National Historical Museum
National Historical Museum, National museum at Praça Marechal Âncora, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The National Historical Museum is a museum in Centro, Rio de Janeiro, occupying a colonial complex that holds paintings, sculptures, military equipment, and everyday objects from different periods of Brazilian history. The exhibition spaces spread across multiple buildings connected by courtyards and passages.
The buildings began as Santiago Fort in 1567 and gradually incorporated a prison, an arms depot, and a war arsenal over the following centuries. The site was transformed into a museum in 1922 to celebrate the centenary of Brazilian independence.
The permanent exhibition shows the evolution of Brazilian transportation, from colonial sedan chairs through early automobiles, including a 1910s Protos vehicle from Rio de Janeiro.
The museum opens on weekdays in the morning and afternoon, and on weekends only in the afternoon, with guided tours offered during opening hours. The rooms are accessible via staircases and some ramps, and a visit typically takes two to three hours.
The institution holds one of the largest coin collections in Latin America and about 50,000 historical documents, photographs, and rare publications on Brazilian history. Researchers and visitors can access these materials by appointment.
Location: Centro
Location: Rio de Janeiro
Inception: October 12, 1922
Official opening: 1922
Address: Praça Marechal Âncora
Opening Hours: Wednesday-Friday 10:00-17:00; Saturday-Sunday 13:00-17:00
Phone: +552132990324
Email: mhn@museus.gov.br
Website: http://mhn.museus.gov.br
GPS coordinates: -22.90591,-43.16952
Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:28
IRB
336 m
Tiradentes Palace
498 m
Museu Histórico Nacional
24 m
Santa Casa da Misericórdia and Church of Our Lady of Good Success
126 m
Ladeira da Misericórdia
83 m
Fort of Santiago
0 m
Museu Naval
424 m
Naval Museum
435 m
Church of Saint Joseph
488 m
Igreja de São José
495 m
Barão do Rio Branco
365 m
Lampadário do Ministério da Fazenda
412 m
Serviço de Documentação Geral da Marinha
423 m
Coluna Média em Cantoneira
372 m
Rui Barbosa
236 m
Sede da Procuradoria Geral do Estado
385 m
Hangar do Aeroporto Santos Dumont
453 m
Atílio Correia Lima
111 m
Paulo Sampaio
105 m
À Edson Luis
417 m
Teixeira de Freitas
368 m
Marechal Bittencourt
75 m
Âncora
288 m
Banco Gota d'Água
101 m
Piso de Pé de Moleque da Ladeira da Misericórdia
73 m
Antiga sede da Procuradoria Geral do Estado
395 m
Cascata dos Deuses
362 m
Chafariz do Museu Historico Nacional
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