The Acropolis Museum Turns 10

Birthdays are meant to be celebrated. Marking a decade since it opened its doors, welcoming over 14.5 million visitors, the Acropolis Museum has every reason to get festive. A series of special events and the opening of a brand new exhibit are in the works. Check out the highlights below--and go to one, go to them all. 

1. Did you think that classical Greek sculptures were pure white? Not the case. Professor Giovanni Verri explains the true colours of the Parthenon sculptures in a free lecture on June 13, at 19:00 in the auditorium on the ground floor of the museum. 

2. "Chisel and Memory: The Contribution of Marble Craftsmanship to the Restoration of the Acropolis Monuments"
A temporary exhibition (through 31 October, 2019) of photographs depicting the people and process behind the restoration of the world-famous ancient site. 

3. "Stavros Xarchakos-Instrumental"
On June 19, the great Greek composer and conductor Stavros Xarchakos will lead eight soloists in a free, open-air concert touching on his own compositions as well as those of Mikis Theodorakis, Vasilis Tsitsanis, Markos Vamvakaris and Manos Hadjidakis. The museum will stay open till midnight with free entry after 20:00. 

4. On its actual birthday, June 20, entry to the Museum will be free from 8:00-20:00.

5. If you've visited the museum before, you will have noticed the excavations beneath the glass floor of the entrance. Well, they're no longer simply excavations, but an open-air exhibition of baths, houses, streets and mosaics of ancient Athens, opening a whole new window to the lives of the citizens of the city beneath the Acropolis. 
Open  to the public on June 21, 8:00-22:00 with general admission ticket.