Museu Arqueológico do Carmo

Museu Arqueológico do Carmo

Museu Arqueológico do Carmo
4.4
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
Closed
About
The Carmo Archaeological Museum is situated in the ruins of the old Church of Santa Maria do Carmo, founded in 1389 by D. Nuno Alvares Pereira. This church was known as one of the most beautiful Gothic temples in Lisbon until the earthquake of 1755, which caused serious damage to the building and destroyed almost all of its religious-artistic contents. Its re-construction began in an experimental Gothic style in 1756 and stopped in 1834, when the religious orders were abolished in Portugal. In 1863, royal architect, Joaquim Possidonio da Silva, founded the Portuguese Civil Architects Association. About one year later, in 1864, the Carmo Archaeological Museum was installed there for the storage and display of important sculptures from old ruined buildings. Curing the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. the museum houses a collection which dates from Pre-History to the present day and shows the way people have thought and felt in different areas of culture throughout the ages.
Duration: < 1 hour
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Chiado & Carmo
The traditionally trendy "Chiado" (literally, "squeak", the nickname of a 16th century poet) offers plenty of cafes, restaurants and bars where you can stop for a cafe or cocktail, after exploring its streets, shops, art galleries, theaters, museums and viewpoints. It's also the home to the statue of the famous statue of portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, having is usual espresso at "A Brasileira" as he used to. You can also enjoy breathtaking views of Lisbon from the Elevador de Santa Justa or the Carmo Convent, for example. A commercial neighborhood at its core, especially for its Garrett and Carmo streets, Chiado is to this day a mandatory visit in Lisbon.
How to get there
  • Baixa/Chiado • 3 min walk
  • Rossio • 3 min walk
Reach out directly

See what travelers are saying

  • Mais
    122 contributions
    5 of 5 bubbles
    This is something you must do when in Lisbon. Such a beautiful church partially destroyed by earthquake and has remained with no roof. Entry is reasonable and will take probably an hour to explore the building, the parts in the rooms at the back have some interesting artefacts including mummies and tombs. Look out for the very cute and friendly resident cat. There is also free toilets inside so bare this in mind if you are visiting as the ones outside are 50 cents
    Visited February 2025
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 16, 2025
  • Juanita C
    106 contributions
    5 of 5 bubbles
    Please do yourself a favor and enjoy this beautiful, beautiful Museum. I have been to many museums but this is the first that brought me to tears. For several years I read the history of devastating Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and the horrifying aftermath (tsunami and fire) that followed. After purchasing my ticket I entered the "museum" which was actually entering into what had been the beautiful church that welcomed worshipers on that fateful day: November1, 1755. I was met with absolute SILENCE! There were 20-25 people sitting on the steps in quiet contemplation, there was silence, a rare whisper could be detected. I can only describe what I experienced as a respect and reverence--perhaps for the events of Nov. 1st, 1755? I don't know. There are beautiful, well-marked exhibits as you venture further--don't miss those-- and a wonderful gift shop/museum shop.
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written January 7, 2025
  • Unavid
    65 contributions
    5 of 5 bubbles
    At first glance, you might think that Carmo isn't worth visiting- after all, it seems to be missing some fairly important pieces like, say, a roof. I assure you, Carmo is well worth a visit. Despite the obvious damage (sustained in the 1755 earthquake that basically levelled Lisbon), Carmo is architecturally stunning with the arches and flying buttresses standing out beautifully against the sky. The museum is full of interesting artifacts and there is a short film describing the history of the site from its construction up to the present day. It may lack a bit of grandeur compared to San Jeronimo monastery (a must see), but it has a charm unmatched by any other site you are likely to visit. If you are spending more than 2 days in Lisbon, I strongly advise you to include Carmo in your plans.
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written October 13, 2024
  • Matthew R
    54 contributions
    5 of 5 bubbles
    Definitely recommend. There is not a ton to see, but the inside view of the church with open air ceiling is breathtaking and most definitely worth the admission cost so you can get pictures. There is also a small museum on the far side of the cathedral which houses interesting historical pieces including a mummy, historical books and many relics. There is also a small theatre where they play a documentary movie about the history of the place.
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 7, 2024
  • Herbert C
    1,969 contributions
    4 of 5 bubbles
    The Carmo Convent is a Gothic building from the late 14th century that was partially destroyed by the 1755 earthquake. It is located in front of Carmo Square in close proximity to the Santa Justa Lift. Apart from housing an archaeological museum that features relics from prehistoric times through to the medieval ages, what's more amazing about this attraction is visitors can now see the wonderfully preserved ruined main nave of the Carmo Church. It's a shame that this attraction is not included in the Lisboa Card, which only entitles visitors to a 20% discounted entry. Nevertheless, it's still a worthwhile stopover when you're in the Chiado neighbourhood.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 26, 2025
  • Albert_MH
    Tokyo Prefecture, Japan351 contributions
    4 of 5 bubbles
    It was originally a Carmelite monastery built in the 14th century. However, the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 destroyed most of the monastery and church, leaving only columns and walls. Today, it is a place that conveys the horror of the earthquake, and the altar, whose roof remains intact, is an archaeological museum. The part of the chapel where the roof collapsed contains reliefs and sacred images of noble coats of arms, while the archaeological museum contains pottery and South American archaeological exhibits. The museum is small but worth seeing.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written August 8, 2024
  • Arthur M
    Hamilton, Canada1,808 contributions
    5 of 5 bubbles
    This was actually a nice use of a cathedral in ruins, an archaeological museum! Since the museum is pretty much open-air (with exhibits located at the rear of the cathedral), it's pretty different from a typical museum! The exhibits were pretty interesting, including a mummy! Outside, you would see a cat roaming, and based on the gift shop's souvenir magnets, he seems to be a popular attraction too! They have pictures of him as fridge magnets! Don't forget to look for him!
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written March 16, 2025
  • jbg74
    Saint Paul, Minnesota1,194 contributions
    5 of 5 bubbles
    This is an awesome ruined Gothic church and monastery. It was damaged during the famous Lisbon earthquake of 1755. The ruined church makes for some great photos. There is a small museum in the attached convent buildings with items from the church and a few other collections from the man who saved the ruin and established it as a museum. This is definitely worth visiting.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written November 16, 2024
  • woz91
    148 contributions
    5 of 5 bubbles
    The best way to get there is by car. The facility is accessible to people in a wheelchair (there is a platform and a toilet). Works from various places have been collected on its premises. Sometimes known, sometimes unknown. An interesting aspect of Portuguese history. After presenting a disabled person's ID, entry was free of charge (a person in a wheelchair and a guardian).
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written October 8, 2024
  • Bertie1224
    Northamptonshire, United Kingdom1,446 contributions
    5 of 5 bubbles
    This is worth visiting. It has a feeling of Coventry cathedral but here the damage was a natural disaster in the form of an earthquake. It must have been a truly amazing building with superb vaulted ceilings. The arches that remain are a true spectacle as you look up to a clear blue sky. There are numerous tombs to read about as you navigate the structure. It really is a fascinating space and worth a visit, and the black and white cat seemed to agree! We just bought tickets at the door and went straight in.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 31, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Marine I
Nancy, France134 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
We visited the church and the archaeological museum. Nice visit at €7 per person after about fifteen minutes in line, which is reasonable: the church is impressive, the cat guarding the place is very cute and the museum is very interesting. Short free visit guide to download in several languages from the museum website. The only small downside is the sound of the projection in the museum (in Portuguese and English): it is not loud enough for us to hear correctly at the back of the room. It would also be wise to provide transcription of the audio content of the projection into other languages, on the visitor guide for example.
Google
Written March 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert B.
San Jose, CA45 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Solo
I visited the Carmo Archaeological Museum during a week long visit to Lisbon.

The museum consists of the church nave, open to the sky, and a few rooms of archaeological items - church art and carvings, some new world artifacts, and some roman era artifacts. I found the place ok, but it didn't have the depth of collection of other museums, nor was it good at helping tell the story of the artifacts.

I much preferred the Museu da Lisboa in Campo Grande (great collection, nice space), and Museu do Teatro Romano. For roman history, the Nucleo Arqueologico da Rua dos Correiros (underneath Millennium BCP's offices) told a much better story about life in Lisbon in the past during their short guided tour, and the similar ruins visible on the ground floor of Casa dos Bicos were nice once I understood the story from Nucleo Arqueologico about garam production in Lisbon during the roman era.
Written July 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Raquel NaAl
6 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
I consider that it is not an essential place to see in Lisbon. You don't miss too much.

There are no detailed explanations of the different archaeological remains (from different periods) that appear, only the name. It consists of 4 small rooms, one of them being a room where they display an explanatory video (it is original) of the history of the monument.

What is striking is the nonexistence of the roof and the remains that remain.

The entrance fee is €5 (adults), and the duration of the visit is personal, but in my case, approximately 20-30 minutes.
Google
Written August 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

D Whatson
Beerwah, Australia20 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
This is another one of Lisbon's gems. The ruins of the old convent make the perfect setting for an antiquities museum. A history of Lisbon starting from pre-Roman times is beautifully displayed. The ruins of the convent are fascinating in themselves and the story of how the museum came to be is equally fascinating. If you find yourself in Lisbon with a few hours to spare and history is your thing, then I recommend a visit.
Written March 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Veronika F
Munich, Germany241 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
we passed by by chance and you don't have to invest much time, it's a nice place. The "kiosk", the square in front of the museum, is also always inviting to linger.
A tip for the Santa Justa elevator: when you're standing in front of the museum, go past the side of the building on the right, turn right and go up a few stairs, and you'll be at the top of the Santa Justa elevator and can go down comfortably without having to wait in line for ages. And it's free too :-)
Google
Written March 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tony McMahon
London, UK392 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
This is a ruined church with a tragic story. It was full of worshippers on November the first, 1755 when an earthquake struck Lisbon and the roof fell in on everybody. Little wonder, the city kept the ruins as a memorial. I think to fully appreciate and "feel" the place, you need to know the back story. It's incredibly sad.
What you find today is the remains of the medieval church with many of the arches still intact but otherwise the sky right above you. I love walking around it and it's very photographic.
It's got popular with tourists so the queues have got longer and getting those intimate shots with nobody in the background has got harder. But still very much worth a visit.
Written August 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

david1892
Tullamore, Ireland883 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
The museum is located inside the convent that was destroyed by an earthquake. Seemingly it was the first museum of art and archeology in the country. Definitely visit when in Lisbon not expensive to enter. There is a vast collection of ancient artifacts also and a room that plays a video of the history of the convent.There is a cat also that sits there all day.
Written February 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anneke S
Sommelsdijk, The Netherlands4,978 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Highly recommended This is where you have to go. It's more than worth the price. They can then continue with research and restoration. You will be incredibly surprised when you step inside, which is actually outside, because it is a partial ruin of a church, caused by the earthquake in 1755. The arches make a beautiful impression, especially when we were there with the sun. A part has remained intact. It is special because of the tombs, mummies, sarcophagus, glass and lead, statues and a film that shows what happened.
Google
Written October 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anneke S
Sommelsdijk, The Netherlands4,978 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Highly recommended This is where you have to go. It's more than worth the price. They can then continue with research and restoration. You will be incredibly surprised when you step inside, which is actually outside, because it is a partial ruin of a church, caused by the earthquake in 1755. The arches make a beautiful impression, especially when we were there with the sun. Part of it has remained intact. It is special because of the tombs, mummies, sarcophagus, glass and lead, statues and a film that shows what happened.
Google
Written March 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dubz
Oxford, UK289 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
Very interesting place to visit, even if you dont like history. The ruins are amazing, and within them, there are various antiquities from the area and beyond. There is a inside part which even more artifacts from tombs to mummies to carving of stones etc. Do not miss the cinematic experience at the end. That is very well done, done in native tongue and English. The graphics and the story are really top notch, with the pictures being fitted perfectly within the large wall.
Written February 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, Lisbon

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