Finding the most interesting museums in Lisbon

Lisbon has a museum or two for everyone – whether you like art, aviation, history, fashion, football – it is all here in Lisbon. Below you will find a list of 47 museums in and near Lisbon.

Also, two museums opened in Lisbon in 2022 and are not covered in this article – the Royal Treasure Museum https://lisbontravelideas.com/2022/11/portugals-royal-treasure-museum-opened-in-2022 and Quake Lisbon Earthquake Experience Visit the new Quake Lisbon Earthquake Experience .

Lisboa Story Center

Praça do Comércio 18, Terreiro Paço metro station

Hours: Everyday 10 am – 8 pm

This interactive museum on the Praça do Comércio shares five moments in Lisbon’s history with visitors, and finally, a sixth moment is a modern tourist information center. 

Visitors will experience Lisbon during the age of exploration, imagining life in a 16th-century warehouse, Lisbon on the day of the earthquake, and the rebuilding after the earthquake.  

Home | Lisbon Story Centre (lisboastorycentre.pt)

Museu do Dinheiro / Museum of Money

Old Church of São Julião, Largo de São Julião, near Praça do Comércio, Terreiro Paço metro station

Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm

A fascinating museum about money and the history of trade and money.  The museum is free, has exhibits in English and Portuguese, and. interactive exhibits for kids.

Highlights – Money Museum – Banco de Portugal (museudodinheiro.pt)

Museu da Cerveja Arpad Szenes -Vieira da Silva Museum / Beer Museum

Praça do Comércio 1100, Metro Terreiro Paço Station (blue line)

With a prime location on Portugal’s largest square – Praça do Comércio, you can sit on the museum’s patio and sample any of 100 Portuguese beers.

Museu da Cerveja – Grupo O Valor do Tempo

Museu de Lisboa / The Lisbon Museum

Pepper Palace: Campo Grande 245, Campo Grande Metro Station (green line or yellow line)

Saint Anthony:  Largo de Santo António da Se, Metro Terreiro do Paço (blue line) Baixa

Roman Theatre:  Rua de São Mamede, Metro Terreiro do Paço (blue line) Baixa

House of Beaks:  Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 10, Metro Terreiro do Paço (blue line) Baixa

West Turma: Praça do Comércio 1, Metro Terreiro do Paço (blue line) Baixa

Hours: 10 am – 6 pm, closed Mondays.

Admission:  Lisbon Museum – Pimenta Palace, Santo António, Roman Theatre, Poente Tower

Casa dos Bicos (floor 0- archaeological core) Free entrance

SINGLE TICKET · 6 €

Palácio Pimenta + Santo António + Teatro Romano + Casa dos Bicos, Valid for 2 months after purchase.

One museum in five locations, each trying to reveal different aspects of Lisbon.

  • The 18th Century Pimienta Palace displays exhibitions show the occupation and settlement of Lisbon.from prehistory until late 20th century.
  • Casa Santo António – This is the house where St. Anthony was born, and from 1326 – 1741, the Lisbon City Council used it as the seat of government.
  • Roman Theatre –  Archaeological site with artifacts and structures from 1 AD.
  • Poente Tower / West Turmre / Torreão Poente – The tower-like end of the western arcaded yellow building on Praca do Comercio now houses temporary exhibitions related to Lisbon’s past and present.
  • House of Beaks / Casa dos Bicos – Lisbon’s oldest house – built in 1522, this house is similar to Venetian or Spanish Renaissance mansions with the diamond shaped studs on the exterior.  Today it features archaeological exhibits that represent 2000 years of local history.

Rua dos Correeiros Archaeological Center

The Núcleo Arqueológico Museum lies hidden under a modern bank at Rua dos Correeiros 9 in the Baixa district.

You will be able to see the ruins of an ancient fish processing factory and a Roman Spa.

Open twice a week for free guided visits.  Inquire in the bank for tours.

Metro to the Baixa neighborhood, Terreiro Paço metro station (blue line)

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian / Gulbenkian Art Museum

Avenida de Berna 45

Metro:  São Sebastião (blue or red lines), or bus 716, 726, 756

Hours: 10 am – 5:30 pm

Admission:  €10

The private collection of oil magnate, Calouste Gulbenkian is one of the largest collections of art in the world.  

The collection includes pieces by Rubins, Rembrandt, Rodin, Monet, and many others, as well as pieces of ancient art.

For more information, read my Lisbon’s Gulbenkian Museum – What you need to know

Medeiros e Almeida Museum

Rua Rosa Araújo 41, Metro Marquês de Pombal (blue line)

Hours:  Monday – Friday 1 pm – 5:30 pm, Saturdays 10 am – 5:30 pm, Closed Sundays

Admission:  Free

There is something for everyone in this 1896 mansion off of Avenida Liberdade. 

Formerly the house of  António Medeiros e Almeida, who made his fortune as a car importer and later as one of the pioneers of commercial aviation as a founding partner of Aero-Portuguesa and later TAP Portugal. 

You will find his eclectic collection of fine arts from all over the world – collections of watches and clocks, Portuguese tile, China and tapestries from Asia, religious pieces, fine furniture from Francois Linke, silverware that belonged to Napoleon, and sculptures from Versailles.

The House-Museum – Casa-Museu Medeiros e Almeida

Casa Museu Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves

Avenida 5 de Octubre, 6, near Gulbenkian Museum and Marquês de Pombal metro

Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 1 pm and 2 pm – 4:30 pm

Sundays 10 am – 2 pm and 3 pm – 4 pm

Admission: €3, and €1.50 for seniors and under 25

This house was built in 1904 as the residence and workshop of artist José Victor Branco Malhoa. 

It won architectural awards for its Art Nouveau design.  In 1932 Dr. Anastacio Goncalves purchased the house. 

He was a collector of fine art, and he donated his collection to the state when he passed. 

Today, you can view his eclectic collection of furniture, paintings, and Chinese porcelain.


Casa-Museu Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves – Home | Facebook also The CMAG Blog (blogdacmag.blogspot.com)

Museu Arqueológico do Carmo

Sarcophagi at Lisbon's Carmo Archaeological Museum.
Sarcophagi at Lisbon’s Carmo Archaeological Museum.

Largo do Carmo,  Top of Santa Justa Lift

Hours:  October – April 10 am – 6 pm, May – September 10 am – 7 pm

Admission:  Adults €5, Children under 14 and seniors €4

One of Lisbon’s oldest buildings (construction started in 1389) and also one of the most powerful things you can see in Lisbon, the ruins of the church that was destroyed by the earthquake of November 1, 1755. 

The same earthquake that killed more than 30,000 people and destroyed most of Lisbon. 

The roof caved in during the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, but the vaulted arches of the ceiling still remain at Lisbon's Igreja do Carmo Church

The stone walls of the church still stand, but it is an open air-site. 

All that remains of the roof are the skeleton – the vaulted stone arches. 

The decision was made not to rebuild the church – to leave it as a monument to those who died.  

Adjacent to the church is an archaeological collection curated by the Association of Portuguese Archaeologists. 

The collection includes local and international artifacts.

Each month the museum plans cultural events and concerts.

See my article, Lisbon’s Convento do Carmo Ruins | Everything You Need to Know

Museu Guarda Nacional Republicana

Largo do Carmo 27, near the Carmo Museum and the Santa Justa Elevator

Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 am – 6 pm

The Museum of the National Guard details the history of the Portuguese military since 1911.  They have an interesting collection of videos, firearms, motorcycles, uniforms and other equipment.  There is also a simulation of a battle site.

Arquivo Histórico da Guarda Nacional Republicana (arquivomuseugnr.pt)

Chiado Museum / Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado

Rua Serpa Pinto 4, Metro Baixa-Chiado station (blue or green line), Tram 28 Rua Nova da Trindade or Rua Vitor Cordon stops, Buses 60, 208, 758

Hours: 10 am – 6 pm Tuesday – Sunday

Admission €4.50, Children under 12 free, Seniors €2.25

Portuguese painting, sculpture, and photography from the 19th century onward.

Igreja de São Roque / St. Roch Church Museum

One of several opulent side chapels at Lisbon’s Igreja de São Roque (Church of St. Roch).

Largo Trindade Coelho, Bairro Alto

Hours: 2 pm – 9 pm

Admission: €2.50 euros, free for seniors

The Church of St. Roch was built amid the graves of plague victims in 1506. 

One of the church’s side chapels – the opulent chapel of St. John the Baptist was built in Rome and later shipped to Lisbon. 

It is one of the most expensive chapels ever built. 

The museum houses a collection of sacred art and liturgical objects, including vestments and chalices.  

Read my article São Roque Church in Lisbon – What to know before visiting

Christ Figure in the Museum of São Roque collection of religious artefacts and liturgical items

Atelier Museu Júlio Pomar / Júlio Pomar Studio and Museum

Rua do Vale 7, Bairro Alto near the Elevador da Bica

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm.

Admission: €2, Children under 12 are free

A studio – museum dedicated to Portugal’s oldest living artist, Júlio Pomar, born in 1926

There are several hundred works by Pomar, including drawings, printmaking, ceramics, collages and assemblage, as well as documentary and archive material relating to Pomar’s life and career. 

Many of the Neo-Expressionist artist’s works are a form of social protest, and he was imprisoned in the 1950s

Atelier-Museum Júlio Pomar (ateliermuseujuliopomar.pt)

Museu da Farmacia

Rua Marechal Saldanha 1

Buses 100 and 58 from Praça Luís de Camões, Tram 28, or Elevador da Bica

The museum details 5000 years of how man has used medicine to treat pain and illness. 

The museum explores the role of the pharmacy in Portugal and internationally. 

Museu da Farmacia also has a restaurant with great views of the Tejo River.

Pharmacy Museum (museudafarmacia.pt)

National Museum of Natural History and Science

Rua da Escola Politécnica 56, Príncipe Real, Bairro Alto, Elevador da Glória

Hours:  Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm.  Closed Sunday and Monday.

Admission: €5.  You can also purchase a combined ticket for the Botanical Gardens.

The University of Lisbon’s museum supports research in zoology and anthropology, botany, mineralogy and geology, and other natural sciences.

Holdings include more than 1700 human skeletons and more than 130 skulls.

They have a large collection of reptiles, amphibians, and birds from Portugal and former colonies,

The museum is next door to the Lisbon Botanical Garden. 

National Museum of Natural History and Science | ULisboa

Geological Museum of Portugal

Rua da Academia de Ciências 19

Tram 28, near Calçada do Combro tram stop

Hours: Monday to Friday 10 AM to 6 PM. Closed on weekends and public holidays.

Admission: adults and seniors  €5, students €2.50, children under 10 are free

See fossils that represent Portugal before man and the geology of Lisbon.

Museu da Água Lisbon Aqueduct and Water Museum

The museum of water is located at three separate facilities across the city.

The most notable is the 18-mile-long gothic Aqueduct das Aguas Livres.

Built in 1744, the aqueduct carried water to Lisbon until the 1960s.

Today visitors can walk across the top of the aqueduct. Not recommended if you are afraid of heights! 

The aqueduct is open Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 5:30 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 5:30 pm. 

Praça das Amoreiras, 10. 

Tram 24, or take bus 702 from Praça Marquês de Pombal in the direction of Serafina.

Tell the driver that you want to get off at the aqueduct. The stop is called Calçada dos Mestres.

.

A second part of the museum is the  Reservoir of Mãe d’Água das Amoreiras, open from Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 4 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm.

On the first weekend of each month, admission is free. 

Praca das Armoreiras 10, Tram 24 or Rato Metro station (yellow line)

And the Barbadinhos Steam Pumping Station is open from Monday to Friday, by appointment, between 10 am-12:30 pm and 1:30 pm-4:30 pm. 

Rua do Alviela 12, Santa Apólonia, Lisbon. 

Buses 206 and 735 stop nearby on Rua Washington corner with Rua do Alviela.

EPAL – Empresa Portuguesa das Águas Livres, SA

Campo Pequeno Museum

Campo Pequeno metro station (yellow line)

This museum celebrates the history of bullfighting in Portugal and the history of the Campo Pequeno bullring which was built in 1890

There is also a shopping mall at Campo Pequeno. 

Check the website for bullfights, concerts, and special events.

Small Field (campopequeno.com)

Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro Museum

Campo Grande 382

Campo Grande metro station (green line or yellow line)

Hours: 10 AM till 6 PM.

Artist Raphael Bordallo Pineiro lived from 1846 until 1985. Famous for his caricatures and drawings.

He was the first Portuguese comic creator

He is also well known for ceramics.

Museu Nacional do Traje / Costume Museum

Largo Júlio de Castilho, Near the Lumiar Metro Station

Hours:  Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 1 pm and 2 pm – 6 pm.

Admission: €6.

The National Costume Museum is located in the Angeja-Palmela Palace and also includes the beautiful Monteiro-mor Botanical Park.

This museum presents clothing and accessories from the 18th century onward.  

National Costume Museum (museudotraje.gov.pt)

Lisbon Zoo / Jardim Zoológico

20 meters from Jardim Zoológico metro station (blue line)

Carris bus routes: 701, 716, 726, 731, 746, 754, 755, 758, 768, 770 – located 10 meters from Sete Rios bus station

Hours: March 21 -September 21 – 10 am 

September 21 til March 20,10 AM to 6 PM. Open every day.

Admission: children 3 to 12 years €14.50, ages 13 to 64 €22.50,

Each continent is represented at the zoo, and they also have a dolphin pool and a children’s farm for domestic animals. The zoo also features a cable car and a train.

Jardim Zoológico

Museu da Música

Alto dos Moinhos Metro Station (blue line)

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 6 pm

Located in the Alto dos Moinhos metro station, this museum has a collection of instruments ranging from the 16th to the 21st centuries. 

Interesting pieces include the Stradivarius cello – King of Portugal, the Pascal Taskin harpsichord, and the Liszt piano. 

They have a collection of 16th – 19th-century art depicting musicians, and also a collection of phonographs and thousands of old recordings.

Museu Benfica – Cosme Damião / Benfica Football Club Museum and Stadium

Estádio da Luz, Avenida Eusébio da Silva Ferreira

Colegio Militar / Luz Metro Station (blue line)

Hours:  Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm

Admission:  Stadium + Museum €17.50, Museum only €10, stadium only €12.50.

The SL Benfica museum was named after club founder Cosme Damiao. 

This huge museum allows visitors to relive the club’s history in the context of Portuguese and world history. 

See the massive collection of trophies the club has won in its 117 years. 

The museum is divided into 29 thematic areas, including displays and a hologram depicting club legend. Eusebio, who scored 733 goals in 745 games.  

For more information, read my How to go to a Benfica game, where I discuss the museum and tour, in addition to how to get tickets for a game.

Museum Aljube Resistência e Liberdade

Lisbon's Aljube Museum of the Resistance is housed in what was one of Portugal's largest political prisons during the Salazar era.  This photo show a replica oof one of the tiny prison cells, just barely large enough for the prisoner and his bunk.
The Aljube Museum of the Resistance is housed in one of Portugal’s former political prisons. This is a replica of one of the cells.

Rua Augusto Rosa 42, Alfama, near Se Cathedral

Hours: Open 10 AM until 6 PM, closed on Mondays

This building remembers and celebrates those who fought against the Portuguese dictatorship which lasted from 1926 until 1974.

The building itself was formerly a political prison.

See my article, Aljube Museum – learn about Portugal in the 20th century

Fundação Amália Rodrigues Casa Museu

Rua de São Bento 193

Metro: Rato station yellow line

Buses: 706, 727 Rua de São Bento stop

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm, with weekly concerts in the museum shop on Saturdays

Admission:  Student tickets €4.50 adult tickets €6, senior tickets €6

Amália Rodrigues – the voice of Portugal lived in this four-story, 18th-century house for 44 years, and even recorded an album in this house with Vinicius de Morais.

Museu do Fado / Fado Music Museum

Largo do Chafariz de Dentro 1

Metro Station Santa Apolónia

Buses 728, 735, 759, 794

T: 351 218 823 470 info@museudofado.pt

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm

This small museum explains the history and evolution of fado.

They have lots of opportunities for you to listen to different singers, and purchase souvenirs in the gift shop.

Admission is five euros, discounted with the Lisboa card.

Make sure to use the free audio headphones. To learn more, see my Lisbon’s Fado Museum – Everything you need to know

Museu Militar de Lisboa / Lisbon Artillery Museum

Rua Museu da Artilharia 51, Santa Apolónia  station (blue line)

Hours: 10 am – 5 pm Tuesday – Sunday

Visitors will learn about the role of the military in different periods of Portuguese history – for example, the discovery of the sea route to India, Portuguese participation in World War I, and military operations in Africa. 

The museum displays a huge collection of weapons, armor, swords, artillery, and uniforms. 

Guests will also enjoy the stunning artistic beauty of this museum, with its azulejo tiles, ornamented ceilings, sculptures, and paintings.

Read my Military Museum of Lisbon – Everything you need to know

National Tile Museum

National Tile Museum, Lisbon

Rua Madre de Deus 4. 

Buses 718, 742, and 794 stop in front of the museum.

Don’t miss this museum located in the beautiful Convento Madre de Jesus, which was built in 1509. 

Admission to the National Tile Museum is only €5 euros, and I highly recommend this national monument. For more information, see my article National Tile Museum in Lisbon | A Quick Guide

The museum covers the process of making tiles and tile panels by hand, and has examples of all different periods of azulejo art from the 15th century until now.

Lisbon Oceanarium

Esplanada Dom Carlos, Doca dos Olivais, in Parque das Nações

Metro:  Red line, Oriente Station

Buses: 705, 725, 728, 744, 708, 750, 759, 782, 794

Hours: Summer 10 am – 8 pm, Winter 10 am – 7 pm

Admission:  Ages 0 -3 free, ages 4 – 12 pay €10, ages 12 – 64 pay €19, ages 65+ pay €13.

The aquarium opened in 1998. 

The exhibits are organized around a 180,000 cubic ft. central tank. 

This tank replicates the open ocean and houses 100 species from around the world.  

Then there are four other tanks representing different habitats. 

With 450 marine species and more than 16000 animals, it is the largest aquarium in Europe.

To learn more, see my Lisbon Oceanarium | Plan Your Visit to the Oceanário de Lisboa

Museu Medieval de Almada A Cerca

Rua  da Cerca 1, Almada

Admission: Free

On the opposite side of the Tejo River.

You can take the ferry from the Cais do Sodré station, arrive in Cacilhas, and make the short walk along the waterfront toward the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge. 

The modern Art Museum has a botanical garden and café terrace with spectacular views of Lisbon.

It is a perfect quiet spot to relax.

A Cerca – Home | Facebook

Museu da Marioneta

Convento das Bernardas, Rua da Esperança 146

Hours:  Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm

Admission: Ages 25 – 65 pay €5, under 25 pay €2.50, ages 12 and under are free, seniors pay €4.30

The museum has an international collection of puppets, masks, and props, as well as traditional Portuguese puppets.  They also delve into modern puppetry, and have several sets for filming puppet shows.

Kids can play with some of the puppets, and on certain days they present puppet shows.  They also offer workshops in which kids can make their own puppets.

Puppet Museum (museudamarioneta.pt)

Museu da Carris

Rua 1 de Maio 101, Santo Amaro station, near LX Factory

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 am -1 pm, 2 pm -to 6 pm. Closed Sundays and holidays

Admission:€4.50, Children under six are free, 18 and under €2.50, seniors Pay €2.50.

The Carris Company has owned and operated Lisbon’s streetcars and funiculars since 1855. 

They have retired many of their vehicles and now visitors can inspect and climb into these old models at the Carris Museum.

Each September the museum holds a parade of classic streetcars through town.

Museu da Carris

Museu de Macau

Rua da Junqueira 30, near LX Factory, Estação de Santo Amaro, near 25 de Abril Bridge

Tram 15 or bus 714 stop nearby

Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm.

Admission: €3.

This small, informative museum shares the history of Macau, the former Portuguese territory which had a pivotal role in Portugal’s trade with Asia. 

Exhibits in Portuguese and English.

:Museum – CCCM, I.P.

MAAT  Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology

Avenida Brasilia, Central Tejo (east of Belém)

Latitude 38º41’44.52 N, Longitude 9º11’44.30 W

Bus 201, 714, 727, 751 – Altinho, Tram 15E, 18E – Altinho Stop (MAAT)

Train from Cais do Sodré to Belém Station (Cascais Line)

Closed Tuesdays, Open 10 am – 7 pm Wednesday – Monday.  From June – September open til 10 pm on Friday and Saturday nights

Admission: €9 adults, Children over 12 pay €7.20, seniors pay €6.

Prices are lower this summer.  There is also a family discount.

The older part of the museum complex was originally a thermoelectric power plant. 

Then it was known as the Museum of Electricity. Today the MAAT focuses on the past, present, and future of energy. 

Exhibits also include works by modern Portuguese artists and photographers. For more information, see my article Visit Lisbon’s Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology (MAAT)

Museu da Presidência da República

Praça Afonso de Albuquerque 1349, Belém, near MAAT

Tram: 15E, 18E

Bus: 73B, 76B, 79B, 714, 723, 732, 748, 751, 760, 776

Train: Cascais Line

Hours: 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm until 6 pm. Closed Mondays, January 1 Easter weekend, May 1, December 24, 25

Admission: €2.50, students and seniors  €1.50, 

Learn about the Presidents of the Republic, their powers, and their official residence, the Palace of Belém.

Cordoaria Nacional

Rua da Junqueira 342

Buses 714, 727, 732, 751 Junqueira stop.  Tram 15E, train toward Cascais from Cais do Sodré to Belem. 

The Cordoaria Nacional factory produced naval ropes, candles, flags, and other naval equipment from 1799 until the 1990’s. 

Today it is a hall for temporary exhibitions. 

It recently hosted a show featuring guerilla street artist Banksy.  It is currently hosting a DaVinci exhibition.

Leonardo Da Vinci o Inventor – Home | Facebook

Berardo Art Deco Museum – Lisbon’s newest museum!

One of many art deco clocks in Lisbon's Berard Art Deco Museum (BMAD)

Rua 1 de Maio 28, Alcântara

One of Lisbon’s newest museums (opened in 2021) is also one of the world’s largest collections of art deco art and furniture.

Admission is free every day, guided tours, which must be booked in advance are at 10 am, 11 am, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 4:30 pm and 5 pm. 

They also treat you to a free tasting of Berardo Estate wines in the museum garden at the end of your visit.

Buses 714 and 727, as well as trams 15 and 18 stop at Largo do Calvário, which is a few blocks away from the museum.

Berardo Art Deco Museum – Lisbon’s newest museum in 2022

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga / National Museum of Ancient Art

Rua das Janelas Verdes

Bus 713, 714, 727, Tram 15, Tram 18

Open everyday except Monday, 10 am – 6 pm

Admission: €6, seniors €3, children under 12 free

A collection of 15th and 16th-century art, sculpture, gold and silverware, furniture, ceramics, and textiles. 

Some of the pieces were brought to Portugal from other lands by the explorers.

http://museudearteantiga.pt/english

National Archaeology Museum

Praca do Imperio, Train from Cais do Sodre station toward Cascais, get off in Belém.  Seven minutes.  Tram 15 from Praca da Figueira.  Buses 714, 727, 728.

Hours:  Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm

Admission: 5 euros, children under 14 are free (€12 with a dual ticket to the Jerónimos Monastery – do not miss the monastery

It would be very convenient to visit the monastery, the National Archaeology Museum, the Belem Tower, the Monument to the Discoveries, and the Pasteis de Belem bakery all in the same day.

The largest archaeological museum in Portugal is located in a building adjacent to the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém.

Founded in 1893 by noted archaeologist Jose Leite de Vasconcelos, the museum has artefacts from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages. 

Highlights include the Roman and Egyptian exhibits

National Museum of Archaeology (museunacionalarqueologia.gov.pt)

Museu of the Orient

Praça do Império

Avenida Brasilia, Alcântara Dock

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm, Friday 10 am – 8 pm, free admission from 6 pm – 8 pm on Fridays.  Closed Mondays

Admission: ages 6 -12 €2, students €2.50, adults €6, seniors €3.50, family discount available

Learn about Asia and the role of the Portuguese in Asia.

Berardo Collection Museum

 Praça do Império 1449, Belém

Take Tram 15 to Praça do Império, Belém.  Or take bus 714 from Praca da Figueira. 

GPS +38.695533, -9.209288, N 38º 41′ 47.71” / W 9º 12′ 26.78”

The museum is free on Saturdays.  Open every day from 10 am – 7 pm. 

This private collection is the premiere gallery of contemporary art in Portugal. 

It includes pieces by Dalí, Picasso, and Andy Warhol. 

The collection is located in the exhibition hall of the Centro Cultural de Belém. 

Read my article How to visit The Berardo Collection Museum for more details.

National Coach Museum

Praça Afonso de Albuquerque 1300, Belém

Train from Cais do Sodré to Belém Station or take bus 28, 714, 727, 729, 751, or take Tram 15

Hours:  10 am – 5:30 pm.  Closed on Mondays.  Admission is €8.

The museum exhibits a collection of royal carriages and private horse-drawn carriages that were used from the 16th century until the 19th century.

Praca Afonso de Albuquerque 1300, Belém

For more information, read my National Coach Museum – one of the best carriage museums in the world

Museum of Portuguese Music – Estoril

Avenida Sabóia, 1146, Estoril, Train from Cais Do Sodré toward Cascais.  Get off at Monte Estoril stop

Hours:  10 am – 1 pm and 2 pm – 6 pm

Located in the 1918  Casa Verdade de Faria mansion in Estoril. 

The museum focuses on Portuguese folk music and has a collection of Portuguese string, wind, and percussion instruments and original compositions, including the collections of musicologist Michel Giacometti and composers Fernando Lopes Graca and Alvaro Cassuto. 

The museum also hosts concerts and recitals.

Museu da Música Portuguesa – Casa Verdades de Faria – Home | Facebook

Casa das Histórias Paula Rego – Cascais

Avenida da República 300, Cascais, Take train from Cais do Sodré train station to Cascais

Hours: Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am – 1 pm and 2 pm – 6 pm.

Paula Rego is a renowned 20th-century artist who grew up in this area. 

Her works tend to deal with traditional folktales and womens’ rights. 

The collection includes paintings, drawings, pastels, engravings, and textiles.

Admission: €5.

Museu Condes de Castro – Cascais

Avenida Rei Humberto II de Italia, Cascais, from Cais do Sodré station, take the train to Cascais (35 minutes)

Hours: Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm

Admission: €4

The museum is located in Parque Marechal Carmona, right on the shore, and the water actually touches the building at high tide. 

Built in 1900 by Jorge O’Neill and originally known as the Torre de São Sebastião, the mansion was purchased ten years later by Count Manuel de Castro Guimarães. 

He later donated his mansion and garden to be a public library and museum featuring local and international paintings, furniture, jewelry, and porcelain and azulejo tile. 

The library has more than 25,000 books, including an illuminated manuscript from 1505 which depicts Lisbon prior to the earthquake.

Museu do Bonsai – Sintra

Estrada Chão de Meninos 12, Sintra

Museu do Ar / Aviation Museum – Sintra

Granja do Marquês 2715-021 Pêro Pinheiro, Sintra. 

From Lisbon take the IC19 until you enter the A16. Exit the A16 to the N9 toward Pêro Pinheiro. The exit will be on the right with a sign indicating Airbase Number 1- Air Museum

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm

Admission: €3

In this 8000 m² space you will find more than 40 airplanes and helicopters, simulators, engines, propellers, and other aeronautical equipment.

You will find aircraft from the 1930s and 40s.

The museum highlights the history of TAP Portuguese Air Transport.

There is an exhibit simulating the first flight of TAP, As well as a display of the original Lisbon airport in 1942.

Within the three hangers or civil and sports aviation, Air Force aircraft used in the colonial war, and Air Force jet aircraft are used in advanced pilot training.

If you are interested in history, see my article, The oldest buildings you can still see in Lisbon. Also, be sure not to miss

any of the top 25 things to see or do in Lisbon . Some of Portugal’s best sites are just outside of Lisbon, in Sintra.

Check out How to plan a day trip or overnight trip to Sintra from Lisbon .

Thank you for reading about the most interesting museums in Lisbon. I am not affiliated with any of the businesses mentioned on this page.