DominguesThere are museums in Porto for all tastes, with permanent or temporary exhibitions, and on the most varied themes. I’ve visited some of them, and I think it’s important that you do the same on your travels in northern Portugal.
In this article I will introduce you to the best museums in Porto, with my honest opinion about each one of them, and highlighting those that I consider really unmissable! This is a top 30 museums in Porto.
Note that I decided to omit here the museums associated with the most beautiful churches in Porto, because I have already mentioned them in another article on this blog.
If I missed a key museum space on this list, please add it in the comments section of this article so all my readers have access to it. Thanks. 😉
MORE ARTICLES FROM THE NORTH OF PORTUGAL: - Porto Itinerary - Things to do in Porto - Best Churches and Cathedrals in Porto - Best Parks and Gardens in Porto - Best Port Wine Cellars in Porto - Best Beaches in Porto - Best Day Trips from Porto - Best Matosinhos Beaches - Things to do in Matosinhos - Things to do in Vila do Conde - Things to do in Póvoa de Varzim - Things to do in Vila Nova de Gaia - Things to do in Espinho - Minho | Northern Portugal Itinerary - Things to do in Viana do Castelo - Things to do in Ponte de Lima - Things to do in Monção - Things to do in Valença - Things to do in Caminha - Things to do in Braga - Things to do in Guimarães - Things to do in Barcelos - Things to do in Esposende - Things to do in Arcos de Valdevez - Peneda Gerês National Park Itinerary - Best Hikes and Trails in Peneda Gerês National Park - Best Peneda Gerês National Park Waterfalls and Lagoons - Douro Valley Itinerary - Douro Valley Wineries - Best Douro Viewpoints - Things to do in Peso da Régua - Things to do in Lamego - Things to do in Pinhão - Best beaches in Northern Portugal - Trás-os-Montes Itinerary - Things to do in Bragança - Montesinho Natural Park Itinerary - Douro International Natural Park Itinerary
Porto Card
Buying Porto Card may or may not be worth it. I wrote about all the advantages in my article related to a complete Porto Itinerary, so go read it to know more. There are nice discounts for some museums in Porto, and even free entries. 😉
- Get the Porto Card with Get Your Guide.
- The card is only valid for one person, so if you are traveling as a family or as a couple, you will have to buy one card per person.
Accommodation Tips and Hotels in Porto
| Accommodation | Score | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Porto View by Patio25 | 9.1 | Vila Nova de Gaia |
| Vincii Ponte de Ferro | 9.3 | Vila Nova de Gaia |
| The House of Sandeman | 9.4 | Vila Nova de Gaia |
| 296 Heritage Apartments | 9.5 | Vila Nova de Gaia |
| 7 Gaia Roaster Apartments | 9.2 | Vila Nova de Gaia |
| Gran Cruz House | 9.5 | Ribeira do Porto |
| Memoria Porto Hotel | 9.3 | Ribeira do Porto |
| Casa da Companhia | 9.6 | Rua das Flores |
| Porto Bay Flores | 9.4 | Rua das Flores |
| Vitoria Terrace Apartments | 9.9 | Vitória Viewpoint |
| Look at Me | 9.3 | Trindade |
| Santa Catarina Apartments | 9.4 | Bolhão |
| BessaHotel Baixa | 9.1 | Bolhão |
| Spot Family Apartments | 9.3 | Bolhão / Trindade |
| Almada 333 | 9.4 | Aliados |
| Maison Albar Hotels | 9.5 | Aliados |
| Oporto Local Studios | 9.2 | Aliados |
| Mercure Aliados | 9.1 | Aliados |
| Porto Central Flats | 9.2 | Rua Mouzinho da Silveira |
| The Passenger Hostel | 9.2 | São Bento |
| Clérigos Apartments | 9.1 | Clérigos |
| Oca Oriental Hotel | 9.1 | Heroísmo / Campanhã |
| Mouco Hotel | 9.0 | Heroísmo / Campanhã |
| Predicados do Douro | 9.2 | Crystal Palace Gardens |
| Pestana Douro | 9.0 | Valbom |
| Marquês Apartments | 9.1 | Marquês |
| Porto Deluxe Suites | 9.3 | Boavista |
Best 30 Museums in Porto | Portugal
In this list of the 30 best museums in Porto, you will also find some located on the outskirts of the city too. I’m sure I made a very complete list of what Porto has to offer in terms of museums, and I’ll start by leaving you a map with the respective locations of the 30 spaces I’m going to mention.
Tip: During your stay in Porto, how about renting an electric bike to discover the main highlights of the city and surroundings?
Map with the best 30 Museums in Porto
1. Infant’s House
The first museum that I present to you is the Infant’s House, the most important place, in my opinion, to know the essentials about the history of Porto and the phases of construction of the city, namely the wall and the most important buildings.
The house itself was built in 1325, and its name comes from Infante D. Henrique, a well-known Portuguese navigator, who was born there. The museum also highlights his maritime adventures and Portuguese discoveries in general.
This building also has a Roman past and a mosaic was discovered there in archaeological excavations carried out in the 90s.
Note that Infant's House is just one of several stations that make up the City Museum. On its official website you will find information about the other stations, and in this article I will recommend you the best ones. Don't forget that there is a combined ticket for all the Museum Stations on that website, which is really worth it! Porto Card, in turn, allows free entries!
2. Guerra Junqueiro House
Guerra Junqueiro House is, as the name implies, a tribute to the poet, with its rich artistic heritage on display, comprising collections of ceramics, metal, jewellery, sculpture, furniture and textiles from the periods between the 15th and 19th centuries.
3. Douro Extension Museum
Douro Extension can whet your appetite to learn more about the region, as it presents the visitor with a considerable number of photographs taken from various locations in the Douro Valley. 😉 How about discovering some of the best Douro Valley vineyards and wineries? If you’re just looking for Port wine, skip this museum and visit the Port Wine Cellars in Porto across the river.
4. Bank of Materials Museum
Bank of Materials, in turn, is located in Viscondes de Balsemão Palace, from the 18th century, in the heart of Praça Carlos Alberto, in the historic center of Porto. It consists of a deposit of materials collected from run-down buildings that were going to be demolished or renovated, such as tiles, stuccoes or decorative elements, thus preserving part of their identity and memory, even after being altered.
5. Museum of Romanticism
As for the Museum of Romanticism, it is located next to the Crystal Palace Gardens, more precisely in Quinta da Macieirinha, an old country house from the 18th century. I fondly remember the collection of butterflies, the collection of paper cutouts (which took me back to my childhood, when I also tried to do works like these), and the glazed room on the top floor, with strange objects and creatures.
6. Marta Ortigão House-Museum
Completing the spaces belonging to the City Museum of Porto, I present to you the House of Marta Ortigão, somewhere on the outskirts of Rotunda da Boavista. The building is nothing special on the outside, but inside it holds some treasures, with emphasis on the works of the painters Aurélia de Souza and Sofia de Souza, who were Marta’s aunts, in addition to extraordinary furniture, and a very important collection of jewelry from the 17th to the 20th centuries. I also really enjoyed the beautiful garden outside.
7. Porto Stained Glass Museum
The Stained Glass Museum is an optional visit, in my opinion. There’s an excellent video on how to make stained glass there, but I wasn’t impressed with the rest of it, honestly. I preferred to visit some churches in Porto, where I could find fantastic stained glass windows, such as the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, or the Church of Ildefonso, for example.
In any case, you can schedule your visit to the Stained Glass Museum, knowing that it includes a glass of port wine while strolling through its rooms. It is located right next to Porto Cathedral!
8. Porto Filigree Museum
The Filigree Museum in Porto introduces you to the ancient art of intertwining gold threads to create phenomenal pieces of jewellery! I confess that this art has always fascinated me, and in this museum you will find some pieces on display, and a shop with items for sale! Know more on the official website.
9. Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Porto
The Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Porto has two distinct poles, one of which is located in the historic center of the city, and the other in the Botanical Garden (Biodiversity Gallery to mention next). It houses collections of geology, paleontology, zoology, archaeology, ethnography, botany and science.
10. Biodiversity Gallery at Porto Botanical Garden
The Biodiversity Gallery is located in Casa Andresen, in the Botanical Garden of Porto, which dates back to the 19th century, and was owned by Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen’s grandparents between 1895 and 1930. Just to give you an idea of what awaits you, you will find right in the entrance hall a gigantic skeleton of a blue whale. 😉 Consult timetables and prices here. The Botanical Garden is free.
11. Porto Hospital Centre Museum
Porto Hospital Centre Museum is housed in the former Apothecary of Santo António Hospital, from the 19th century, which in the past ensured not only the manufacture and internal supply of medicines to the Hospital, but also to the general public. Get ready to see some articles associated with this old pharmacy and the production of medicines.
12. Porto Pharmacy Museum
Much more interesting and important, however, is the collection of Porto Pharmacy Museum, where you will find a lot of information about Portuguese pharmacy since the end of the 15th century, and also about the evolution of pharmacy in other parts of the world, with objects from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Incas and Aztecs, Tibet, China or even Japan.
13. Portuguese Center of Photography
The Portuguese Photography Center is one of the museums in Porto that is still free. It is located close to Cordoaria garden and Clérigos Tower, in the building that was once the headquarters of the old Prison of Porto. Get ready to learn more about the history of photography through exhibitions of old equipment, such as a huge and valuable collection of cameras.
14. Porto Puppet Museum
Porto Puppet Museum is a small place in honor of João Paulo Seara Cardoso, former director of the Puppet Theater in Porto, who died in 2010. Here you will find puppets, as the name implies, but also props and other objects used in the shows. Be aware that the opening hours are somewhat limited, but you can find all information needed here.
15. Douro and Port Wine Institute Museum
Douro and Port Wine Institute is located right next to Palácio da Bolsa, one of the places not to be missed in the city. It has a free Interpretive Center about Douro and Porto regions, with a lot of information regarding the territory and its wines. There you can also taste port wine, but in this case you have to pay.
16. World of Discoveries
If the Portuguese discoveries interest you, visiting this theme park could be an excellent opportunity. Children will love to learn in the most fun way about remarkable events of the discoveries, such as the Conquest of Ceuta, the passage of Cabo das Tormentas, the discovery of India and Brazil, among others! The building looks small from the outside, but inside it’s pretty big, with about 20 themed areas available, and even a small river where you can ride a boat!
17. Porto Transport and Communications Museum
The Transport and Communications Museum stands out for its exhibition of cars from the different Presidents of the Portuguese Republic, since it was established more than 100 years ago. It is located in the 19th century Porto Customs building, which also hosts frequent temporary exhibitions. Know more here.
18. Porto Legends Museum
Porto Legends is an immersive reality museum about the most tragic and dark events in the city of Porto, also located in Customs Building. You can obtain more information, and even schedule a visit through the links below.
19. Soares dos Reis National Museum
Soares dos Reis National Museum is one of the most important in Porto, and is housed in the 18th-century Palácio das Carrancas, which was once a royal palace. Its collections include ceramics, engraving, jewellery, furniture and painting, not to mention the work of Soares dos Reis, one of the greatest Portuguese sculptors of the 19th century.
This national museum appeared in 1833 when D. Pedro IV decided to create an exhibition of Painting and Engraving in Porto.
20. Tram Car Museum in Porto
Another must-see museum in Porto, is the Tram Car Museum, founded in 1992 in the old Massarelos Thermoelectric Power Station. The museum has several real examples of this type of transportation, and it is also possible to visit the engine room of the old power plant.
More interesting than the museum itself, if you have the time, is taking a tram ride to Foz do Douro, where you can enjoy Porto’s beaches and even stroll through Passeio Alegre Garden, which is one of the most beautiful in the city!
- Please note that the Porto Card does not include this type of transportation.
- Line 1 schedules, always available!
21. Porto Holocaust Museum
Porto Holocaust Museum is relatively recent, having been created in 2021 by the Jewish community of Porto, sharing, for example, documents and objects left by refugees in the Porto Synagogue, during the Second World War. It’s a memorial to the victims of the holocaust!
22. Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art
I also mention Serralves Museum, despite not liking contemporary art at all. I prefer its amazing gardens with nice tree top walkways! I recommend buying the general ticket to visit all the foundation’s spaces. The gardens are really a must visit in Porto, at least.
23. Water Pavilion in Porto City Park
The water pavilion is located in the largest park in the city and consists of an interactive water museum, teaching about its course from the source of a river to its mouth in the ocean. Find out more about hours and prices here.
24. Fernando de Castro House Museum
If you intend to visit this spectacular and rich museum, you must schedule a guided tour using the form on this page. This was the home of the caricaturist poet Fernando de Castro, as the name implies, and its rooms are lined with gilded carving, many pieces of sacred art and objects that the poet collected throughout his life. It is probably one of the most extraordinary museums in Porto.
25. FC Porto Museum
If you’re a football fan, or even fan of the club itself, you can’t miss the FC Porto Museum, to learn about its history and admire its collection of trophies, while visiting the stadium on a guided tour.
26. Porto Military Museum
I didn’t visit the FC Porto Museum, because football doesn’t interest me at all. Instead, I chose to visit Porto Military Museum, which allowed me to see real war equipment up close, as well as some weapons used by the Portuguese army in past battles. I also really enjoyed the huge collection of miniature soldiers that this museum has available to visitors!
27. National Press Museum
The National Press Museum is also undoubtedly a must visit, allowing the visitor a historical tour of the equipment and parts that were used by the press industry in the past.
28. Afurada Heritage Interpretive Center (in Gaia)
On the south bank of Douro river you will find Douro marina, and next to it is the village of Afurada, closely linked to the art of fishing and fishermen. At the Afurada Heritage Interpretive Center you can learn more about its history and traditions, about the women and men of Afurada, about its traditional boats, and much more.
29. Teixeira Lopes House Museum (in Gaia)
Teixeira Lopes House Museum is one of the most impressive sculpture museums in Porto region. As the name implies, it was once the residence of the sculptor Teixeira Lopes and also where his workshop operated.
The guided tour is free and allows you to see the plaster prototypes of many of the sculptor’s works, including some that ended up not being executed. Some sculptures are life-size, such as Flora, which in plaster looks much prettier than the one found in the Cordoaria Gardens. Unfortunately it was not possible to take pictures!
You can also admire the contents of the house, namely its furniture, ceramics, tapestries, paintings and other pieces of art collected over the years by Teixeira Lopes who lived between the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
There is also a small garden outside, where the tomb that would belong to Almeida Garret is located, before the decision to bury him in the National Pantheon. The tomb is therefore empty.
30. Wow Porto – World of Wine (in Gaia)
I finish this list of museums in Porto with Wow, the cultural district of Gaia, right next to Ribeira, which contains several museum spaces, each associated with a certain theme:
- The Wine Experience – museum about wine that explains the whole process from the grape to the glass.
- The Chocolate Story – museum about chocolate that shows the entire production process from cocoa.
- The Pink Palace, which is the most famous, eccentric and different of the Wow spaces, associated with rosé wine.
- Porto Region Across the Ages, teaching history and cultural heritage in an interactive and visual way, through multimedia devices.
- Planet Cork, which shows the cork stripping process and subsequent transformation of cork into wine stoppers.
- The Bridge Collection, featuring part of the collection of cups, bowls and other vases owned by Adrian Bridge, Director General of WOW. You will find pieces dating back to 7000 BC.
- Porto Fashion & Fabric Museum, about the textile industry in Portugal, and the importance that this sector had in the north of the country. It also highlights the art of filigree, Portuguese footwear and Portuguese fashion since the 80s.
It’s not a cheap neighborhood to visit in Porto, as you’ll eventually notice. But there are some types of packs, such as the Pack of 2 museums (34€), 3 museums (45€) and 5 museums (65€). For Get Your Guide reservations for some of the spaces, follow this link. Wow also has several restaurants and promotes workshops and tastings.
Day trips from Porto
After visiting the city of Porto, why don’t you opt for day trips to various points of interest in the north and center of Portugal, and even Galicia? Other possibility is to just rent a car with Discover Cars and do it by yourself.
Day trips from Porto with Get Your Guide: 1 - Douro Valley Tour from Porto 2 - Vineyards Tour from Porto with Lunch 3 - Braga and Guimarães day trip 4 - Surf Experience 5 - Santiago de Compostela Day trip from Porto 6 - Paiva Walkways day trip from Porto 7 - Peneda-Gerês National Park Day trip from Porto 8 - Aveiro Day trip from Porto 9 - Fátima and Coimbra Day Trip from Porto
Day trips from Porto with Viator: 1 - Douro Valley Small-Group Tour 2 - Authentic Douro Wine Tour with River Cruise 3 - Best of Braga and Guimaraes Day Trip 4 - Aveiro & Costa Nova Half Day Tour 5 - Full-Day Tour to Santiago de Compostela and Valença do Minho 6 - Peneda Geres National Park Tour from Porto 7 - Arouca Suspension Bridge and Paiva Walkway Day Tour from Porto 8 - 4x4 Porto Mountain Excursion 9 - Fátima and Coimbra Full Day Tour
Day trips from Porto with Civitatis: 1 - Guimarães and Braga Day Trip 2 - Douro Valley Wine Tasting and Tour 3 - Douro Region Full day Tour 4 - Fátima and Coimbra Day Trip 5 - Day trip to Santiago de Compostela 6 - Paiva Walkways + 516 Bridge Tour 7 - Peneda-Gerês National Park Day Tour 8 - Aveiro and Costa Nova day trip 9 - Matosinhos Surf Class 10 - Régua Day Cruise from Porto 11 - 1 Day Cruise to Pinhão
More articles about the North of Portugal
MORE ARTICLES FROM THE NORTH OF PORTUGAL: - Porto Itinerary - Things to do in Porto - Best Churches and Cathedrals in Porto - Best Parks and Gardens in Porto - Best Port Wine Cellars in Porto - Best Beaches in Porto - Best Day Trips from Porto - Best Matosinhos Beaches - Things to do in Matosinhos - Things to do in Vila do Conde - Things to do in Póvoa de Varzim - Things to do in Vila Nova de Gaia - Things to do in Espinho - Minho | Northern Portugal Itinerary - Things to do in Viana do Castelo - Things to do in Ponte de Lima - Things to do in Monção - Things to do in Valença - Things to do in Caminha - Things to do in Braga - Things to do in Guimarães - Things to do in Barcelos - Things to do in Esposende - Things to do in Arcos de Valdevez - Peneda Gerês National Park Itinerary - Best Hikes and Trails in Peneda Gerês National Park - Best Peneda Gerês National Park Waterfalls and Lagoons - Douro Valley Itinerary - Douro Valley Wineries - Best Douro Viewpoints - Things to do in Peso da Régua - Things to do in Lamego - Things to do in Pinhão - Best beaches in Northern Portugal - Trás-os-Montes Itinerary - Things to do in Bragança - Montesinho Natural Park Itinerary - Douro International Natural Park Itinerary
