The city of Lisbon isn’t just an entertainment, leisure, and cultural hub for adults. It also offers a wide variety of cultural spaces to visit as a family, many of them featuring educational and highly entertaining experiences —if you will, true museums for children.
Children of all ages have a wide range of places to learn at their disposal, such as these nine museums designed for the curious minds of little ones—and, of course, adults too!
If there’s one place where the whole family will literally have fun from start to finish, it’s the Museum of Illusions. Located in the heart of Lisbon, in the Chiado district, nothing in this space is what it seems: your senses and logic are pushed to the limit.
With dozens of interactive installations, holograms, and rooms designed to confuse visual perception, the space offers an immersive 45- to 60-minute visit that blends entertainment with scientific, physical, and psychological principles.
Along the way, visitors walk on the ceiling in the Inverted Room, change size in the Ames Room, and test their balance in the Vortex Tunnel. In addition to fun moments, the Museum of Illusions is synonymous with excellent photos!
There isn’t a boy who isn’t fascinated by cars, or a girl who doesn’t have fun with the fantastic world of carriages reminiscent of Cinderella.
And that’s why the National Coach Museum is our first suggestion, because whether boy or girl, everyone will enjoy learning a little more about our history and this mode of transportation.
Between Bairro Alto and Bica, just before reaching the Santa Catarina Viewpoint (Adamastor), there is a museum that might go unnoticed, but which holds the history of our health.
We’re sure the little ones will love exploring every corner of this space, filled with life-size models of old-fashioned pharmacies.
At the Pavilion of Knowledge, you can spend a whole day with the little ones, exploring, discovering, and learning more about the why behind things.
And the best part is that everyone is invited to get hands-on, that is, to actively participate in the various experiences you’ll find here.
Get ready to step into a world full of puppets and marionettes, in a museum that will delight not only the little ones but also the grown-ups who appreciate this more folkloric and traditional form of craftsmanship.
Here you’ll find various collections of masks and puppets from all over the world, from Asia to Mexico, including Brazil and Europe.
At the Puppet Museum, you’ll also find a packed schedule of family-friendly activities.
3D Fun Art Museum
The 3D Fun Art Museum is, without a doubt, one of the most entertaining museums in the city!
In this museum with about 40 three-dimensional installations, the little ones will be completely dazzled by incredible optical illusions that will make for a fantastic photo album of memories.
Museum of Natural History and Science
For all children who love science, this is the ideal museum, perfect for exploring the evolution of species while learning more about animals and plants.
And if your little ones love dinosaurs, then this museum is the place to be, because this is where you’ll find plenty of information about what we know today about these prehistoric giants.
Once here, be sure to visit the botanical gardens as well—both the Lisbon Botanical Garden and the Tropical Botanical Garden. The kids are sure to love them.
It may seem out of place, but we guarantee that you and your family will leave the Money Museum with a much better understanding of the importance of currency in society, all while having fun minting your face on one side of a coin. It’s the promise of a half-day well spent
Museum of the Orient
Dedicated to Asian culture, the Museu do Oriente is a feast for the eyes of the little ones.
Here, the little ones will learn all about the Portuguese presence in Asia, and they can also participate in many activities and workshops.
