City: Portugal
Top Things to do in Portugal
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10 History Museums in Portugal That You Shouldn't Miss
– in Europe (green & dark grey)
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1. Museu da Imprensa de Fafe
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
2. Igreja de Sao Roque
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,078 reviews
Reviewed By eddg2019
Taken together, the Church and Museum of Saint Roque are among Lisbon’s most important artistic, cultural, and historic repositories. In addition to the main altar, the church is noteworthy for its side chapels, particularly that of St. John the Baptist with its central mosaic panel that looks like a painting on canvas, the gilt wood Chapel of Our Lady of Doctrine, and the tile work of the Chapel of São Roque. The painted ceiling is the only one extent from the Mannerist period. The adjoining museum houses one of the most important collections of sacred art, which includes paintings, sculpture, metalwork, reliquaries, altar frontals, and the treasure of the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist.
3. Museu de Aveiro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 405 reviews
Reviewed By carposmrs - Balbriggan, Ireland
This museum has to be one of Portugal's unsung heroes. There is so much to do and see in Portugal but this museum is a must see. My husband and I were blown away by the beauty of the little church and the wonderful ceilings. We spent about an hour and a half here wondering around taking photos just taking in the beauty all around us.
4. Museu da Vila Velha
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10 reviews
5. Cerro da Vila
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 382 reviews
Reviewed By rhonaiainf - Glasgow, United Kingdom
Never been to the Algarve, never been to Vilamoura. Only new it for Marina, golf & where footballers of the 80/90s hung out! So pleasantly surprised to find one of the best kept archeological sites we have visited, and we have visited a few! ( just ask the kids????) For only €3 per person you are given free range to walk around the dig site & small museum. The Roman bath unearthed is probably the best seen outside of Bath in terms of not being a pile of stones!!
6. Carmo Archaeological Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,806 reviews
The Carmo Archaeological Museum is situated in the ruins of the old Church of Santa Maria do Carmo, founded in 1389 by D. Nuno Alvares Pereira. This church was known as one of the most beautiful Gothic temples in Lisbon until the earthquake of 1755, which caused serious damage to the building and destroyed almost all of its religious-artistic contents. Its re-construction began in an experimental Gothic style in 1756 and stopped in 1834, when the religious orders were abolished in Portugal. In 1863, royal architect, Joaquim Possidonio da Silva, founded the Portuguese Civil Architects Association. About one year later, in 1864, the Carmo Archaeological Museum was installed there for the storage and display of important sculptures from old ruined buildings. Curing the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. the museum houses a collection which dates from Pre-History to the present day and shows the way people have thought and felt in different areas of culture throughout the ages.
Reviewed By 958LauraH - El Dorado Hills, United States
This ancient gothic church is roofless, and open to the sky. It is however, quite beautiful. We visited on a sunny day which was perfect for photos. There is also a small but interesting museum attached to it.
7. Museu de Marinha
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,201 reviews
The world-famous Maritime Museum in Belem has a children’s section as well as ship models. Portugal was a world leader in maritime exploration (Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, etc.)
Reviewed By NigelDCapeTown - Cape Town, South Africa
Housed in part of the Monastery of Geronimo, this museum is really very much worth a visit. It gives a graphic depiction of the great marine history of Portugal and ends with a wonderful display of royal barges, which must be one of the largest in the world. Really epic.
8. Museu Municipal de Penafiel
9. Museum of Angra do Heroismo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 365 reviews
Reviewed By Marlene39forever - Pembroke, Canada
I can’t recommend this place enough. We spent a few hours there and enjoyed every moment. All of the place is in English, except temporary exhibit on history of the building. Was monastery, seminary , now a museum. It covers history of the Azores, 500 years which ties in to Europe and sea faring years , more recent culture, limited military history, recent major earthquake, cultural traditions such as embroidery trade, religion, jesuits, geology of island. It’s all here. And free on Sundays. Otherwise cheap 2 euros. Spend some time here,
10. Centro Interpretativo do Patrimonio da Afurada
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By Paula_Trav - Helsinki, Finland
This is a small museum definitely worth visiting if you wish to undertand something about the importance of fishing in the village of Afurada (and similar places in Portugal) and the hardships associated to it. Even though small scale, the exhibition is clearly well thought out and beautifully arranged. When we visited the museum, there was an English-speaking gentleman who was able to answer our additional questions. I personally think that a visit to this small museum (and other small local museums) also serves as support and encouragement for local people to actively preserve local history and way of life, and to be proud of it.
