Museums In Conversation

A National Hellenic Museum Initiative

About the Initiative

Museums connect us across generations, across cultures, and across our city.

Museums in Conversation is a new initiative that brings the National Hellenic Museum together with cultural institutions across Chicago to share programs, stories, and perspectives.

We are thankful for the people at the partnering organizations who share our commitment to spark curiosity and dialogue and connect people across generations and cultures.

Each partnership opens doors to new perspectives, audiences, and opportunities to engage with collections, archives, and experiences that enrich our cultural landscape. With rotating partners and year-round programming, Museums in Conversation invites our communities to learn from each other.

During our period of collaboration, members of both institutions receive reciprocal admission and access to all partnered events.

Chicago Neighboods as Cultural Hubs (July – August 2026)

Presented with the Swedish American Museum (SAMAC)

The National Hellenic Museum and the Swedish American Museum are partnering for the next installment of Museums in Conversation through July and August 2026. This collaboration’s theme, Chicago as a Cultural Hub, will highlight how immigrant communities have shaped the city through traditions, institutions, and the arts.

Throughout the remainder of the summer, members at the NHM and SAMAC will have reciprocal membership while visiting each Museum and are invited to join specially curated programming at an inclusive member rate.

This collaboration’s special programming includes a Family Free Day at the Swedish American Museum, a craft night to learn about cross stitch and weaving at the National Hellenic Museum, and an online community discussion focusing on the role of immigrant communities and how they shaped Chicago neighborhoods.

Join us for our special programs – sign up below

Exploring Folk Costumes and Dance - Family Free Day

Tuesday, July 14, 11am In person at the Swedish American Museum

Adult Crafting Night – Cross Stich and Weaving

Wednesday, July 29, 6pm In person at the National Hellenic Museum

Online Discussion “Chicago Neighborhoods as Evolving Cultural Hubs”

Thursday, August 20, 7pm Online Eventbrite Signup

Preserving Heritage (May– June 2026)

Presented with the Heritage Museum of Asian Art (HMAA)

National Hellenic Museum and the Heritage Museum of Asian Art invite families and communities to this spring’s Museums in Conversation collaboration. Together we will explore how culture is kept alive and passed from one generation to the next. While rooted in different traditions, both museums share a deep commitment to celebrating the everyday practices, stories, and rituals that connect people to their heritage. This collaboration highlights preservation as something we all take part in, whether through conversation, shared experiences, or time-honored traditions.

From a thoughtful opening roundtable to a hands-on family event featuring a Chinese Tea Ceremony and everyday Greek coffee rituals, these programs offer meaningful ways to experience culture as something living, welcoming, and meant to be shared.

Through May and June, members of both museums enjoy reciprocal admission, making this an ideal time to visit the Heritage Museum of Asian Art in Bridgeport, and experience this cross-cultural partnership firsthand.

Join us for two special programs

Preserving Heritage Roundtable Discussion

Friday, May 29, 6p-8p In person at the Heritage Museum of Asian Art

Tea Ceremony and Everyday Culture Ritual

Saturday, June 20, 2p-4p In person at the National Hellenic Museum

Easter in the East (March – April 2026)

Presented with the Ukrainian National Museum (UNM)

Together, the National Hellenic Museum and the Ukrainian National Museum invite families and lifelong learners to explore how Easter is celebrated across Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic traditions, through ritual, storytelling, and shared cultural practices that reflect deep historical roots and living community traditions.

This spring collaboration brings that exploration to life through two connected experiences, an in-person family program and an online panel discussion, creating opportunities to learn, celebrate, and connect across cultures and communities.

Through March and April, members of both museums enjoy reciprocal admission, making this an ideal time to visit the Ukrainian National Museum in West Town and experience this cross-cultural partnership firsthand.

As Featured on WGN 9

Spotlight Chicago: Easter in the East

NHM’s Elena Kountoures Nowak joins WGN to discuss Easter egg traditions from across the Orthodox world.

Join us for two special programs – sign up below at Eventbrite

Greek Immigration: Then and Now (January – February 2026)

Presented with The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum (ISAC)

Our partnership begins with the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum (ISAC). Together, we will explore the theme of “Greek Immigration: Then and Now” through a shared calendar of programs at both ISAC and the National Hellenic Museum, including a panel discussion, joint family activities, and an exclusive behind-the-scenes archive experience at ISAC where we will explore their Greco-Egyptian collection.

Join us as we connect past and present and celebrate the stories that shape Chicago today.