RIO DE JANEIRO MUSEUM BRAZIL

RIO DE JANEIRO MUSEUMS

Rio de Janeiro Museums - If you’re looking for some respite from the midday heat, then head for one of Rio’s numerous museums. With collections ranging from the archaeological finds relating to indigenous Brazilians to kitch musical shrines for 1940’s pop stars, the city manages to conjure up something for all tastes. Admission usually isn’t too pricey, but many museums are closed on Mondays.

Museu Carmen Miranda
Avenida Rui Barbosa 560, Flamengo
Telephone - 2551 2597
Opening hours - Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat & Sun 12pm-5pm.
Once the highest paid entertainer in the US, this talented 1940’s singer retains her Brazilian fan base some six decades later and has become something of a patron saint for the flamboyant transvestite community. Look at the photos and gaze at the costumes and jewellery that once adorned her.

Museu Nacional
Quinta da Boa Vista, Sao Cristovao
Telephone - 2568 8262
Opening times - Tues-Sun, 10am-4pm
This beautiful neoclassical building is one of the most important scientific institutions in Brazil. The fascinating archaeological section educates about the human history of South America and you can see fine examples of the weapons once brandished by the ancient Brazilians and Indians.

Museu Internacional de Arte Naif do Brasil
Rua Cosmo Velho 561
Telephone - 2205 8612
With over 8,000 works from 130 countries, this is one of the most comprehensive selections of Naïve and folk paintings in the world. Admission costs R$6.

Museu Historico Nacional
Praca Marechal Ancora
Telephone - 2550 9224
Opening hours - Tues-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat & Sun 2pm-6pm
Colonial sculptures, maps, paintings, nineteenth-century firearms and locomotives can all be found in this trove of national treasures. However, the highlight is the documentation of Brazilian history dating back to 1500. Admission costs R$6.

Museu Nacional das Belas Artes
Avenida Rio Branco 199
Telephone - 2240 0068
Opening hours - Tues-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat & Sun 2pm-6pm.
Built to imitate the Louvre in Paris, this gorgeous museum includes a superb European collection incorporating works from Boudin and Tournay, and an even better Brazilian contribution incorporating the seventeenth century to the modern day. Admission costs R$6

Museu do Indio
Rua das Palmeiras 55
Telephone - 2286 8899
Opening hours - Tue-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat & Sun, 1pm-5pm.
Another chance to see over 12,000 objects used by the Brazilian and Indian groups that used to inhabit the region all housed in a delightful colonial building. Admission costs R$4