Lisbon Museums Interactive Map:
39 Museums to Explore
Lisbon Museums Interactive Map: Where to Start and What to See
Lisbon – In this city you can stand in a Gothic church with no roof, walk through a Roman theatre, ride a historic tram between the halls of a depot and look at Chinese porcelain in an art nouveau house. Lisbon has a museum for almost every taste, and finding the right one is the hard part. Our interactive map shows 39 of them, from the Gulbenkian to a small museum of puppets. It also marks the museums that are closed or have moved right now, so you do not cross town to a locked door.
How the interactive map helps you plan
Lisbon's museums are spread across the whole city, and the hills make every detour count. That is why we built the map as a planning tool.
Each pin opens a card with the story of the museum, what to look for and a practical tip. Two buttons sit under every card. "Walk here" starts walking directions in Google Maps, and "Open in Google Maps" shows the museum itself. The pins are colour-coded by type: Art, History & Archaeology, World Cultures, Decorative Arts & Crafts, Science & Technology, Literature, Music & Stage, and Sport.
Closed museums are easy to spot. A museum that is closed, about to reopen or has moved gets a white-filled pin and a note on its card. Below the map, a tile for every museum lets you scan the whole list. You can filter by type, narrow it down by one of seven districts, search by name, sort by map order, by distance from Rossio or from A to Z, or tap "Near me" to see what is closest to where you stand. Every card also lists the nearest other museums with approximate walking times, and a circle on the map shows roughly ten minutes on foot. The map works on a phone as well as on a desktop screen.
Lisbon's museums
39 museums from ancient art to fado, trams and football. Tap a number on the map to read what each museum is about and see what else is within walking distance.
All museums
Three places to start
The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
If you only see one museum in Lisbon, many visitors choose this one. Calouste Gulbenkian, an Armenian oil magnate who spent his last years in Lisbon, left his collection and fortune to a foundation in Portugal. The Founder's Collection runs from Egyptian sculpture and Islamic carpets to Rembrandt, Rubens and Manet, plus René Lalique's art nouveau jewellery. Modern Portuguese art is shown in the Centre for Modern Art (CAM) at the other end of the garden, which reopened in 2024 with a new extension by Kengo Kuma. The 1960s buildings and the landscaped garden are worth the visit in their own right.
Belém: three museums within walking distance
Belém is the easiest place to build a museum day. The National Coach Museum has shown its collection of royal and Baroque coaches since 2015 in a large modern building by Paulo Mendes da Rocha. Further along the river, MAAT combines a wave-shaped new building, which you can walk over for views of the Tagus, with the former Central Tejo power station and its preserved boilers. The MAC/CCB inside the Belém Cultural Centre shows 20th-century art from the Berardo Collection. The National Archaeology Museum in the Jerónimos wing is closed for renovation, but the monastery next door is open.
Baixa and Alfama: history on a short walk
The museums in the old town are close enough to combine. The Carmo Archaeological Museum sits in the ruins of a Gothic church whose roof collapsed in the 1755 earthquake and was never rebuilt. The Aljube Museum, in a former prison for political prisoners next to the cathedral, tells the story of the dictatorship and the resistance to it until 25 April 1974. The Fado Museum, at the foot of Alfama, explains the music through guitars, posters and historic recordings.
Practical tips for visiting Lisbon's museums
Check the status first. At the time of writing, in October 2026, the National Museum of Ancient Art is closed for renovation, with the reopening announced for 21 November 2026. The National Tile Museum, the National Museum of Theatre and Dance and the National Costume Museum are closed too. The map shows the current status of each one.
Note the move. The National Music Museum left its Lisbon site and has been in the Mafra Palace, about 40 km north of the city, since November 2025. Its pin shows the old location, and the card button reads "Get directions".
Plan by district. The map groups the museums into seven districts. Choose one or two districts per day instead of crossing the city. Lisbon is hilly, and the walking times on the cards are estimates, so allow more time uphill.
Look up hours and prices. We leave them out on purpose because they change. Check each museum's own website before you go.
Keep a rainy-day plan. Museums such as the Communications Museum and the Pharmacy Museum work well when the weather turns.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Lisbon museums interactive map?
It is a clickable map of 39 museums in Lisbon. Each pin opens a card with the story of the museum and a practical tip. You can filter by type and district, search, sort by distance with "Near me", and start walking directions in Google Maps.
Which museum should I see first?
Many first-time visitors start with the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. If you are in Belém, the Coach Museum and MAAT are close together. In the old town, the Carmo Archaeological Museum, the Aljube Museum and the Fado Museum fit into one walk.
Are all the museums open?
No. The National Museum of Ancient Art is closed until its announced reopening on 21 November 2026. The Tile Museum, the Museum of Theatre and Dance and the Costume Museum are also closed, and the Music Museum has moved to Mafra. The map marks all of these.
Can I see several museums in one day?
Yes, if you stay in one district. Belém, the Baixa and Alfama, and Campo Grande are good choices. At Campo Grande the Lisbon Museum in the Pimenta Palace and the Bordalo Pinheiro Museum are on opposite sides of the road.
Does the map show opening hours and prices?
No. They change too often, so please check the website of each museum before your visit.
Status: October 2026 · Sources: research for our Lisbon museums map (history, collections and current status checked October 2026).