Immigration Museum of the State of São Paulo, Immigration museum in Mooca district, São Paulo, Brazil

The Immigration Museum of the State of São Paulo occupies a former hostel building and presents migration history through photographs, letters, and everyday objects. The building itself served for many decades as an arrival point and passage for people from around the world.

The building served from 1887 to 1978 as a reception center where people from more than 70 countries arrived to start over in São Paulo. This long period made it a central place for the city's development and cultural mixing.

The museum reflects the experiences that millions of people had when they arrived, showing how immigration shaped the city. Visitors see personal objects and documents from families who built new lives here.

The museum is easily accessible by public transportation and located in a busy neighborhood with restaurants and shops nearby. Plan at least two hours for your visit to explore the exhibitions at a comfortable pace.

During the 2010–2014 restoration, workers found names and dates from the late 19th century scratched into the bricks, plus rules written in several languages on the walls of the main corridor. The museum also keeps a wooden wall engraved with more than 14,000 surnames of people who passed through the hostel.