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    Museu Arqueológico do Carmo

    4.6 (30 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Museu Arqueológico do Carmo Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Museu Arqueológico do Carmo

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    view from back wall facing entrance
    Jay P.

    CHURCH WITH NO ROOF, founded in the 14th century and destroyed during an earthquake in 1755, it's been preserved as ruins withe the roof never repaired and now a Unesco World Heritage site. The architecture is done in Gothic style with the floorplan in the shape of a cross. It's still grand and imposing, the odd thought I had was how insane the scaffolding must have been to complete some of the imposingly high arches and roof. I was surprised to find I spent very little time in the open roof section. It's the first thing you see when you walk in but for some reason it wasn't as appealing as I thought it would be, the back section is under construction so it's covered and an active work area. There is a small museum in back which I enjoyed a lot more. The masonary and stone carving work is excellent and slightly creepy, there are also two out of place Peruvian mummies on display.

    Tiffany H.

    Famous church without a roof. Testament to what survived the earthquake many years ago. Nov 1st 1755. In the back there's a museum w many historical items. It's a great place to explore, the bathroom was a great find. Nice n clean. ( Most public bathrooms in Lisbon are not free) good day to learn something new.

    Video exhibition of the history of the church

    This church was destroyed during the biggest tragedy in Lisbon. The earthquake of 1755. Now it's very well preserved and contains multiple objects discovered during it renovation. Besides all the objects spread in the museum that are nice to see and see the history of the church. It also has a projected video in one of the walls. This video explains all the history of the church and is one of the most amazing museum experience I have seen in Portugal. I would recommend a stop at this space.

    Jennifer S.

    Cool ruins snd museum inside. Use your Lisboa card for discount Ted cards to 4 euros per person. Try to visit when the sun is out as there is a section you can enjoy that is outdoors.

    Taylor Z.

    One of the coolest museums I've been. The missing roof makes for some stunning photos. The artifacts on display were really interesting. Especially the mummy.

    Krys P.

    The first time I visited Lisbon, I saw a beautiful church up on top of the hill and wanted very much to visit. Later I found out its name and when I saw some pictures, I know I just have to be there. It's a little uphill walk from the main downtown area, but when I entered after paying the modest entrance fee... I just stood there, awed. The white stone, greyed by age, stood in beautiful contrast to the clear azure sky Portugal is known for. The tall structure provided a cool shade against the hot sun, a gentle breeze blowing through the roofless arches. The quietness and tranquility made me forget that I am in the middle of a big city, and carried me back in time... back to the 18th century when an earthquake and fire destroyed the church... further back to the 14th century as I imagined the building in its glory. Walked further in, there's a small museum of sort. There is not a lot of explanation and the collection seems somewhat lacking in theme, it's fun to browse around. The highlight though, is definitely the gorgeous outdoor ruins. The Portuguese seems to be really fond of preserving the ruins of damaged buildings (even as far away as the St Paul's ruins in Macau), this type of remains is not something you'll see everywhere, so definitely don't miss it!!

    The entrance to the ruins
    Tanja N.

    Carmo convent ruins are incredibly romantic leftover of the ancient Carmo convent and church that still stands as a reminder of the one of the largest earthquakes that ever rocked Europe, and Lisbon itself. On November 1st, 1755, on All-Saint Day, almost all Lisbon was destroyed by today's estimate an earthquake with magnitude around 8.5. These ruins stand beautifully in the middle of the rebuilt Lisbon and today they are home to the archeological museum that is dedicated to Portuguese history. This was probably one of my favorite places in Lisbon. We came early in the morning, just as they opened, so we had the ruins and museum to ourselves the first few minutes at least. We loved the movies about the earthquake, the museum have some gorgeous artifacts and the whole grounds have really special feeling.. makes you whisper while you're there. To the right of the ruins is direct access to Justa elevator (the top floor), and you can take elevator down or you can walk around whole block and take the ride up. There is also a nice platform where you can see all the way to Tagus River or look at the convent ruins from the other side.

    Alex M.

    It will be 4 euro to enter this excellent museum and monument to the 1755 earthquake. It's eerie and beautiful. Most of Lisbon has been rebuilt so well you don't realize how epic the destruction must have been. There is a small museum included in the price of the ticket. In the museum you will find tomb covers, sculptures, wall decorations, tiles, mummies ( from Peru), books, a model of the church as it once was and a gift shop. There are bathrooms available. And don't miss the National Guard museum right next door. At 2 euro we weren't expecting much but it was awesome. Lovingly curated and interesting.

    Chun P.

    I wandered upon this museum and ancient church by accident, but its definitely worth a visit. The church dates all the way back to 1389, not long before Portugal's rise as a great world power. Unfortunately a massive earthquake and ensuing fire destroyed most of the building, leaving just the eerie remains of the frame and arches...fascinating. Since then, efforts to rebuild the main sanctuary have failed, but the other structures were repaired and are now used as a museum for a variety of Portugal's historical artifacts. Its definitely worth €4 for entry.

    William G.

    These beautiful ruins are older than the United States. The official birthday of the United States is in the year 1776. This place has been standing here in ruin since the 1755 earthquake that devastated the city of Lisboa. After hundreds of years they still pack the same awe to travelers. If you pick the right time of day, when the shadows of the arches create stunning picture shot opportunities, you will be rewarded with stunning pictures afterwards. The museum here is also very nice. Although, the mummy remains of two Peruvian kids in jars is just a little bit creepy. These church ruins are a must do, while in Lisboa.

    Museu Arqueológico do Carmo -- gift shop
    L L.

    14thC church, ruined in the 1755 earthquake. This site was founded as a museum in 1864. The museum consists of the ruined church structure, which is outdoors in that there is no roof, so you are exposed to the elements. At the far end of it, where the chancel would be for architecture of the era, is an enclosed museum. The indoor portion houses various artifacts, some Roman epigraphy, some tribal items brought by Portuguese explorers from the Meso- and South Americas, and some prehistoric items from the excavation of Castro de Vila Nova de S. Pedro, dating to the Neolithic (Stone Age) and Chalcolithic (Copper Age) periods. There is a gift shop at one end of the indoor portion, which carries a number of books on archaeology. The gift shop has a beautiful window looking out over the city, with visibility straight to Castelo de S. Jorge. This museum also serves as the headquarters of the Association of Portuguese Archaeologists. Tickets are 4€, or 5,50€ for a guided tour. If you have the Lisboa card, it's only 3,20€, and it's free for kids under 14. They offer discounts for seniors, students, and disabled persons. Having been to big archaeological exhibits at the National Gallery in London, the Met in NYC, and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology at home in Philadelphia, the collections at Museu Arqueológico do Carmo were not as vast or varied, but they held my interest just the same, and their context inside ruins that (as another Yelper mentioned) are older than my country, made me think a lot about how cultures study one another, and view one another as museum collections, representative of entire peoples who live and breathe as you and I, just in a different time and place. I think the exhibits really accomplished showing me this relativity in a way that other archaeological exhibitions have not. The volume of artifacts at the abovementioned museums, just seem too large to comprehend in the way I could this much more digestible number of pieces, juxtaposed in small rooms side-by-side, bringing such vastly different cultures into close vicinity. For me, it was a great historical / anthropological perspective.

    Sara C.

    Although it is small this is definitely worth the stop in! We spent about 45 minutes to an hour here and really enjoyed it. The church is absolutely beautiful and the exhibits are pretty cool.

    Outside side view

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    6 months ago

    Fascinating beautiful structure up some steep walk. We thought it was well curated but might have benefited from a guide

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    10 years ago

    Lovely but really REALLY small. Really. Its worth going in because of its place in history. But its underwhelming.

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    Museu Arqueológico do Carmo Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Museu Arqueológico do Carmo

    This place has been standing here in ruin since the 1755 earthquake that devastated the city of Lisboa.

    Mentioned in 13 reviews

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    Museu Militar

    Museu Militar

    3.3(4 reviews)
    1.4 kmMouraria - Castelo - Alfama, Santa Apolónia

    This museum offers a family discount, we are a family and they would not honor the discount because…read morewe did not have 2 children. I think that is not fair, but another family got the discount. He had two children but no wife. This museum is CASH only. 3 euros entry fee. There is no WIFI. The entrance is a mess and in need of renovation and I think is going to be starting renovation because there are boards everywhere and the weeds are taking over. The museum is very military with lots of guns, canons, and more things that were owned by Portugal and then things Portugal pillaged from other countries. And even some guns that Portugal was able to get back after it was stolen for the museum. Many of the exhibits are in Portuguese only, so if you don't speak or read Portuguese and Google translate did not work with Portuguese, so many parts I skipped.

    Surprising to see so few reviews on this, officially the Artillery Museum, though I did pretty much…read morestumble across it as I was exploring this neighborhood of Lisbon. I've been to London's Imperial War Museum several years ago https://www.yelp.com/biz/iwm-london-london-2?hrid=0jWhKAZJf_kUkOtWAF37qQ so this was going to be interesting. Many artifacts here from Portuguese military history with extensive displays of cannon, firearms, uniforms and weaponry. Swords and such from centuries ago and a big focus on The Great War. I knew, but had forgotten, that Portugal declared itself neutral during WWII though they leaned a bit towards England as their ally dating back to the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty (Aliança Luso-Inglesa in Portuguese) of 1373. Yes, that's 1373. It is one of the oldest treaties in history. It's not just the objects on display but also the rooms themselves that are worthy of examination. Even the entrance is worth seeing, a monumental portico which survived the earthquake of 1755. There are many pieces of Azulejaria (Portuguese tiles) and paintings on display. Below in a basement area is the Pátio dos Canhões which contains a collection of artillery pieces. The entire museum is designed so that it can be enjoyed in a single line to minimize exposure to other museum goers for COVID purposes. For only €3, a real bargain and you can expect to spend at least one hour touring. [Review 16589 overall - 106 in Portugal - 99 of 2022.]

    Photos
    Museu Militar - Espada de D. Nuno Álvares Pereira

    Espada de D. Nuno Álvares Pereira

    Museu Militar - Placa toponímica

    Placa toponímica

    Museu Militar

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    Museu Arqueológico do Carmo - museums - Updated May 2026

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