The “V. Papantoniou” Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation (PFF) is a nonprofit institution based in Nafplion and aims at the research, preservation, study and presentation of the material culture of the Peloponnese as well as of the whole of Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Ioanna Papantoniou in memory of her father, Vasilios. It is housed in the residence of Vasilios Papantoniou, which was converted into a museum in 1981.

This same year with its exhibition “The Production, Elaboration and Use of Natural Fibres in Greece” the Museum won the 1981 Museum of the Year main Award (EMYA) “…because of the manifold activities of the Foundation in the area of tradition, the quality and size of its collections, the excellence of its displays, the superb graphics, the range and scholarship of its research projects and the originality and thoroughness of its educational programmes”.

On October 1989, the PFF founded “Stathmos”, the first Greek childhood museum, housed in the engine-shed of the Nafplion railway station. The PFF made a significant contribution to the experimental programme titled “MELINA – Education and Culture”, by mounting educational programmes in a total of eight schools throughout Greece.

In 1989 Melina Merkouri as Minister of Culture assigned to the PFF the National Costume Archives. In 2003 Ioanna Papantoniou founded the Greek Costume Society as an extension of the Archives, aiming to a Costume Culture Museum in Greece.

In 2013 PFF was honoured by the Academy of Athens for its long term contribution to the promotion of the Hellenic culture.

The PFF’s collections now number over 45.000 artifacts, covering all the branches of study relating to modern Greek culture with the emphasis on ethnography, fashion and children.

The library of the Foundation now numbers about 12.000 books and 250 periodical publications, covering the fields of Ethnography, Museology, Costume, Dance, Theatre, Sociology, History, Arts and Children literature.

The archives of the PFF contain rare material mostly of in citu research about costume, dance, folk songs etc.

The Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation publishes two journals, Ethnographika and Endymatologika.