10 Best museums in Porto

One of the best things to do in Porto is to visit its amazing museums, where you can learn about its culture, history and customs.

Some of them are part of Portugal's historical heritage, such as the Casa do Infante Museum, the Romantic Museum, or the Tramway Museum. If you are travelling with children, they will love the Puppet Museum and the Natural History Museum of the University of Porto. And don't miss the Port Wine Museum, to learn about the history of wine in the city.

The Port Wine Museum was founded in 2004 and is housed in an old 17th century building, which used to be used to store the wines of the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro.

It exhibits old wine bottles and the first machines created to make wine. It is perfectly located on the banks of the Ribeira, next to the Douro River, and has a beautiful panoramic view.

The photographs and objects exhibited in this museum tell the history of wine, its commercial evolution and its cultural connection with the city. There you can marvel at the objects used to achieve the unique taste of Portugal's vineyards. This visit can be the perfect complement to one of the gastronomic tours of Porto.

This museum is located close to the Crystal Palace Gardens, the Romantic Museum and the Infante Museum, so you can take the opportunity to visit them after you finish seeing the Wine Museum. In this article you will find more ideas on how to get around Porto in two days.

Useful information

• Admission: from 2,5€.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm. Closed on Mondays.
• Address: Rua de Monchique, 45-52, Porto
• How to get there: by Tram, lines 1 and 22. By bus, line 500.

In the Museum of Photography you will find an important collection of photographs related to Portuguese history, considered a heritage of the city.

The building was originally a prison, so it is very interesting to see. The prison was built in 1796 and housed both men and women until 1974.

The museum, founded in 1997, contains a large collection of old and current photographs. It also exhibits images of the old prison that operated there. In addition, one of the floors contains a large number of old cameras from Portugal and other countries.

A good part of the photographic material exhibited in the museum belongs to the last century. But you can also see current photographic exhibitions from Portugal and elsewhere. A recommendation is to book a free guided tour of the museum, if you can book in advance.

Useful information

• Admission: free
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 6pm. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 3pm to 7pm. Mondays closed.
• Address: Largo Amor de Perdicao, 4050 - 008: Largo Amor de Perdicao, 4050 - 008
• How to get there: By Metro to Aliados line D - Trinidad all lines - Bolhao all lines except the yellow line. By bus with lines 200, 207 and 602. By train from Sao Bento station. By car take Avenida dos Aliados until the Ceuta tunnel, then go to the Hospital de Sto Antonio, on the right. Follow Rua da Restauracao and Campo Mártires da Patria.

One of the oldest museums in Portugal, built in 1795, more than two centuries ago. It was founded in 1833 by King Pedro IV. In 1940 it was moved to the Palacio dos Carrancas, which at the time was a well-known private residence of royalty.

The Soares dos Reis Museum contains a fascinating array of sculptures and engravings in glass, ceramics, granite and porcelain.

If you like art, you'll love the more than 13,000 works of art inside. One of the most famous sculptures is by the sculptor Antonio Soares Dos Reis. A large part of the collections are his, which is why the museum is named after him.

In its rooms you will also be able to see decorative art typical of royalty and works of jewellery, as well as the furniture art on display. If you are only spending a few days in the city, this is one of the most highly recommended visits, and you should not miss its beautiful gardens.

Useful information

• Admission: Tuesday to Saturday from 5 euros and free on Sundays.
• Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. Tuesdays from 2pm to 6pm. Closed on Mondays.
• Address: Rua de Dom. Manuel II 44, 4050-522 Porto, Portugal.
• How to get there: Buses 3, 6, 20, 35, 36, 37, 41, 44, 50 and 52.

Visiting the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the best things to do in Porto. It was founded in 1999 and is one of the most important museums in Portugal.

The Serralves Foundation is the headquarters of the museum, which also houses the Casa Serralves, the Casa do Cinema Manoel de Oliveira and spectacular gardens.

The building has several floors and rooms and is a warm home for modern art, especially avant-garde art. It hosts exhibitions of renowned Portuguese and foreign artists. It has 14 rooms where you can see temporary exhibitions, a library and an auditorium.

It has a beautiful view of the gardens from its belvedere, which you can enter during your visit. It also has a bar and a restaurant, overlooking the gardens.

Casa Serralves was the former residence of the Count of Vizela, and is one of the great exponents of the art deco style. It was founded in 1940 and is now of public interest.

Serralves Gardens

A visit to the Serralves Gardens, which surround the Serralves House and Museum, is not to be missed, and are enormous, covering more than 18 hectares. Here you can see waterfalls, paths, caves, forests, sculptures and admire their incredible design.

The museum, house and gardens are characterised by their Art Deco style, a popular design movement that emerged in the 1920s and found expression in architecture, design and the visual arts.

Useful information

• Admission fee: around €5. Includes a visit to the gardens. Admission is free on Sundays from 10am to 2pm.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 8 pm in summer and in winter until 7 pm. Closed on Mondays.
• Address: Rua de Serralves 210, 4150 Porto.
• How to get there: By bus lines 3, 19, 21, 30, 35 and 78.

The Museo do Carro Eléctrico, also known as the Tramway Museum, houses many electric cars and trams of all times. You can even see a horse-drawn tram, built in 1872. The museum is located in a former thermoelectric power station, next to the Douro river in Massarelos and was founded in 1992.

In addition, in this museum you can see photographic exhibitions that tell the history of the trams, their drivers and the evolution of public transport. Many reconstructions and repairs of Portuguese carriages have been carried out for display and are part of Portugal's historical heritage.

The museum also offers educational programmes, information about the collections and the possibility to consult its documentation centre.

Porto has historically been characterised by its original trams. Today there are only a few in circulation, for tourist purposes. The city has 3 elegant trams to get to the museum, which offer you a discount on the entrance ticket.

Also, with your ticket you can travel by public transport up to 4 hours later for free. If you're looking for things to do in Porto at Christmas time, a walk through the illuminated streets like this is a great idea.

Useful information

• Ticket price: around 4€.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm. Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 2pm to 6pm.
• Location: Alameda de Basílio Teles 51, 4050-127 Porto, Portugal
• How to get there: You can get there by metro, bus or car, but the best way to get there is to take one of the trams that go to the museum and offer discounted tickets.

This is an old 19th century residence where King Charles Albert of Sardinia died in 1843. Later, in 1972, it was converted into a museum. The rooms were repaired and the whole house was rebuilt so that it is possible to visit it. It is located within the Crystal Palace Gardens.

The interesting thing about this museum is to see the amount of period objects and furniture, and imagine how a royal family lived in the last century. Some of the most amazing rooms are the main hall, the room where the king died, the ballroom and the chapel. You will be able to enter all the rooms.

There is also a billiard room and a children's room with antique dolls and toys. The museum is surrounded by the romantic Crystal Palace Garden, which has a beautiful view of the Douro River, the Atlantic and the city.

Useful information about the museum

• Admission fee: from 2,5€. Saturdays and Sundays free
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5.30pm. Sundays from 10am to 12:30pm. Closed on Sundays.
• Address: Rua de Entre Quintas 220, 4050- 240, Porto, Portugal
• How to get there: by bus lines 3, 20, 35, 37, 52 and 78, but you can also use one of Porto's tourist buses.

If you have to choose among the best things to do in Porto in the summer, one of them will be to visit the Museum of Automobiles and Communications, which you can walk along the waterfront, enjoying the beautiful views at the same time.

It is housed in a historic building in the Customs House by the Douro, and was founded in 1992. Because of its location, it is quite likely that you will see it if you decide to take a river cruise in Porto.

One of its main attractions is the exhibition called Cars in History, which shows Porto's automobiles from their origins to the present day. Another is The Engine of the Republic: The Cars of the Presidents, where you can see everything from carriages that belonged to the monarchy to a Mercedes that was last used in 2013.

The exhibitions are divided by theme, one of them being, for example, the history of customs in the city. One of the most interesting of the permanent exhibitions is the Communicar, which occupies about 2000 square metres, where you can marvel at the exhibitions on radio and television.

Useful information

• Entry fee: around €3.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm. Saturdays and Sundays from 3pm to 7pm. Closed on Mondays.
• Address: Rua Nova da Alfândega 59, 4050-387 Porto, Portugal.
• How to get there: by bus lines 3, 20, 35, 37 and 78.

The Natural History Museum of the University of Porto is one of the most interesting museums in the city.

It is a huge, modern museum located within the University's Faculty of Science. Its main rooms are Mineralogy, Palaeontology and Archaeology and Prehistory.

Visiting this museum is one of the top 10 things to do with children in Porto, as it is both educational and a lot of fun for them. The little ones will love learning about animals and the prehistoric, zoological and archaeological rooms are great for a stroll. The museum also offers family group discounts.

The beauty of the building can be seen from the entrance, where there are stairs decorated with large white granite sculptures. The building is also made of white granite and the interior is notable for its semicircular columns.

Useful information

• Admission: from 2€.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm. Closed on Mondays.
• Address: Campo dos Mártires da Pátria 81, 4050-368 Porto, Portugal
• How to get there: by bus on lines 3, 19, 21, 30, 35, 37 and 78. You can also get there by metro or car.

The Porto Marionettes Museum is also ideal to visit with children, as they will be able to see dolls, marionettes and puppets that were part of the last 25 years of the Marionetas do Porto theatre company.

They will also be able to see screenings of plays and documentaries that they will love.

In addition, the whole family can enjoy the various stage sets for plays. It is fabulous for children to see the puppets and photo exhibitions that give free rein to their imagination.

Moreover, there are also puppet and marionette workshops that will allow you to learn more about this particular art.

Useful information

• Admission fee: about 2,5€ for children and 3,5€ for adults.
• Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday from 2pm to 6pm. Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Location: R. de Belomonte 61, 4050-097 Porto, Portugal
• How to get there: by bus 3, 6, 20, 35, 36, 37, 37, 41, 44, 50 and 52 or by car.

This museum is housed in a very old building, which was built in 1325. It was the birthplace of the navigator Infante Henry, son of kings and Duke of Viseu in Portugal, to whom it owes its name. In its beginnings, this house was the city's customs house and a place where important royal visits were hosted.

Among the relevant works in the Casa do Infante Museum are a Roman mosaic and the remains of a Roman palace.

Archaeological excavations were carried out when the site was rebuilt, and incredible models were also found, such as the famous model of the city of Porto.

The museum is located next to the Municipal Archives of Porto, which you can also visit. Here you can learn all about their currency, how they weighed their goods and much more.

Useful information

• Admission fee: Around 15€ for adults and 9€ for children from 4 to 12 years old. Children under the age of 3 are free.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10.30am to 5.30pm. Closed on Mondays.
• Location: Rua da Alfândega 10, 4050-029 Porto, Portugal
• How to get there: by Metro: from Sao Bento station, line D. By

by bus on lines 500, 900, 901, 906, ZM and ZR.

The World of Discoveries museum and theme park recreates the history of famous Portuguese navigators such as Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan and Bartolomeu Diaz, among others, who sailed their ships to various parts of the world in ancient times.

There you will find interactive exhibits, creative simulations and rooms dedicated to the evolution of ancient vessels, from rowboats to caravels. You'll also see recreations of what life was like on these ships and ancient navigational instruments.

It's a museum that children love, especially for the boat trip at the end that recreates some of the ocean voyages of these navigators.

It is also located on the banks of the Douro River, in the Miragaia district, a place worth visiting. Given its popularity, I recommend that you buy your World of Discoveries tickets in advance.

Useful information

• Ticket price: from €2.5 from Tuesday to Friday. Admission is free on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 7pm. Mondays closed.
• Location: Rua de Miragaia 106, 4050-387 Porto, Portugal
• How to get there: You can get there by bus on lines 500, 403, 601, 901 and 906, or by metro on line D.