Love it? Fascinated by it? Porto probably has a museum stuffed full of it! This is our guide to fifteen fantastic museums in Porto, each one a treasure trove of knowledge, wonder and discovery.
Located in the botanical gardens at Casa Andresen, this museum blends science and nature to create something unique. You’ll go on a journey through sensory experiences designed to celebrate the diversity of life, the world’s first ever museum created from scratch to a plan involving the philosophy of ‘total museology’. 49 exhibition modules and installations await you, celebrating 15 main themes expressed via everything from mechanical models to multimedia and audiovisual content. Brilliant.
Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves
A darling of the international art museum world, the Serralves Foundation Museum of Contemporary Art’s premises is worth the visit all on its own. Designed by the legendary architect Álvaro Siza Museu Romântico Vieira, it is truly awesome. Inside there’s a wonderland of Portuguese and other artists from around the world, old and new, offering a thrilling variety of different experiences an exhibits. The surrounding parkland is a great spot to chill out, smell the coffee and digest what you’ve seen.
When you’re fascinated by the unusual, the Pharmacy Museum is the perfect medicine for your intellect. Go explore the often bizarre and gory history of medicine and pharmacology through 4000 years and many different civilisations, including two entire historic pharmacies dismantled at origin and rebuilt in the museum: The Farmácia Eustácio from Porto itself and an Islamic pharmacy from a Damascus palace.
First opened in 1942, this museum and its contents were donated wholesale to the city by Maria Isabel, daughter of the famous Guerra Junqueiro, the heroic Portuguese civil servant, member of the Portuguese House of Representatives, journalist, author, and poet whose efforts inspired the creation of the First Republic. A little gem off the usual beaten museum track, it features one of the best collections of 15th – 19th century decorative arts in the whole of Portugal.
Marta Ortigão Sampaio House Museum
If it looks like a flat, it is! Number 291 Rua de Nossa Senhora de Fátima contains Portuguese painter Aurélia de Sousa’s biggest collection, an entire room-full of delights. You’ll also find works by more Portuguese naturalist painters including José Malhoa, Marques de Oliveira and Silva Porto, all in lush 1800s-style surroundings. The peaceful library is a lovely experience, as is the gorgeous garden. If you want, there are guided tours.
The National Press Museum reveals the history of Portugal’s print media, with lots of quirky old Steampunk-like machinery to admire. The 1700s printing press is a favourite, as is the manual paper-cutting guillotine dating back to 1900. The Porto Cartoon competition is hosted here, exhibiting work by the planet’s best-loved cartoonists.
Museu do Futebol Clube do Porto by BMG
Now something for fans of the beautiful game. Portugal is mad about football, as revealed by this rather splendid museum dedicated to Porto’s biggest club. The in-stadium museum tells the story of Futebol Clube do Porto from the start to the present day via cool high-tech displays, desirable memorabilia and real-life first-hand stories.
MMIPO – Museu da Misericórdia do Porto
Museu da Misericórdia do Porto weaves the extraordinary tale of the city’s Santa Casa da Misericórdia, a Catholic foundation supported by the royal family tasked with helping the poor and needy. The Fountain of Life is a highlight, a 1500s Flemish painting of a crucified Jesus surrounded by rich people. In the same room you’ll find contemporary sculpture by Rui Chafes, made for the museum and extending outdoors. The museum is full of paintings, jewellery and ancient documents to admire, and the magnificent baroque Igreja da Misericórdia is right next door.
Museu dos Transportes e Comunicações
Head to the right bank of the Douro River to visit the magnificent Museum of Transport and Communications, whose building is a blinding destination all on its own. This was originally a customs house, now it celebrates the wonders of global communication. It also houses a cracking collection of official presidential vehicles from 1912 onwards, and an enormous painting by Júlio Resende, the image that has been recreated in ceramic tiles on the way in to the Ribeira road tunnel.
Portugal is no stranger to strife, invaded and re-invaded over the centuries to create a culturally varied nation. This museum showcases stories and objects detailing war and military life in Portugal and wider Europe, including a monster 12,000-strong display of lead soldiers depicting armies across the globe. Look out for the sword that may or may not have been the property of the country’s first king, Dom Afonso Henriques. If you’re into big machinery and firepower, you’ll love the tanks and guns.
This curious museum is more like a warehouse, a place where decorative and construction materials from ancient Porto architecture are kept safe. The walls are lined with beautiful traditional tiles, cast iron embellishments from grand old buildings, stone statues, old enamelled road signs and all sorts of other architectural salvage, together telling the story of the city’s history. Here’s where they collect, restore and preserve the best bits rescued from dying and condemned buildings. The plan is they’ll ultimately be given back to the city, ideally re-used to add another layer of magic.
Dating back to 1325, this was once the city’s original customs building. In 1394 Prince Henry the Navigator was born here. In 2001 it became a museum, home to the fascinating Medieval Porto Model representing Porto in 1500. It’s also where you can find out about the Romans and the interesting background behind Porto’s lovely riverside. If you still have leftover energy after all that, you can admire scads of 1500s and 1600s lead stamps originating from across the globe.
Casa Museu Abel Salazar reveals the remarkable life and times of the world famous Abel Sazar, the physician, lecturer, researcher, writer and painter who worked and lived in Porto. Containing his own furniture and showcasing the actual layout of his house, it’s an extraordinary experience. Expelled from the University of Porto because of his anti-fascist ways, Salazar remains one of the city’s best-loved heroes.
Prepare for ‘weird! Since 2013 this place has been un-nerving visitors, dedicated to director João Paulo Seara Cardoso, the founder of the infamous Marionetas Theatre. Spanning three decades, the exhibits are compelling: scraps of old scenery, photographs, puppets – some of which are pretty eerie – and the shows that made entertainment history.
Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis
One of Porto’s biggest-hitting museums, this is home to world-class art collections covering painting, ceramics, sculpture, engravings, jewellery, textiles, glass and ancient artefacts, dating from thousands of years ago to the present. Look out for particularly gorgeous paintings by Portugal’s Aurélia de Sousa, António Carneiro, Silva Porto and Henrique Pousão, and don’t miss the calm, quiet, dark paintings by old Flemish and Dutch masters.
We hope we’ve whet your appetite for a culture-filled Porto experience!
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