Brasilia City Museum

Learn about several centuries of Brasília’s history through artwork and artifacts and discover how the city was eventually created.

Discover how Brazil's federal capital was created when you visit the Brasília City Museum. The beautiful building is the oldest museum in Brasilia and was inaugurated on the same day as the city, in 1960. Browse art exhibitions, photographs, sculptures and inscriptions that recall and pay tribute to the city’s construction.

Marvel at the museum’s extraordinary design by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. He was also one of the chief architects of the new city. The main part of the building is a horizontal column that appears to be suspended in mid-air. Read inscriptions on the white marble façade, including a tribute by the city’s founders to the former Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek. He commissioned the construction of Brasilia and a bust of the statesman juts out from the cubed base that supports the building.

Learn about the history of the city from the chronology inscribed on the exterior of the western wall. The events date from 1789 until the inception of the museum. Although Brasília was not built until the 1950s, plans for its construction had been discussed centuries earlier.

Browse historical photographs that cover the construction of the city and see documents about the move of the capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília.

See temporary exhibitions that showcase fascinating facts relating to Brasília and its origins.

The Brasilia City Museum is free and is open from Tuesday until Sunday, from morning until early evening.

You can find the museum on the Three Powers Plaza in the east of the city. It is just to the west of Paranoá Lake and the remarkable steel and concrete Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge that crosses it. It’s easy to reach the museum by metro or bus. Nearby attractions include the National Museum, the Cathedral of Brasília and the National Congress.