Museu Municipal Santos Rocha, City museum in Figueira da Foz, Portugal
The Museu Municipal Santos Rocha is a city museum in Figueira da Foz, on the Portuguese coast, housing collections of archaeological objects, religious sculpture, ceramics, old furniture, weapons, coins, and African and Asian pieces. The building also contains a public library and an auditorium used for events.
The museum was founded on May 6, 1894, by the archaeologist António dos Santos Rocha, first housed in the Casa do Paço and then moved to the town hall in 1899. In 1976 it moved into its current building on Rua Calouste Gulbenkian, designed specifically for that purpose.
The museum carries the name of its founder, the archaeologist António dos Santos Rocha, and that name is still visible above the entrance today. The collections reflect the town's connection to the sea, with fishing tools and everyday objects from coastal life.
The museum sits in central Figueira da Foz near the Parque das Abadias and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the town center. It is open on weekdays and weekends, though hours can vary depending on the season.
In 1993, the museum was named best museum of the year by a Portuguese museology association. Since 2003 it has also run two smaller sites outside the main building: one dedicated to the sea in Buarcos, and one to salt production in Lavos.
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