There’s so much to see and learn about in Lisbon’s museums and galleries – Culture Vultures will be in their element! Art lovers can view Portuguese decorative arts, artworks from Asia and Africa, and modern art and design and history fans can learn about Portugal’s connection with The Orient.
Here are the spots that made our list:
Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology – The MAAT museum is a stunning building containing interesting and well organized exhibitions in the former Portuguese Power Company building. View contemporary Portuguese art and a range of national and international exhibitions where art, architecture, and technology intertwine.
Address: Av. Brasília, 1300-598 Lisboa,
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National Azulejo Museum – Discover Portuguese culture as you see the many impressive azulejo treasures (traditional tiles) in this grand museum located in an 18th century church. Learn how the earliest tiles were made and see how the designs progressed over the centuries. The highlight of the museum is the panoramic mural tile of Lisbon in 1738, before the earthquake.
Address: R. Me. Deus 4, 1900-312 Lisboa
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Navy Museum – A large maritime museum that walks the visitor through all aspects of Portugal’s naval history right up to modern times. See items from the Age of Discovery, admire the detail on the model ships, plus planes in the last hall. A very interesting museum for those interested in boats.
Address: Praça do Império, 1400-206 Lisboa
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National Coach Museum – Step back in time and admire the elegance of Portugal’s historic royal/noble carriages dating from the 16th-19th century at this cultural museum. See the carriage that King Phillip II of Portugal used to get from Lisbon to Madrid. An app provides a self-guided tour giving you extra information about the coaches.
Address: Av. da Índia 136, 1300-004 Lisboa
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Calouste Gulbenkian Museum – Taking viewers from the ancient world right through to the modern day, this history and art museum has a vast collection of priceless artifacts to see with 2 permanent collections. The Founder’s Collection contains 6,000 objects and artworks from Antiquity to the 20th century. The Modern Collection contains contemporary and modern Portuguese art from the 19th century to today.
Address: Av. de Berna 45A, 1067-001 Lisboa
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National Museum of Ancient Art – The MNAA museum displays a permanent collection of artifacts (ceramics, gold and silverware etc) and artwork by Portuguese, Spanish, Flemish, and Dutch masters with several temporary exhibitions also taking place. Highlights include the Panels of St Vincent, St Jerome by Dürer, Temptations of St. Anthony by Bosch and more.
Address: R. das Janelas Verdes, 1249-017 Lisboa
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Museu do Fado – Learn all about the history of Fado, a traditional and typical Portuguese music genre. Listen to different styles of music and the different singers, see the instruments of the fadistas, view the paintings, and learn the stories of Portugal’s most beloved fadistas. A must visit for music lovers.
Address: Largo do Chafariz de Dentro 1, 1100-139 Lisboa
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Museum of the Orient – Delight in Asian art and history as you move from room to room taking in the art and artifacts of India, Japan, and China and learning about the Portuguese presence in Asia. See masks, shadow puppet theatres, 17th and 18th century folding screens, rare Namban art, porcelain collections and more.
Address: Av. Brasília 352, 1350-279 Lisboa
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Berardo Collection Museum – An impressive collection of modern and contemporary art with permanent and temporary collections to enjoy. View artworks by Calder, Chamberlains, Flavin, Lichtenstein, Miró, Picasso, Rothko, Warhol, Picasso, and many others as you view all the main artistic movement of the 20th century.
Address: Praça do Império, 1449-003 Lisboa
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National Museum of Natural History and Science, Lisbon – A large museum with exhibitions for the whole family to enjoy ranging from fossils and minerals to dinosaur and whale exhibitions. You can also enjoy the Planetarium, an old auditorium and chemical lab, and the botanical garden – A whole day is needed if you want to see it all.
Address: Rua da Escola Politécnica 56, 1250-096 Lisboa
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Museu da Marioneta – The puppet museum is a magical museum for the whole family to enjoy with wonderful stories and displays of masks, puppets, and puppet theaters from all over the world. A fun and informative guided tour is available and there are also workshops.
Address: Rua da Esperança 146, 1200-660 Lisboa,
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Museu da Água – The Water Museum is an interesting place to visit to learn about the supply of water to Lisbon in ancient times through to modern day and is particularly engaging for the kids. Learn about the fountains that are still dotted around the city today, the aqueduct and reservoirs (a separate guided tour available out to see the aqueduct), and see the steam pump room.
Address: R. Alviela 12, 1170-012 Lisboa
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Museum Aljube – An eye-opening historical museum dedicated to remembering the struggle against dictatorship and recognizing the resistance for freedom and democracy that Portugal faced between 1926 and 1974. Learn about the censorship and repressive actions, and other struggles that the people and the country went through in the not so distant past.
Address: R. Augusto Rosa 42, 1100-091 Lisboa
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Museu Benfica – Discover the history of football in general and the history of the Benefica football club at this interactive football museum with stadium tour. A must-visit museum for anyone who is passionate about football, no need to be a Benefica fan to enjoy this place!
Address: Av. Eusébio da Silva Ferreira – Porta 9, 1500-313 Lisboa/
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Fundação Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva – The Portuguese museum of decorative arts is a place of great beauty, located within the 17th century Azurara Palace. Walk through the rooms admiring the artworks, furniture, and antiques. Guided tours of the workshops are also available and should not be missed if you’re an artist or craftsperson.
Address: Largo Portas do Sol 2, 1100-160 Lisboa
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Casa-Museu Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves – This stunning art nouveau property was the home and studio of naturalist painter José Malhoa and later, the home of Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves who curated a collection of almost 3,000 works of 20th century art. Walk through the house admiring the beauty of the room as well as the artwork and artifacts on display.
Address: Avenida 5 de Outubro 6, 1050-010 Lisboa
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FREE Guide to the BEST of Lisbon
Wouldn’t you want to save time and discover the absolute BEST places in Lisbon? – Cafes, accommodation, coworking, gyms, yoga & more
There are many travel guides for tourists who want to visit Lisbon.
Lisbon Secrets is different. Get it here…
Author
Tal Gur is a world traveler and personal development enthusiast. An adventurer at heart, after trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, Tal spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey continues as a location-independent blogger, lifestyle entrepreneur, and coach. Tal’s published two books: One Year to Freedom, a 1-Year Roadmap to Living Life on Your Own Terms; and, his most recent book and bestseller, The Art of Fully Living – 1 Man, 10 Years, 100 Life Goals Around the World.
