In this list, you’ll find the free museums in and around Lisbon that always have their doors open , so you can go as often as you like.
You’ll learn a lot there, from the history of money to the Salo region, to which Lisbon is so close and has such a strong connection.
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Money Museum
As well as being well located, in the heart of Lisbon’s Baixa district, and storing a (literally) valuable collection, the Money Museum is our first suggestion of free museums in Lisbon.
Housed in the former Church of São Julião, it talks about the history and evolution of money through an interactive tour.
Minting and printing virtual coins or banknotes with your face, seeing what banknotes are made of under a microscope and touching a bar of gold are just some of the experiences you’ll find.
Address: Largo de São Julião
Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m
National Sports Museum
It’s one of the best kept secrets in the Restauradores area. Anyone passing by the Palácio Foz might notice the tourist office (Ask Me Lisboa), but it’s hard to imagine that inside the building there’s also a museum, and a free one at that.
Inaugurated in 2012 to commemorate the centenary of Portugal’s participation in the Olympic Games, it displays authentic treasures of Portuguese sport, such as official equipment and medals, Eusébio’s golden boot or Joaquim Agostinho’s yellow jersey.
Another jewel in the crown is its beautiful library, which houses more than 60,000 titles, including “De Arte Gymnastica“ by Hieronymi Mercurialis, considered to be the first sports book ever published (1577).
Address: Jamor Swimming Pool Complex (Oeiras)
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m
Rua dos Correeiros Archaeological Site
Entering through the Millennium BCP building, you come to this archaeological site in the Baixa which reveals more than 2,500 years of Lisbon’s history, from the Punic period to the Pombaline period.
At the site, the many Roman remains found there stand out, such as the garum tanks (a very popular sauce at the time), but also ceramic materials and even part of a Roman road.
During your visit, you’ ll also be able to see the famous Pombaline staircase and an 18th century bread oven. Admission is free, subject to prior registration by calling 211 131 004.
Address: Rua dos Correeiros 21 (Baixa)
Opening hours: from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m
Casa dos Bicos Archaeological Site
Few people know that there are free museums inside Casa dos Bicos, but in fact, this historic building in Lisbon is home to more than just the José Saramago Foundation (which has a €3 entrance fee).
On the first floor is the Casa dos Bicos Archaeological Center, part of the Lisbon Museum network, which tells the story of the city from the Roman occupation to the 18th century.
There, you’ll find Roman remains (such as cetaria), sections of the late Roman wall and the medieval wall, as well as objects collected in the various archaeological campaigns that have passed through the site, such as pipes and vases.
Address: Rua dos Bacalhoeiros 10
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m
Health Museum
Inside the Capuchos Hospital there are not one, but two free museums. The most recent is the Health Museum, inaugurated in 2017 in the former Neurosurgery Department.
Inside, you’ll find the exhibition “800 Years of Health in Portugal”, with more than 400 pieces, such as laboratory equipment, surgical equipment and photographs.
It is only open on Wednesdays (or on other days by appointment) and offers a guided tour to everyone who stops by.
Address: Alameda de Santo António dos Capuchos (Capuchos Hospital)
Schedule: Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m
Dermatology Museum
Also at Hospital dos Capuchos, you can visit (on Wednesdays only) one of Lisbon’s strangest (and most macabre) museums: the Dermatology Museum.
It exhibits more than 250 wax masks that explicitly reveal the effects of certain skin diseases, such as syphilis or tuberculosis.
The realism of the collection, kept at Salão Nobre do Hospital dos Capuchos, is due to the fact that the molds were taken directly from the faces (and not only) of the patients.
All the figures were commissioned by the Fine Arts Society in the 1930s and 1940s and even the hair, fur and eyelashes are natural.
Address: Hospital de S. António dos Capuchos, Alameda de Santo António dos Capuchos
Schedule: Wednesdays from 2pm to 5pm
Memory Space in Loures
There is a new museum in Loures that highlights the culture and identity of the Saloia Region. Entry is free and there you can take a trip back to 1147.
O Memory Space is the new historical repository in Loures whose main mission is to publicize and promote the culture and identity of the Saloia Region, which in the early years of the capital played a key role in the country’s economy.
Address: Rua Principal 102, in the Tété company building (Lousa – Loures)
Tickets: free, with reservations by e-mail espacomemoria@tete.pt
