Museu Nacional de Arqueologia
Museu Nacional de Arqueologia
Museu Nacional de Arqueologia
3.5
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Neighborhood: Belém
Belém is the "capital of the Portuguese Discoveries" and a photographer's paradise. You can spend an entire day exploring this neighborhood: monuments (Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, Monument to the Discoveries), museums (Coach Museum, Centro Cultural de Belém) and breathtaking views of the Tagus river will make your visit worth your time. Belém also offers a variety of restaurants and cafes, namely the famous - and delicious - "Pastéis de Belém" (typical Portuguese custard tarts; make sure you buy an extra box of those!). Easily accessible from Lisbon's historic center, Belém is a must-do, especially if you're spending more than one day visiting the Portuguese capital.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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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3.5
252 reviews
Excellent
47
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91
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72
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Terrible
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DadandCab
Coffs Harbour, Australia1,345 contributions
Dec 2024 • Solo
I didn’t enjoy this museum as much as I’d hoped. It was easy to get to with several buses and a tram going straight past the door and it wasn’t busy, but it was let down a little by access to the exhibits and the presence of a tour group with a guide that blocked several exhibits for ten to fifteen minutes at a time preventing anyone else getting a look in. As the displays are designed to be sequential on each floor starting at the bottom and going up, the tour group blocking access to the first two exhibits meant I had to start elsewhere and then go back once they’d moved. I also had to listen to their guide drone on at length the entire time I was in that area. In addition, the information is on a low shelf in between where you stand and where the items are able to be viewed. This means they are up to half a metre or more away sometimes making it difficult to see the detail and you need to keep bending over to read the accompanying notes at around knee level. Not very user friendly. Upstairs there are interactive displays and mirrored cabinets enabling much better viewing of the detail of the items displayed. These methods would definitely have enhanced viewing of the jewellery on display, even if just the key pieces. Still worth a visit and the café at the top has a great view.
Written December 23, 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.
MartimA_12
Botucatu, SP42,844 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
Walking through Lisbon, my girlfriend and I passed by the National Archeology Museum located in the western wing of the Jerónimos Monastery, where the Monastery's old dormitory was located. The construction is in Manueline style. It opened in 1883.
The Museum's collection brings together the initial collections of the founder - José Leite de Vasconcellos, an aristocratic Portuguese archaeologist, and other donors.
An interesting museum with fantastic architecture.
The Museum's collection brings together the initial collections of the founder - José Leite de Vasconcellos, an aristocratic Portuguese archaeologist, and other donors.
An interesting museum with fantastic architecture.
Written August 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.
8-drank-was-merry 🧳 🛫🍛🍻🍸🍨
Naples, FL4,433 contributions
Sep 2019
When I am visiting a foreign country I don't have a lot of patience for average museums, especially if they don't specifically pertain to the location I am visiting.
We came here because it was "free" with the Lisboa card that we had already activated and we wanted to give it a shot before heading back to central Lisbon. The artifacts are cool, and I would imagine that in a different context the visit to the museum would have been more enjoyable. With the Lisboa card we skipped the long lines. I feel bad for the people that waited in line, paid the entrance fee, and then were equally disappointed. Oh well. Take my opinion for what it is worth.
We came here because it was "free" with the Lisboa card that we had already activated and we wanted to give it a shot before heading back to central Lisbon. The artifacts are cool, and I would imagine that in a different context the visit to the museum would have been more enjoyable. With the Lisboa card we skipped the long lines. I feel bad for the people that waited in line, paid the entrance fee, and then were equally disappointed. Oh well. Take my opinion for what it is worth.
Written October 14, 2019
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.
Tamara954
Bluffton, SC368 contributions
Feb 2018 • Solo
Note that you have to place your bag into a locker before going into the exhibits -
it's a 1 Euro locker, and you get the Euro back at the end. I found this convenience since i was carrying a bag and jacket and leave this safely in the locker. I also noticed there was a room off the locker area where you could buy beverages from a vending machine, including bottled water.
Everything in this museum is displayed well with thought to the arrangement and excellent lighting. The Egyptian wing that had 3 mummies and many other Egyptian artifacts. The lighting was low, and the walls were painted a dark gun metal gray, with all the artifacts in different chamber rooms, so the effect was sort of like walking through a tomb. Each piece was showcased in a glass-enclosed pedestal or hung in a glass case along the walls at eye level and properly pin-spot lighted with the rest of the room kept dim. Even the little funeral statues (couple inches high) were each placed on a big chunk of Lucite, then enclosed is glass and spotlighted on the walls so you could really appreciate the fine details.
The next exhibit was a golden treasures room. For this one, you had to go through a metal detector on the way in and on the way out. Photography was not allowed in this room. Again, these items were displayed first class. Each gold item got the attention it deserved. There was a lot of women’s jewelry – mostly earrings and bracelets. Stand-out pieces were a 4-inch bird broach (?) with inlaid stone or glass, a ram’s head drinking cup, and a gold helmet. WOW! The ram cup was my favorite.
The rest of the museum had artifacts from the Roman period, then the Muslim occupation (500 years), and finally the Christian crusades/overthrow. The supporting videos on the monitors were very interesting and informative - I watched them all. When you enter this wing with the videos, start on the left side and work your way around (clockwise) so you end the exhibit on Christianity - it's arranged by the timeline. I enjoyed my visit and would recommend this one.
it's a 1 Euro locker, and you get the Euro back at the end. I found this convenience since i was carrying a bag and jacket and leave this safely in the locker. I also noticed there was a room off the locker area where you could buy beverages from a vending machine, including bottled water.
Everything in this museum is displayed well with thought to the arrangement and excellent lighting. The Egyptian wing that had 3 mummies and many other Egyptian artifacts. The lighting was low, and the walls were painted a dark gun metal gray, with all the artifacts in different chamber rooms, so the effect was sort of like walking through a tomb. Each piece was showcased in a glass-enclosed pedestal or hung in a glass case along the walls at eye level and properly pin-spot lighted with the rest of the room kept dim. Even the little funeral statues (couple inches high) were each placed on a big chunk of Lucite, then enclosed is glass and spotlighted on the walls so you could really appreciate the fine details.
The next exhibit was a golden treasures room. For this one, you had to go through a metal detector on the way in and on the way out. Photography was not allowed in this room. Again, these items were displayed first class. Each gold item got the attention it deserved. There was a lot of women’s jewelry – mostly earrings and bracelets. Stand-out pieces were a 4-inch bird broach (?) with inlaid stone or glass, a ram’s head drinking cup, and a gold helmet. WOW! The ram cup was my favorite.
The rest of the museum had artifacts from the Roman period, then the Muslim occupation (500 years), and finally the Christian crusades/overthrow. The supporting videos on the monitors were very interesting and informative - I watched them all. When you enter this wing with the videos, start on the left side and work your way around (clockwise) so you end the exhibit on Christianity - it's arranged by the timeline. I enjoyed my visit and would recommend this one.
Written February 4, 2018
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.
FMB
San Francisco, CA9 contributions
Jul 2019 • Friends
Read that getting a ticket at the Archaeology Museum will get you a ticket faster than waiting in line at Monastery. Bought a ticket and paid extra. Thought we would take advantage and see the exhibit. CAUTION : they will not let you in with a purse. I was not keen on leaving my valuables (passport, ID, credit cards, camera etc.) in this place. I didn't have pockets. Asked for my money back and they refused. Finally took the chance and checked my purse. The exhibit is really lame and not worth the risk of checking valuables. It is only a couple of rooms. The gold exhibit shows very crude pieces of jewelry. Nothing to warrant the added security of leaving purses and bags. Went through the exhibit in less than 10 minutes. Be warned!
Written July 26, 2019
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.
Sarah T
Oakland, CA124 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
The line for this and the neighboring attraction are HUGE.
We left and returned the next day, 30 min after opening.
There are 2 lines--you can buy tickets for BOTH attractions from either line! However, they have the left line marked for the Archeological museum.
Bottom line is this is not a world-class exhibit so if there is too long a line go do something else.
After purchasing your ticket from the automated machine, you can go left or right--2 entries with different exhibits.
On the left are lockers; no bags allowed. You will need a 1 Euro coin.
Plusses: interesting and diverse collection.
Bathroom clean enough.
Minuses: like most museums in Lisbon we found no work on the "story" here. We are pretty patient museum-goers so when we feel unengaged by the exhibit it's a surprise. You will get "this is a mummy" "this is a document"--but no meaningful context. You also get "Christians, Moors, and Jews all lived together in the same area at this time." No duh. And? Could you tell us how that worked out for all the parties involved? Because we noticed ya kicked the Jews out and built churches on top of the mosques. Any story to tell?
In some parts of the exhibit, there are laminated placards in English. These do not offer any more substantive or interesting information, unfortunately.
In the jewelry section a limited number of folks are allowed in at a time. We walked right in but by the time we left that exhibit section there was a line to get in. (After the huge line you already waited in to get a ticket!)
There was an employee watching visitors remove their things from lockers and, if they did not take their Euro from the locker she took it. In one case the group of people was still standing in the area. She could have easily mentioned it. Seemed unfriendly at best.
We left and returned the next day, 30 min after opening.
There are 2 lines--you can buy tickets for BOTH attractions from either line! However, they have the left line marked for the Archeological museum.
Bottom line is this is not a world-class exhibit so if there is too long a line go do something else.
After purchasing your ticket from the automated machine, you can go left or right--2 entries with different exhibits.
On the left are lockers; no bags allowed. You will need a 1 Euro coin.
Plusses: interesting and diverse collection.
Bathroom clean enough.
Minuses: like most museums in Lisbon we found no work on the "story" here. We are pretty patient museum-goers so when we feel unengaged by the exhibit it's a surprise. You will get "this is a mummy" "this is a document"--but no meaningful context. You also get "Christians, Moors, and Jews all lived together in the same area at this time." No duh. And? Could you tell us how that worked out for all the parties involved? Because we noticed ya kicked the Jews out and built churches on top of the mosques. Any story to tell?
In some parts of the exhibit, there are laminated placards in English. These do not offer any more substantive or interesting information, unfortunately.
In the jewelry section a limited number of folks are allowed in at a time. We walked right in but by the time we left that exhibit section there was a line to get in. (After the huge line you already waited in to get a ticket!)
There was an employee watching visitors remove their things from lockers and, if they did not take their Euro from the locker she took it. In one case the group of people was still standing in the area. She could have easily mentioned it. Seemed unfriendly at best.
Written April 25, 2019
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.
Peter S
Sidcup, UK142 contributions
Nov 2016 • Friends
I am going to preface this by saying this cost 5-6€ to enter so we probably shouldn't have expected the world. Still, for something that called itself the National Museum of Archaeology it was rather thin on the ground in terms of things to see. There was also a metal detector before the treasury room... which felt a bit unnecessary seeing how you only got scanned on the way in and not the way out.
If, like us, you have a Lisboa Card then it's worth a punt seeing how you can get in free. Otherwise, I would really not bother giving this the time of day.
If, like us, you have a Lisboa Card then it's worth a punt seeing how you can get in free. Otherwise, I would really not bother giving this the time of day.
Written November 21, 2016
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.
Vanessa L
Amsterdam, The Netherlands51 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
The archaeological museum is quite small but I enjoyed the variety of the exhibitions. If you like mummies and antique jewelry you will enjoy it for sure. A big plus is that here you can buy a pass that includes the Jeronimo museum and the Belem tower which will save you hours!...the queues on those other two places get really long.
Written September 12, 2016
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.
psp747
Fremont, CA65 contributions
Sep 2022 • Friends
For some reason, TripAdvisor and Google don’t mention the fact that this museum is closed from 2022 until 2025 for remodeling.
But if you’re in the area there’s a Maritime Museum to the left of this closed museum and a monastery you can tour to the right of the museum.
Across the street is a very large museum of modern and contemporary art.
But if you’re in the area there’s a Maritime Museum to the left of this closed museum and a monastery you can tour to the right of the museum.
Across the street is a very large museum of modern and contemporary art.
Written September 14, 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.
Monique688
Belfast, UK34 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
Only bought a ticket to the museum because that’s where we had to go to get a ticket to the monastery. Figured we’d walk around the exhibitions only for me to be told my small handbag was too large and had to be left in one of their lockers. When challenged, the staff were very rude and when I went to the locker area the second, male staff member continued in the same rude and obnoxious way. He even went so far as to speak to my boyfriend and not look at me at all.
My advice, don’t waste your time, there isn’t even air conditioning to cool off on a hot day.
My advice, don’t waste your time, there isn’t even air conditioning to cool off on a hot day.
Written October 12, 2019
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.
La sala de arte egipcio está abierta siempre ya que quiero ir el 21 de Mayo del 2019.
Written April 20, 2019
Do you need to use Lisbon Card exchange a ticket to go in or just show them the card as a ticket?
Written June 27, 2018
Show them the Lisbon card, they will give you a ticket for entry. You keep your Lisbon card.
Written June 27, 2018
Is it included in Lisboa card? Do I have to make queue all the same?
Written October 10, 2017
Yes, this Museum is included in LisboaCard: you can visit the Museum and after Jerome Monasterium. So you won't to queue up.
Written October 18, 2017
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