Folklife and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia and Thrace

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The Folk Life and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia and Thrace is in Thessaloniki, Greece. It was founded in 1973 by the Macedonian Educational Association and is housed in the Old Government House, also known as Villa Modiano. The building was designed by Eli Modiano in 1906 for banker Jacob Modiano and sits on a 5-hectare sea-front plot. The museum has four levels: a semi-basement, two floors, and an attic, and its architecture shows an eclectic style influenced by Art Nouveau, with a striking double loggia overlooking the sea.

The museum collects and studies traditional culture from Macedonia and Thrace and presents it to the public in temporary exhibitions. Its collections include about 15,000 objects such as woven textiles, embroidery, local costumes, tools, weapons, domestic items, musical instruments, and wood and metalworking equipment. It also houses a specialized library, a photographic archive, a record library, and a sound library.

Two permanent exhibitions look at the basic needs of human society: food, shelter, and clothing. The first, At the Watermills of Macedonia and Thrace, explores pre-industrial technology and how water power was used to grind grain, process timber, and finish wool. The second, Macedonia-Thrace: Traditional Costumes, 1860-1960, opened in 2005 and features 55 costumes from Macedonia and Thrace and related Greek regions historically inhabited by Greek communities.