Museum to visit in Lisbon

What are the best museums to visit in Lisbon ?

If Lisbon may be poor in emblematic monuments, it is not so in terms of museums. The cultural heritage of a city is assessed in terms of its large number of museums. Discovering them is a perfect complement to our private tours we offer on a daily basis. Are you coming to spend a weekend or 3 days in Lisbon and you don't know which museum to choose ? We have visited them all in order to suggest you the best list of museums in Lisbon. Enjoy your reading and above all have a good visit !

 

If you have to make a choice : our TOP 3 of the most interesting museums in Lisbon.

1- Lisboa story centre

Lisboa story centre is the ideal experience for a start to your stay in Lisbon. Through an interactive tour, you will have a very good introduction to the history of the city of Lisbon. From the Great Discoveries to the 1755 earthquake, Lisbon’s past is approached in a playful way. The audio guide provided during the visit allows you to fully enjoy the museum at your own pace. And if your curiosity is not satisfied, visiting Lisbon with a private guide is the perfect complement.

Nearby, be curious and discover the world of bacalhau through a visit to the codfish history interpretation centre.

2- Calouste Gulbenkian museum

The famous Armenian millionaire Calouste Gulbenkian bequeathed his entire personal collection to Portugal in 1955. The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is a world-class museum with priceless treasures. Easily allow 1.5 hours of your time to travel to different worlds. From Egyptian art to Indian art, passing through Asia, you won’t be disappointed !

There are many sculptures, an impressive collection of tapestries, beautiful paintings, and unique pieces of art of all kinds. This museum is sure to be a real eye-catcher ! All this in a restful and lush setting : its magnificent garden is worth seeing.

3- Azulejo national museum, the tile museum of Lisbon

The National Azulejo Museum is a must if you want to know more about one of Portugal’s greatest identity markers: tile or azulejo. The museum shows the evolution of the different manufacturing techniques and trend over the centuries. The interest of visiting this museum is also the place itself: a former monastery that withstood the 1755 earthquake. The chapels of St Anthony and Queen Leonor are pure treasures of religious art !

Did you know that ? In the immediate vicinity of the museum, it is possible to paint your own tiles !

museum tiles - Lisbon - traditional

Lisboa card is worth it for Lisbon museums ?

Discover an ideal solution to save you time and money in order to make the most of Lisbon’s museums with the Lisboa Card.

This card gives free access to 26 museums and historical monuments as well as public transport.

Other benefits of the Lisboa Card include discounts (5-10%) in some restaurants, shops and other establishments, which are listed in a guide when you pick up your card.

Three rates are available : a €20 card (valid for 24 hours), €34 (48 hours) or €42 (72 hours).

How to acquire it ? Book online on our tiqets platform and benefit from a discount. Then simply exchange your voucher in one of the 3 info points in the city (information on the booking page).

Lisboa Card, the Lisbon city pass for free travel and museum visits

Museums in the Belém district

On your first visit to Lisbon, the Belém district is a must see. There you will find the famous Belem Tower, the monastery of course and finally the mandatory stop for the pastel de nata from the Belém pastry shop. Many museums are gathered here. There is something for everyone. To make your choice of museum easier if your time is limited, discover our selection :

Museum Berardo (contemporary art)

Located in the heart of the cultural centre of Belém, the Berardo Museum is a must if you love contemporary art. Here you can admire unique masterpieces by Salvador Dali, Picasso and Andy Warhol. A clever patchwork of cubism, dadaism, constructivism, surrealism and abstraction-creation.

The museum houses part of the private collection of José Berardo (Portugal’s greatest art collector). In each corner of the room, a new masterpiece to astonish you !

Berardo Museum is the largest collection of contemporary art in Portugal

MAAT (museum art architecture technology)

With its superb architecture (including the famous pedestrian roof), the MAAT is Lisbon’s newest major museum. It is composed of 2 contrasting buildings. The MAAT of Lisbon is a cultural revival.

There is no real itinerary to contemporary art exhibitions, you just have to let yourself be guided as you walk around the museum. Don’t miss a visit to the old power plant and its very informative exhibition. Numerous experiments and explanations about electricity will allow children (and older children alike) to better understand how energy works.

MAAT Contemporary Museum in Lisbon in the Belem district

Passionate about contemporary art ? In addition to the Berardo Museum and the MAAT, don’t miss a visit to the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Lisbon, more commonly known as the Chiado Museum (free entrance with the LISBOA CARD !).

The Navy museum (Museu de Marinha)

The Portuguese Navy has always been the pride of the country due to the exciting history of the Great Discoveries. The Navy Museum has more than 17,000 pieces. Explanatory maps show you the paths taken by the sailors, their discoveries and the influence they had on society.

With boats reconstructed to life-size, you will be immersed in the fascinating stories of maritime explorations of the 16th and 17th centuries. And why not conclude this visit with an afternoon boat trip from Belém !

astrolabe marinha museu - belém

National Coach Museum (museu nacional dos coches)

The National Coach Museum presents an exhibition that is unique in the world, as much for its beauty and artistic variety as for the impressive number of carriages and coaches used in Portugal between the 16th and 19th centuries. This museum has the largest collection of carriages in the world. It is one of the most visited museums in the capital and not for nothing. The exuberant side of some of the carriages has a « too much » side at first glance but that is what makes their charm.

The National Coach Museum in Lisbon has the largest collection of coaches in the world

National Archaeological Museum

In the National Archaeological Museum you will find an incredible collection of relics contributing to the reconstruction of Portugal’s history since antiquity. There is something for everyone : jewellery, Roman and Arab remains. If the first room lacks a bit of coherence in its main theme, the second room largely fulfils our expectations. The first room is composed of models and amphoras. As for the second part, it has a whole room on Egyptian culture (coffin, jewels and hieroglyphs), one on Greek culture, a room filled with gold, silver or steel jewels as well as a room filled with the ruins of a Roman theatre of the time. Lovers of antiquity, don’t miss this museum !

national archaeology museum lisbon is the largest in the country

On the way to Belém, you will come across two other must-see museums in Lisbon that are also not to be missed : the Museum of the Orient and the National Museum of Ancient Arts (Museu nacional de arte antiga).

Lisbon museum for free ? Our advice : plan your stay well in order to visit some museums in Lisbon free of charge.

Free time slots for tourists in the museums already mentioned above :

  1. Calouse Gulbenkian Museum : Sundays after 2 pm.
  2. Museum Berardo : free all day Saturday.
  3. MAAT : first Sunday of each month.
  4. Museum of the Navy : first Sunday of each month.
  5. National Museum of Archaeology : Sundays and public holidays before 2 pm.
  6. Museum of the Orient : every Friday after 6 pm.

Other museums free of charge for tourists in certain time slots :

Lisbon Military Museum

Lisbon is home to the country’s largest military museum. Inside, there is a large collection of artillery and warrior murals. Each room corresponds to a given period allowing you to better understand the history of Portugal since the Middle Ages. Outside is the courtyard surrounded by cannons. The highlight of the visit : the azulejos walls that tell the story from the Christian Reconquest to the First World War.

military museum - lisbon - army

São Roque Museum

Belonging to the prestigious Santa Casa da Misericórdia organisation, the São Roque Museum is one of the first museums created in the city of Lisbon, in 1905. Within this museum is a rich collection of religious art. Magnificently renovated, the São Roque church shows the power of the Jesuits ! A small museum, but for those who wish to learn about the religious history of Lisbon, it is a must-see.

The Sao Roque Museum in Lisbon is the reference religious museum in Lisbon

Casa-museu Medeiros e Almeida (house-museum)

The house-museum Medeiros e Almeida is a perfect example of an early 20th century Lisbon bourgeois house. It is the former residence of its founder António de Medeiros. The rooms are very well furnished, very clean and every object is placed with taste. Perfect harmony between a magnificent collection of fans, crockery, watches and clocks. One of the most impressive rooms is the living room where a fountain is enthroned in the middle.

casa museu Medeiros e Almeida is one of the most spectacular house museums in Lisbon

Money museum

This museum, managed by the Bank of Portugal, introduces you to the history of money, its concept and its evolution in Portugal and in the world.

It will appeal to young and old alike. The Money Museum is educational and interactive, without being too childish.
It is a pleasant visit, with a coherent and flowing itinerary. There are many fun activities to suit everyone and to help you retain the knowledge you have acquired about the world of money.

The Lisbon money Museum is a completely free museum

Lisbon's most unusual museums

Puppet Arts Museum

Founded in 2001, the puppet museum is located in a former monastery. A visit that is likely to please young people as well as adults who have kept their childlike souls ! You will discover an exhibition of more than 1000 traditional puppets, made by the Sao Lourenço company, and some old models. These puppets are not only Portuguese, but also African, Asian, Brazilian and European. The exhibition on Tim Burton alone is worth the trip!

In addition to the puppets, the museum contains a large collection of masks from around the world.

The Lisbon Puppet Museum is a fantastic museum to visit with the family and children

Visit the Luz stadium and the Benfica museum!

Any football fan will easily understand that a visit to the legendary Benfica stadium is one of the things to see during a stay in Lisbon. With a guide, you will explore the changing rooms, VIP areas and areas not open to the public. In short, follow in the footsteps of Benfica’s greatest players!

As a complement to the stadium tour, you will have access to the Benfica museum where the mythical history of the club is brilliantly related.

Visit of the luz stadium and the benfica museum

Codfish history interpretation centre

The Codfish History Interpretation Centre is undoubtedly one of the most unusual museums in Lisbon. But it will answer many of the questions you may ask yourself when you browse through the menus of typical Lisbon restaurants. Through an interactive and educational tour, you will understand the reasons why the Portuguese sailed for months to catch the famous codfish.

This museum, located a stone’s throw from the Lisboa Story Centre, pays tribute to the bacalhau as a symbol of Portuguese cuisine, culture and history of a country that was the first to sail the globe. It collects the memory of the sailors and fishermen who travelled to the ends of the earth for generations.

The cod museum is the ideal place to learn all about bacalhau

Experience Pilar 7 - Bridge of April 25th

The Bridge of April 25th is Lisbon’s legendary bridge, the one that makes the cameras crackle at sunset.  Passing through Belem and Lxfactory? Opt for an original activity in the neighbourhood by discovering the bridge from the inside.

With Experience Pilar 7, you will discover the whole story of the Golden Gate’s little brother through an interactive, fun and augmented reality itinerary.

The highlight of the show ? An immersion in the inaccessible parts of the bridge which ends with a panoramic view of the bridge and the Tagus estuary (a perfect place to admire the sunset on the skyline). This attraction is not recommended for those & those who are afraid of heights.

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© VisitmyLisbon.com – 2021

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© VisitmyLisbon.com – 2021

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