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We've compiled the best of the best in Lisbon - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
This family-friendly museum uses multimedia exhibits to bring Lisbon's history to life. Over the course of an hour, the story is broken down into chapters, with a focus on the country's golden age of maritime adventures. A multilingual audio guide takes visitors through a series of exhibits. Midway through, a small cinema shows a short but dramatic reenactment of the 1755 earthquake and the fiery aftermath.
Founded in 1853, the Maritime Museum is one of Lisbon's oldest and it showcases Portugal's important seafaring traditions. With its thousands of maps and maritime codes, navigational equipment, model ships, uniforms, and weapons, the museum appeals to visitors young and old.
Housed in a former bacalhau (salt cod) warehouse with impressive bas-reliefs on its facade, the Museum of the Orient is one of Lisbon's most important cultural institutions. Funded by the Fundação Oriente (a legacy of colonial Macau and its gaming revenues), this dockside giant seeks to tell the story of the centuries-long Portuguese presence in Asia and to provide a showcase for Asian cultures. Highlights of the permanent collection include unique maps and charts from the golden age of Portuguese maritime exploration and stunning Chinese and Japanese painted screens. The museum hosts excellent inexpensive concerts in its cozy auditorium.
This small museum near the cathedral showcases the remains of a 1st-century theatre built during the reign of Emperor Augustus with space for around 4,000 spectators. Abandoned in the Middle Ages and buried for centuries, it was uncovered during 18th-century reconstruction work. You can view original columns and architectural fragments; multilingual touch-screen kiosks provide historical context.
A palace built in the 1700s for a nun, who just so happened to be one of the king’s mistresses, is now the main branch of the Museu de Lisbon. The king spent summers at the palace, so a formal garden was laid out behind the building. There are peacocks roaming around, as well as a few ceramic animals created by the great 19th-century sculptor and satirist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro. The museum houses a collection of archaeological finds, historic tile panels, paintings, and sculptures, all related to the history of Lisbon. A highlight is a model of the city, showing it as it was before it was laid to ruins in the 1755 earthquake.
In 1755 a catastrophic earthquake changed the face of Lisbon forever. This modern immersive museum aims to take visitors back in time to experience some of the horrors. Wander through a series of themed rooms that explore the quake, fires, and tsunami that rippled across Lisbon, and learn about the history and science of the event. Tickets are timed and the experience takes around 90 minutes.
