The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, firmly focused on its social role as a “Museum for All,” is inaugurating a new multifunctional space for Educational Programs and Creative Workshops.

The new hall marks yet another significant investment by the Museum in the direction of social inclusion, accessibility, and active participation of all citizens in the cultural experience.

The creation of the space is part of the Three-Year Action Plan (2024–2026), embodying the Museum’s commitment to promoting cultural heritage in combination with contemporary pedagogy and experiential learning, with an emphasis on socially-oriented activities.

The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, noted in her greeting:

With the opening of its Educational Programs and Creative Workshops Room, the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki has become the first public museum in Greece to have a fully equipped, multifunctional room for educational activities, with a unique treasure: the innovative sensory room (Snoezelen). It is a place of tranquility, introspection, spiritual respite, and care for visitors and employees who experience sensory overload, embracing people even before they touch the exhibits. This is a unique innovation for Greece, an offering to visitors and friends of the Museum. The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki is not just creating a new space, but a living cell of culture, accessibility, and care. We are proving in practice that culture is everyone’s right. No one is left behind, no one is excluded. The Museum is transformed into an open center of inspiration, safety, and creativity, embracing every visitor, regardless of their needs or particularities. With this project, the AMTH is setting new standards for Greek museum design, combining the preservation of cultural heritage with contemporary social care and psycho-emotional well-being. It is a leap into the future. It is truly a museum for everyone. I would like to express my warmest thanks to the Papageorgiou Foundation for its generous donation and to the Friends of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki Association for its ongoing support. On behalf of General Director Anastasia Gadolou, I would like to thank all the Museum’s employees, whose creativity and dedication made this extraordinary effort possible.

The General Director of the AMTh, Dr. Anastasia Gadolou, notes the following: “The new hall serves the renewed definition of the Museum by ICOM, which emphasizes community participation, inclusion, sustainability, and a willingness to educate, entertainment, and knowledge exchange, while aligning with the New European Bauhaus goals of creating sustainable, inclusive, and aesthetically pleasing spaces.”

The former Hall C for temporary exhibitions, measuring 170 square meters, has been converted into a modern, fully equipped space, with particular emphasis on accessibility and the elimination of social exclusion. It is intended to host organized school groups and individual visitors, to house creative workshops, and to support the “Pilot Actions for Cultural Prescription” program, which is being implemented with the support of the Recovery and Resilience Fund, under the coordination of the Ministry of Culture and Sports’ Directorate of Performing Arts and Cinema, linking culture with the health and psychosocial support of citizens.

A particular innovation is the sensory room (Snoezelen), the first of its kind in a Greek museum, which provides a relaxing and self-regulating environment for people with autism, developmental or neurological disorders, dementia, ADHD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Its operation reinforces the Museum’s social policy, highlighting it as a pioneering space for care, safety, and inclusion.

The new hall contains:

• Workshops for educational programs and creative activities

• Specially designed space for dance and artistic activities

• Interactive educational display and play area

• Sensory room with special relaxation and self-regulation equipment

• Cloakroom, storage areas, and restrooms.

The originality of the space also lies in the possibility of autonomous visits by families with children, using specially designed educational games. In this way, the AMTH invests in a meaningful social policy, where access, creativity, and participatory learning become an integral part of its daily operation.

The project was made possible thanks to a donation from the Papageorgiou Foundation to the Friends of the AMTH Association and the excellent cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and the Museum. The scientific and technical team of the AMTH, under the guidance of General Director Dr. Anastasia Gadolou, worked consistently to provide the city with a space that is a model of social responsibility and cultural innovation.

With this new hall, the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki is taking a decisive step towards becoming a museum that functions as a living social organism, open, participatory and deeply connected to the needs and rights of citizens.