Rio is nearly as old as Brazil, founded as it was in 1565, just 65 years after the discovery of Brazil by the Portuguese.
Several of the city's historic attractions date back to the transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil in 1808. Rio was the seat of colonial government from 1763 to 1822 and the capital of Brazil as an independent nation from 1822 to 1960; the city's history museums witness to that prestige.
Rio's art museums are among the best in Brazil and provide visitors with an essential panorama of Brazilian art and its dialog with international cultures.
Here are some of Rio's best museums:
- Rio Art Museum
Opened on March 1, 2013, the Rio Art Museum opens up a new phase in Porto Maravilha, the revitalization of the city's Portuary Zone.
- MAM Rio (Museum of Modern Art)
- National Historical Museum
- National Museum of Fine Arts
- Paço Imperial
- Museum of the Republic
- International Museum of Naïve Art of Brazil
- Museu da Chácara do Céu
- Parque das Ruínas
- Eva Klabin Cultural Foundation
- Villa-Lobos Museum
- Museu do Índio
- Carmen Miranda Museum
