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.
History
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.
source: wikipedia
