About the Museum

The Museum of Typography is a Greek museum of typography and printing located near Chania, Crete, at the Park of Small Industries in Souda. It was founded by Yannis Garedakis, owner and founder of the local newspaper Haniotika Nea, with the support of his wife Eleni. The museum started as a small private collection next to the newspaper's printing facilities and first opened its doors to the public in 2005. A few years later, in 2012, a new wing was added, presenting various techniques related to typography. In 2015 another hall was inaugurated, along with the museum shop and a small coffee shop. At the last hall, through selected rare books, newspapers, engravings and lithographs from the 16th–19th centuries, visitors have the opportunity to see and learn more about the turbulent history of Crete. Now, the museum covers an area of about 1.400 square meters. Through the interactive tour, visitors come to understand the course of typography from the Middle Ages up to today. Αll visitors are encouraged to print at printing presses of the 19th century, while videos explain how many of the techniques in the exhibits operate. Alongside, the museum organises and hosts cultural events all year long, such as conferences, book presentations, theatrical plays, musical events, and an international poster contest about typography. Since 2012 the Typography Museum has been a member of the Association of European Printing Museums (AEPM) and in 2017 it hosted the annual general meeting and conference of the association. In 2016 the Museum of Typography was nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award. In 2020 it became a member of the European Route of Industrial Heritage, by the Council of Europe.