Praça Mauá, Square in Brazil

Praça Mauá is a public square in Rio de Janeiro that connects downtown to the Guanabara Bay waterfront and frames two major museums. The space includes seating areas, green zones, and open grounds used for both pedestrian movement and large gatherings.

The square was built to give the growing port a structured quay and opened in 1910 after six years of works, replacing the old Largo da Prainha. In 1871 it had been renamed Largo 28 de Setembro, the date of the Free Womb Law, though the old name persisted. The 8.5-metre monument to Baron Mauá, by Rodolfo Bernardelli, was erected in 1910 at the initiative of the Clube de Engenharia. The Elevado da Perimetral, built over the square from the 1950s, was partly imploded on 20 April 2014 with 250 kg of explosives.

The square's name honours Irineu Evangelista de Sousa, Baron of Mauá, whose 8.5-metre monument by Rodolfo Bernardelli has stood at its centre since 1910, erected at the initiative of the Clube de Engenharia. The VLT Carioca tram line, in operation since 5 June 2016, crosses the square and stops at Parada dos Museus, in front of the Museu de Arte do Rio. The Museu do Amanhã, designed by Santiago Calatrava, stands on the adjacent Píer Mauá, inaugurated in 1953.

The square is easily reached by bus, tram, and metro, with multiple stops located nearby. The grounds are level and straightforward to walk through, with plenty of spots to rest and get oriented.

The square marks kilometre zero of the Port of Rio de Janeiro: warehouse numbering starts here, and Avenida Rio Branco also begins at the square. On 20 April 2014, 300 metres of the Elevado da Perimetral above the square were brought down with 250 kg of explosives, producing 10,000 tonnes of concrete that fell onto sand and tyres laid under the viaduct.