Museum of Illusions Athens
Ermou 119, Athens, Greece, 10555
Take a break from Athens’ ancient sites and have fun while challenging your power of imagination at the unique and interactive Museum of Illusions. Explore its images, exhibits, and entire rooms created to trick the eye and baffle the mind, plus snap striking photos that appear to defy the laws of physics. Book a group guided tour with museum staff or visit at your own pace.
The basics
Set in the lively Monastiraki neighborhood near the top sights in downtown Athens, the Museum of Illusions is the ideal stop before or after a city tour. This air-conditioned museum offers welcome relief from the heat of open-air sites such as the Acropolis and Temple of Olympian Zeus, or a chance to regroup after a Monastiraki food tour or cycling excursions around city sights. This playful museum is particularly popular with kids and pairs perfectly with family-friendly Athens tours.
Things to know before you go
The Museum of Illusions Athens is appropriate for all ages but is especially fun for families.
Snapping photos of the illusions is the high point of a visit here, so charge your camera or phone battery before visiting.
Exhibits are divided into images and holograms, single exhibits, and entire rooms built to trick the eye and mind.
Visit on your own or book a guided group visit, birthday party, or team-building experience.
The museum is not accessible to wheelchairs or strollers.
How to get there
The Museum of Illusions is located in the Monastiraki district and is easy to reach on foot from downtown Athens, the Acropolis, and Plaka. You can also travel to the museum by public transport: take metro lines 1 or 3, or bus routes 25, 26, 35, 227, or 500 to Monastiraki station.
When to get there
The museum is typically open daily from 10am; closing times vary by season so check before planning your visit. The air-conditioned interiors offer respite from the unforgiving heat at the city’s open-air archaeological ruins, so visit during the hottest hours of the day to cool off and escape the Mediterranean sun.
Top tricks at the Museum of Illusions
The museum groups together numerous mind-bending images, exhibits, and room-sized installations to delight and puzzle visitors. The most popular include a series of 3D holograms, which seem to change shape or jump out of their frames; installations including the Cloning Table, Bouchet Chair, and Head on a Platter; and the Tilted Room, Vortex Tunnel, and Reversed Room that are ideal for creating striking (and baffling) photos to share with friends and family.
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