoric female figure representing democracy.