Museums

The Museu do Pontal is one of the premier popular art collections in the whole of Brazil. While its thousands of artifacts range widely, the art asks pressing questions about the legacies of slavery and the African diaspora in Brazil. In particular, pieces denounce common national narratives that understate both the horrors of slavery and the endurance of virulent racism after abolition in 1888. At the same time, the museum gives voice to the unique cultural contributions of Afro-Brazilians, as seen in an orixá exhibit, that are frequently denigrated.

To learn more about the Museu do Pontal, see: home | Museu Casa do Pontal

The Museu Historico Nacional (National History Museum) is housed in the former fortress of Santiago built by the Portuguese in 1603. It was inaugurated in 1922 by the President Epitácio Pessoa for the dissemination of national history and has been largely expanded since then. The museum has a collection of more than 300,000 archival, bibliographic, and museological items.

To learn more about the Museu Historico Nacional, see: Museu Histórico Nacional | Conteúdo completo sobre o Museu Histórico Nacional (museus.gov.br)