Re-opening June 22nd, the National Hellenic Museum’s core exhibit has been refreshed to include more objects, photographs, and personal stories that reflect the Greek American experience. In tracing the path of Greek immigration to America, Reaching for the American Dream: The Greek Story in America teaches about our shared heritage and preserves our history for generations to come.
The Greek Story in America encompasses thousands of unique experiences that portray the successes and hardships that contribute to the American mosaic. While creating communities, building businesses, and participating in defining moments of American history, Greek Americans have always sought to preserve their Greek identity and culture. Through educational programming, the National Hellenic Museum shares the ever-developing narratives of the Hellenic legacy and continues to protect our collective memories.
On June 25, National Hellenic Museum hosts the lecture Monetary Greek Debt – From Ancient to Modern Times presented by Johanna Hanink, an Associate Professor of Classics at Brown University and author of The Classical Debt: Greek Antiquity in an Era of Austerity.
The Museum was founded as the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center in 1983. Nine years later, the HMCC opened its first facility on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. Then, in July 2004, the Museum moved to a new location at 801 South 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 a new mission statement: “Connecting generations through Greek history, culture, and art.”
The Museum opened in its current location on Halsted Street on December 10, 2011. It is a four-story, 40,000-square-foot LEED-certification-pending building that is home to extensive collections and archives of more than 17,000 artifacts spanning thousands of years.
The mission of the museum is to share the legacy of Hellenism and to preserve the stories and honor the contributions to the United States of Greek immigrants and Americans of Greek heritage.
June 22, 2017 at the National Hellenic Museum
Chicago 333 South Halsted Street
Chicago IL, 60661
Phone: (312) 655-1234
Exclusive Members Preview: 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Open House: 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Members: Free – CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Non-Members: Free with General Admission