City&Sea

We have lots of stories to tell, with many museums spread around town to tell them, showing Rio’s connection to art, sports, music and fashion to locals and visitors alike. Several current efforts are underway to further revive the history of our city, such as the Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) with its focus on Science – http://portomaravilha.com.br/web/esq/projEspMusAmanha.aspx). Among the most recent inaugurations is the MAR (Rio Art Museum), offering an impressive view of the Guanabara Bay, and the Casa Daros, located in a beautifully designed estate in the neighborhood of Botafogo. Below is a list of the best museums in Rio. Explore our treasures and enjoy your visit.

Casa Daros
Casa Daros is a space for art, education and communication. The institute is part of the wider Daros Latinamerica Collection, the most comprehensive European collection of contemporary Latin American art, with nearly 1200 pieces including paintings, photographs, videos, sculptures and installations from more than 117 artists. Occupying an area of 12,000 square meters in the neighborhood of Botafogo, Casa Daros is housed in a magnificent 19^th century building in neoclassical style designed by architect Francisco Joaquim Bethencourt da Silva (1831-1912).
Avenida Lauro Sodré, 150 – Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Phone: +55(21) 3215-4350

House of the Marchioness: Brazilian Fashion Museum
An “architectural jewel” of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, the House of the Marchioness of Santos (Casa da Marquesa de Santos) was a gift from Emperor Dom Pedro I to Domitila de Castro Canto e Melo, the Marchioness of Santos, in 1827. This rare architectural specimen of the 19^th century was one of the first buildings to receive a historical heritage preservation status by the Brazilian government in 1938.   Designed by Jean Pierre Pézerat, the Emperor’s architect, the house is adorned with paintings by Franciso Pedro do Amaral and stucco artwork by the Ferrez brothers. The House of the Marchioness emanates a graceful and romantic aura, combining motifs from the feminine universe with neoclassical style. The House is currently being restored and transformed into a new museum that will exhibit the historical context in which it was built, its various historical uses and residents, and naturally, the story of the Marchioness herself. The site will serve as a space for memory and contemplation, and very soon the public will also be able to visit the adjacent Museum of Brazilian Fashion.
Address: Av. Pedro II, 293. São Cristóvão, Phone: +55(21) 2333-1395

CCBB – Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil

In addition to its Historical Archives and Memory Collection, the CCBB offers several spaces for a wide variety of cultural activities, such as the permanent exhibits “The Bank of Brazil and its History” and the “Gallery of Values.”

Address: Rua Primeiro de Março, 66 – Centro. Phone: +55(21) 3808-2020

Paço Imperial

Ever since its restoration in the 1980’s, the architecturally magnificent Imperial Palace (Paço Imperial) has become an important Exhibit and Events Center that preserves the city’s historical memory while incorporating our cultural innovations. Built in 1743, the building was first used as the Palace of the Viceroys of Brazil. With the arrival of King John VI of Portugal and his court in Rio de Janeiro, and as soon as Brazil was elevated from it’s condition as colony to join the newly created United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves, the Paço Imperial was transformed into government headquarters of the Kingdom and later Empire. After the establishment of the Republic of Brazil, the site was converted into the Central Post and Telegraphic Office of Rio de Janeiro. In 1938, the Paço Imperial was declared as a historic national heritage and today is a landmark of Rio’s cultural history.

Address: Praça Quinze de Novembro, 48 – Centro, Phone: +55(21) 2533-4359

MAR – Museu de Arte do Rio

The MAR is located at Praça Mauá, in two very different, interconnected buildings: the Palacete Dom João – historically preserved and eclectic – and a former bus terminal built in modernist style. The historic mansion houses the museum’s exhibit halls. The neighboring building houses the Escola do Olhar, a space used to produce and provoke individual and collective experiences, with its main focus on training public school teachers.

Address: Praça Mauá, 5 – Centro, Phone: +55(21) 3031-2741

MAM – Museum of Modern Art

Contemporary with the artistic movements that have shaken the country since the 1950’s, the MAM has witnessed the birth, launched and revealed a large number of modern and contemporary artists who now inhabit the international art scene.

Address: Av. Infante Dom Henrique, 85 – Flamengo Park, Phone: +55(21)2240-4944

Casa de Ruy Barbosa Museum
Jurist, senator, Minister of Finance, co-author of the First Republic’s Constitution, and founding member of the Brazilian Language Academy, Ruy Barbosa lived in his Rua São Clemente residence between 1895 and 1923.   One year after his death, in 1924, the Brazilian government acquired the house, including its furniture, library, archives and intellectual property of Ruy Barbosa’s work. In Museu Casa de Ruy Barbosa was created in 1928 and opened to the public two years later as the first of its kind nationwide. In addition to Ruy Barbosa’s bibliographic collection of about 35.000 volumes, the museum also hosts collections from João Mangabeira, Luiz Vianna Filho and Plínio Doyle.

Parque das Ruinas
In addition to its local historic and cultural value, the “Park of Ruins” boasts a theater, art galleries, an outdoor stage, extensive gardens, viewing platforms and an observatory with a breathtaking view of Centro, Lapa and the Guanabara Bay. The park plays an essential role in preserving the memory of Santa Teresa as an important heritage to the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Address: Rua Murtinho Nobre, 169, Santa Teresa, Phone +55(21) 2215-0621 or 2224-3922