Cidade do Samba

Located north of Centro, near the port, Samba City is actually made up of 14 large buildings where the top Rio schools assemble their Carnaval floats. It’s an intriguing place for those who want a behind-the-scenes look at those massive and wildly imaginative creations. You can catch occasional samba shows here, though these are mostly put on for visiting tour groups. At the time of research the center remained closed for long-term renovations.