National Hellenic Museum
 |
|
| Established | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Location | 333 Halsted Street Chicago, Illinois 60661 United States |
| Coordinates | 41°52′37″N 87°38′49″W / 41.87687°N 87.64692°WCoordinates: 41°52′37″N 87°38′49″W / 41.87687°N 87.64692°W |
| Collection size | ~18,000 Artifacts ~10,000 Archival Items 200 Oral Histories |
| Visitors | 7,000 - 11,000 (Yearly Average) |
| Public transit access |
Chicago Blue Line Halsted Street Station |
| Website | National Hellenic Museum |
| Area | 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) |
The National Hellenic Museum is the second oldest American institution dedicated to displaying and celebrating the cultural contributions of Greeks and Greek-Americans. Formerly known as the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center, the National Hellenic Museum is located in Chicago’s Greektown, at the corner of Halsted and Van Buren Streets. The National Hellenic Museum has recently undergone a modernization program that cumulated in the museum moving to its current building in December 2011. The official opening of the NHM took place on December 10th, 2011 and proved to be a marked event within the Greek community of Chicago.
Created to promote understanding of the rich cultural traditions of ancient and contemporary Greece, as well as a focus on the Greek-American immigrant experience, the National Hellenic Museum has become a fixture in the Greek Community in Chicago.
Founded as the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center, in 1983, the National Hellenic has a rich history in Chicago.
In 1992, the HMCC opened the doors of its first museum facility, located on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. This was two weeks after the Hellenic Cultural Museum in Salt Lake City opened as the first museum dedicated to preserving Hellenic customs, heritage, history and way of life.
In July 2004, the Chicago Museum moved to a new location at 801 S. Adams Street in Chicago’s Greektown
In 2009 the museum re-branded itself the National Hellenic Museum, with a new logo incorporating the Greek key design, and created a new mission statement: "Connecting generations through Greek history, culture, and art."
In 2011 the museum moved to its current, purpose built facility at 333 South Halsted Street, in the heart of Chicago's Greektown.
In the fall of 2005, the Museum broke ground at the site of the new facility, billed as the cornerstone to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Greektown Redevelopment Plan. The new building is 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) contemporary facility, featuring permanent and rotating exhibition halls, a library and archival research center, classroom for children of all ages, and an oral history center featuring the National Hellenic Museum’s Oral History project. A rooftop terrace will feature three gardens and provide dramatic views of the Chicago skyline during the summer months.
...
Wikipedia