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Museu H Stern
The headquarters of the famous jeweler H Stern incorporates a museum displaying a permanent exhibition of fine jewelry, some rare mineral specimens and a large collection of tourmalines. There is a 12-minute tour, which displays the process of turning the rough stones into flawlessly cut jewels as the gems pass through the hands of craftsmen, cutters, goldsmiths and setters.
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Museu Histórico da Cidade
The 19th-century mansion located on the lovely grounds of the Parque da Cidade now houses the City History Museum. In addition to its permanent collection, which portrays Rio from its founding in 1565 to the mid-20th century, the museum has exhibitions of furniture, porcelain, photographs and paintings by well-known artists. The park itself is free, open from to .
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Museu Histórico do Exército e Forte de Copacabana
Built in 1914, on the promontory of the former Our Lady of Copacabana chapel, the Forte de Copacabana (Copacabana Fort) was one of Rio's premier defenses against attack. You can still see its original features, including walls up to 12m thick, defended by Krupp cannons. The several floors of exhibits in the Museu, trace the early days of the Portuguese colony to the mid-19th century. There's a lovely café overlooking Copacabana.
Read more about Museu Histórico do Exército e Forte de Copacabana
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Museu Histórico E Diplomático
Housed in the neoclassical Palácio Itamaraty, the Museum of History and Diplomacy served as the private presidential home from 1889 until 1897. The museum has an impressive collection of art, antiques and maps. Visits are by guided 45-minute tours. Call ahead to ensure you get an English- or French-speaking guide. The museum is just a short walk west from Presidente Vargas metro station.
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Museu Histórico Nacional
One of Rio's best museums, the large National History Museum contains over 250,000 historic relics relating to the history of Brazil from its founding to its early days as a republic. Its extensive collection is housed on the old arsenal (built in 1764) and includes a full-sized model of a colonial pharmacy, enormous canvases depicting the bloody war with Paraguay, imperial carriages and tiny relics like the writing quill Princesa Isabel used to sign the document abolishing slavery in Brazil.
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Museu Internacional de Arte Naïf do Brasil
Vivid color and a playful perspective are two of the characteristics of arte naïf paintings; many of the artists of this style came from outside the establishment. Also known as primitivist, the paintings in this permanent collection are extensive: over 8000 pieces, executed by artists from 130 countries, dating from the 15th century to the present. It's the largest museum of its kind in the world.
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Museu Nacional
This museum and its imperial entrance are still stately and imposing, and the view from the balcony to the royal palms is majestic. However, the weathered buildings and unkempt grounds have clearly declined since the fall of the monarchy.
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Museu Nacional de Belas Artes
Rio's fine arts museum houses more than 800 original paintings and sculptures ranging from the 17th to the 20th century. One of its most important galleries is the Galeria de Arte Brasileira, with 20th-century classics such as Cândido Portinari's Café. Other galleries display Brazilian folk art, African art and furniture, as well as contemporary exhibits. Guided tours are available in English (call ahead).
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Museu Naval
Chronicling the history of the Brazilian navy from the 16th century to the present, the museum also has exhibitions of model warships, maps and navigational instruments.
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Museu Villa-Lobos
Housed in a century-old building, the modest museum is dedicated to the memory of Brazil's greatest classical composer - and founder of the Brazilian Academy of Music - Heitor Villa-Lobos. In addition to scores, musical instruments - including the piano on which he composed - and personal items, the museum contains an extensive sound archive. Classical concerts are sometimes held in the adjoining courtyard.
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Palácio Tiradentes
The stately Tiradentes Palace overlooking the bay, today houses the seat of the legislative assembly. Visitors can wander through exhibits on the 1st and 2nd floors that relate - through photographs and documents - some of the historic events that took place in the nearby chambers between 1926 and the present. One of its darkest hours was when the National Assembly was shut down in 1937 under the Vargas dictatorship - it later served as his Department of Press and Propaganda.
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Parque da Catacumba
Inaugurated in 1979, Catacumba is the site of Brazil's first outdoor sculptural garden. The site of a former favela (which was demolished to create the park), Catacumba sits atop Morro dos Cabritos, which rises from the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. It's a choice place to escape the heat while strolling through some fascinating works by artists such as Roberto Moriconi and Bruno Giorgi. Superb views await those willing to climb to the top of the hill (385m).
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Planetário
Gávea's stellar attraction, the Planetário (Planetarium) features a museum, a praça dos telescópios (telescopes' square) and a couple of state-of-the-art operating domes, each capable of projecting over 6000 stars onto its walls (40-minute sessions in the domes are at and Saturday, Sunday and holidays). Visitors can also take a peak at the night sky through the far-seeing telescopes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from to ( to in winter).
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Quinta da Boa Vista
Quinta da Boa Vista was the residence of the Portuguese imperial family until the Republic was proclaimed. Today, it's a large and busy park with gardens and lakes. At weekends it's crowded with soccer games and families from the Zona Norte. The former imperial mansion houses the Museu Nacional and Museu da Fauna. The Jardim Zoológico Rio's zoo, is 200m away.
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Real Gabinete Português de Leitura
Built in the Portuguese manueline style in 1837, the gorgeous Portuguese Reading Room houses over 350,000 works, many dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. It also has a small collection of paintings, sculptures and ancient coins.
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Sambódromo
The epicenter of Rio's Carnaval, the Sambódromo was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and completed in 1984. The small Museu do Carnaval has information on the history of Rio's samba schools, and you can try on costumes, but aside from that, there isn't much to see when the parades aren't happening.
