National Historical Museum of Brazil

The National Historical Museum of Brazil, or the Museu Histórico Nacional in Portuguese, was opened in Rio de Janeiro in 1922 and features a wide range of historical items relating to Brazil’s history.

History of the National Historical Museum of Brazil

The National Historical Museum of Brazil features over 300,000 items which relate to the history of Brazil, from the early colonial history of the country to the end of the Empire of Brazil in the 19th century.

The museum is situated in the historic centre of Rio de Janeiro on the site of a Portuguese fortification, arsenal and prison. The buildings were expanded in the 1920s and ornamented with neo-colonial architecture, and opened to the public as an exhibition site in 1922.

Since then, the National Historical Museum has accumulated important objects as well as handwritten documents, watercolour paintings and photographs in its library.

Inside the museum, visitors will be able to see the throne of Dom Pedro III (1825-1891), the last monarch of imperial Brazil, and luxuriously ornamented imperial coaches. The museum also features expansive oil paintings of the Paraguayan War, which lasted from 1864 to 1870.

The National Historical Museum today

The National Historical Museum of Brazil holds over 300,000 items and features more than 25 exhibits, both permanent and non-permanent. The ticketed museum is usually open between 10am and 5.30pm, Tuesday to Friday, with reduced hours on the weekend. There is a cafe and restaurant at the museum.

Getting to the National Historical Museum

The National Historical Museum is located close to other sites such as the Naval Museum and the Imperial Palace Cultural Center in historic Rio de Janeiro. It’s a six minute walk from Praça XV de Novembro, the public square in the Centro section of the city. Here there is a ferry terminal servicing numerous other destinations.