Memorial Minas Gerais Vale, Cultural and mining museum in Praça da Liberdade, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Memorial Minas Gerais Vale occupies the restored former State Treasury building on Praça da Liberdade, in Belo Horizonte. Its restoration by Flávio Grillo kept traces of the building's earlier changes, so old and contemporary elements sit side by side. A glass roof now covers the entrance staircase, and the main courtyard gained a small garden with bromeliads. The museography by Gringo Cardia mixes real and virtual rooms covering Minas Gerais from the 18th century to the present.

The building housed the Secretaria da Fazenda, the state finance secretariat, before being restored and adapted as a museum. The restoration project was by Flávio Grillo, with sponsorship from Vale worth R$ 27 million, and the memorial opened on 30 November 2010 as part of the Circuito Cultural Praça da Liberdade.

The museum's galleries recreate the world of Minas Gerais writers, the farm estates, Indigenous tribes and quilombos, the baroque, popular festivals, handicrafts, politics and the archaeology of the state's soil. Real and virtual settings are mixed, and the collection ranges from the 18th century to the contemporary scene, including a futuristic perspective.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday with most days closing at 17:30, though Thursday extends until 21:30. Sunday hours are shorter, ending at 15:30, so check the schedule before planning your visit.

The restoration by Flávio Grillo kept traces of the building's earlier changes, so old and contemporary elements sit side by side. At the entrance, the original roof was replaced by a glass ceiling above the staircase, and the main courtyard gained a small garden with bromeliads.