National Museum of Rio de Janeiro

The National Museum is the oldest scientific institution in Brazil and the largest museum of natural history and anthropology in Latin America.

The museum is located in the green area of the city and occupies the majestic building of the Palace of St. Christopher, which since its foundation has undergone a number of significant transformations. The total area of the building is now 13,616 square meters on three floors containing 122 rooms.

The museum was established in 1818 by the King of Portugal and was originally called the Royal Museum. The first artifacts were exhibited botanical and animal samples, in particular birds. Now the museum includes collections of animals, insects, minerals, dishes, mummies, meteorites and fossils.

The museum also includes a library, which includes more than 450,000 copies of books, brochures, rare editions of literature related to the field of natural sciences and anthropology.