3 Museums Showcasing Athens’ Industrial Heritage

Ever wondered when the streets of Athens were first illuminated? What adorned the hats and dresses of early 20th-century Athenians? Or what kind of bread was baked in the city’s ovens? Old craft and industrial sites that have been transformed into museums provide answers to these and other questions. Through their exhibits and storytelling, these museums reveal fascinating details that go beyond the production process, providing a look into the daily lives of individuals in past decades.

1. Industrial Gas Museum, Gazi

Located in the heart of Athens, the old gasworks factory is a prime example of adaptive reuse. It is also the best-preserved gasworks factory in Europe. Part of the vibrant Technopolis cultural complex for the past 25 years, the site has hosted concerts, exhibitions, festivals, and various other events. The Industrial Gas Museum opened its doors to the public in 2013 with the aim of showcasing the history of the gasworks, which operated until 1984.

The factory was established in 1857 by French entrepreneur François Théophile Feraldi, who had been tasked with lighting Athens using gas. The facility expanded in 1887 to provide lighting for homes, workshops, and shops. It came under municipal ownership in 1938, but after World War II, gas lighting began to lose ground to newer lighting technologies. Today, visitors can explore the remaining machinery and six preserved buildings. The production line, furnaces, tanks, and other points of interest are brought to life through technology and a specially designed sensory experience, enhancing the visitor’s understanding of this historical site.

2. Benaki Museum / Mentis – Antonopoulos (‘NEMA’) Passementerie, Petralona

One of the most impressive features of this modest workplace is that, despite being a museum, it still functions as a fully working textile mill. The ancient Mentis Passementerie Workshop faced closure in 2011, because of the economic crisis that caused many small enterprises to fold. However, thanks to the efforts of Ministry of Culture ethnologist Virginia Matseli, the Benaki Museum’s support, and the owners’ willingness to donate the entire set of equipment and products, the business was saved.

The original staff were rehired, the equipment was restored, and production resumed, focusing on traditional items like braids, trims, ribbons, cords, fringes, and tassels. The Antonopoulos workshop also contributed equipment to the museum, resulting in the creation of NEMA (Mentis – Antonopoulos Passementerie). Today, the workshop produces items sold at the Benaki Museum and has established high-profile collaborations, including with the fashion house Dior, for which it crafted handmade cords for hats. The museum regularly hosts exhibitions and events to preserve and promote traditional weaving and passementerie techniques.

3. Loulis Museum, Keratsini

From the significance of cereals in culinary culture to the first flour mills, the Loulis Museum provides a comprehensive exploration of the history of flour and bread. Housed in the historic building of the Aghios Georgios Mills in Keratsini, the museum’s collection is divided into twelve thematic sections. Topics include wheat as an agricultural product, sowing and harvesting methods, milling, and modern cultivation and production practices.

Visitors can learn about mill technology through educational videos that cover its evolution from classic watermills and windmills to today’s use of cutting-edge equipment. The tour is highly interactive and lasts about two hours.