Tactual Museum of Athens
The Touch Museum of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece is a unique museum in Greece and one of only a few of its kind worldwide.
It offers blind and partially sighted visitors equal access to cultural heritage through the sense of touch, enabling a direct and experiential engagement with ancient Greek civilization.
The museum was founded in 1984 through the initiative of Laurencia Protopapadaki, then President of the Board of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece, and Director Emmanouil Kefakis, with the aim of ensuring equal access to culture for people with visual impairments. It is housed in the historic neoclassical building of the Lighthouse for the Blind in Kallithea, donated by Georgios and Eugenia Empeirikos.
The museum’s collections consist of faithful replicas of important works of ancient Greek art, allowing visitors to “experience” the exhibits through touch. Over the years, the collections have been enriched, and educational and awareness programs have been developed, strengthening the museum’s cultural and social role.
Since 2004, the museum has also been open to the general public, offering sighted visitors a different way of experiencing ancient Greek culture, while also raising awareness about disability, accessibility, and inclusion. Through tactile interaction, visitors can connect with history and art in a more direct and meaningful way.
Today, the Touch Museum welcomes thousands of visitors each year from Greece and abroad, functioning as an important cultural, educational, and social institution that promotes equality, accessibility, and social cohesion.
