Folklore Museum of Chania

Folklore Museum of Chania

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The Folklore Museum of Chania is a private museum created on the initiative of Aspasia Bikaki and Irini Koumandaraki. It is housed in a hall of the Public Library, the entrance to which is located in the yard of the Catholic Church of Chania. It is a quiet and welcoming space, tucked away from the busy main street and often missed by visitors. The founders, passionate about preserving the Cretan art of embroidery and textiles, traveled to many villages themselves, to collect tools and learn more about the local differences.

The museum includes exhibits of folklore art and tradition that relate to life on the island during the 18th and the 19th century. Visitors can see representations of agricultural jobs (ploughing, sowing, harvesting, threshing, and the threading of grapes), representations of household tasks, and even representations of professional skills, such as the tailor and the cobbler. The collection of lace and embroidery (a small part of which is exhibited on the walls) is wonderful, while the wax models and the bridal bed are also impressive. Different areas of the room are used to show the importance of the home and the role it played in people’s lives as they navigated special moments. Those are things like marriage, the bridal bed, or the living room, where the hostess would welcome her guests and the kitchen.

It is also possible to meet Mrs. Bikaki, and witness her embroidering or sewing in action. A lot of the exhibits are creations of the founders and their pupils, that seek to learn traditional embroidery techniques.

The Folklore Museum is one of more than two dozen found in Chania, including the Archaeological Museum, the Chemistry Museum, the Naval Museum, and Minoan’s World 3D Museum & 9D Cinema. Chania is one of the most charming cities to explore on foot, so don’t hesitate to get lost in the cobblestone alleyways and explore all that it has to offer.

 

Address:

46 Halidon Street, 73100, Chania, Chania

 

Visiting hours/info

Daily (except Sunday): 09:00-15:00 & 18:00-21:00

Tel.: +30 28210 90816

Price Ticket(€): 2 (General Entrance)

 

*Please note that this information is subject to change so make sure to check beforehand just in case.

 

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