📌Where it is
Praça Mauá 1, in Rio de Janeiro's port district (Porto Maravilha), on the Boulevard Olímpico and a short walk from the Museu de Arte do Rio.
📌Getting there
By VLT (the Centro lines, Parada dos Museus / Praça Mauá stop), on foot from Praça XV or Uruguaiana, or by taxi. The nearest metro station is Uruguaiana, about a fifteen-minute walk away.
📌How much time to spend
Between 2 and 3 hours for the museum; half a day if you add the Boulevard Olímpico, the Etnias mural and the Museu de Arte do Rio.
📌Best time
Thursday to Tuesday, when it's open (it closes on Wednesdays). At sunset, the square and the pier in front of the museum are among the best spots in the Centro.
📌Currency and prices
Brazilian real (R$). General admission R$ 40 and half-price R$ 20; on the 10th of each month it costs R$ 10 (2026).
📌Language
Portuguese, with material and experiences in English and Spanish across much of the exhibition.
📌Most surprising
That Calatrava's building works as part of the exhibition: it draws water from the bay for its climate control and has moving solar panels on the roof that track the sun.
📌Watch out for
Wednesdays: the museum is closed. And the area at night, which empties out quite a bit outside of events.
💱 BRL exchange rate
Loading rate…
🌤️ Weather in Museu do Amanhã
Loading weather…
From outside it looks like a ship run aground on the pier: Santiago Calatrava's white structure leaning out over Guanabara Bay, with its moving fins and the reflecting pools around it. Inside, the Museu do Amanhã doesn't display objects but questions: how we got here as a species, what we're doing to the planet and what kind of world may lie ahead depending on what we decide over the coming decades.
It opened in December 2015 as the centrepiece of the port district's regeneration, Porto Maravilha, which gave the city back a stretch of waterfront that had been buried under an elevated motorway. The visit is immersive and audiovisual, organised into five main areas — Cosmos, Earth, Anthropocene, Tomorrow and Us — with wraparound projections, interactive installations and hard data on climate, biodiversity and population.
Around it is the Boulevard Olímpico, the waterfront promenade along the pier, with Eduardo Kobra's Etnias mural — one of the largest graffiti works in the world — the Museu de Arte do Rio, the AquaRio, food trucks and samba circles at weekends. Here you'll find the official 2026 prices and opening hours, how to get there by VLT, what to see inside and how to link it with the rest of Porto Maravilha.
📖 History of Museu do Amanhã
For most of the 20th century, Rio's port district was a run-down area cut off from the rest of the city by the Elevado da Perimetral, an elevated motorway built in the sixties. The Olympic bid drove the Porto Maravilha project: between 2011 and 2016 the viaduct was demolished, traffic was moved underground into tunnels, kilometres of infrastructure were renewed and a waterfront promenade, the Boulevard Olímpico, was created. As part of this, the Museu do Amanhã was built, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava on the Píer Mauá, with 15,000 square metres and a cantilevered structure that stretches out over the bay. It opened on 17 December 2015 and is run by the Instituto de Desenvolvimento e Gestão (IDG) together with the Prefeitura do Rio. The building was conceived as an environmental manifesto: it draws water from Guanabara Bay for its climate control system and has moving photovoltaic panels on the roof that turn to follow the sun. Its permanent exhibition is an audiovisual experience about the origin of the universe, the Earth, human impact — the Anthropocene — and possible futures. The Porto Maravilha works also uncovered the Cais do Valongo, the old wharf where hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans were landed, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, just a few blocks from the museum.
🗺️ What to see
Tours nearby, in Rio De Janeiro
If you only have one day, take a guided tour on the first one: it sets up the rest of your trip and saves you a lot of walking. We look ours up on Civitatis: guided in Spanish and booked online with no fuss. They have over 50 activities in Rio De Janeiro. And there are free tours here: you book without paying and tip the guide whatever you think at the end, so trying one costs you nothing. Three are below so you get the idea: tap any of them and they all open.
They depart from Rio De Janeiro, 2 km away. If you book from this link we earn a commission and you pay no more.
1
The main exhibition: Cosmos, Earth, Anthropocene, Tomorrow and Us
The permanent exhibition, an audiovisual and interactive experience about the origin of the universe, life, human impact and possible futures.
Leer más ↓
The permanent exhibition is organised into five main areas. Cosmos opens with a wraparound dome projection on the origin of the universe; Earth presents three large cubes dedicated to matter, life and thought; Anthropocene shows, on six projection totems, the scale of human impact on the planet — emissions, population, consumption, biodiversity; Tomorrow explores possible scenarios depending on the decisions we make; and Us closes the visit by bringing it back to the human scale.
There are no display cases with objects: it's all screens, sound, data and interactive experiences, with a strong scientific component. It takes about two hours and works very well with teenagers and older kids.
Getting there: entrance at Praça Mauá 1. Best time: opening (10:00) or mid-afternoon, avoiding school-group peaks. Tips: tickets are booked by time slot: the 10:00 ticket lets you in between 10:00 and 10:59.
2
Calatrava's building and the reflecting pools
The architecture as part of the exhibition: the cantilevered structure over the pier, the moving solar fins and the system that uses water from the bay.
Leer más ↓
The building is a reason to come even if you don't go inside. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, it cantilevers out over the Píer Mauá, with a roof of moving fins covered in photovoltaic panels that adjust to the sun's position, and large reflecting pools around it that mirror the structure and cool the surroundings.
The climate control system uses water drawn from Guanabara Bay, which is then returned, and the complex has earned sustainable building certifications. The outdoor walkway, around the building and along the pier, is free to access: you can walk, take photos and sit looking out over the bay without entering the museum.
Getting there: Praça Mauá, free outdoor walkway. Best time: late afternoon, with the sun low over the bay. Tips: the best photo of the building is from the side pier, not from the square.
3
The Boulevard Olímpico and Kobra's Etnias mural
Porto Maravilha's waterfront promenade, with artist Eduardo Kobra's giant mural dedicated to the indigenous peoples of the five continents.
Leer más ↓
The Boulevard Olímpico is the promenade born from the demolition of the elevated motorway: a pedestrian corridor along the water linking Praça Mauá with the area of the old port warehouses. Its most famous work is Etnias (also called 'Todos somos uno'), the mural Eduardo Kobra painted in 2016 on a wall of almost 3,000 square metres, with five indigenous faces representing the five continents and the five Olympic rings. It was once recognised as the largest spray-paint mural in the world.
The boulevard has food trucks, a cycle lane, benches and cultural events, and at weekends it fills up with people, music and samba circles. It's free and open.
Getting there: steps from the museum; VLT to the Praça Mauá area. Best time: weekend afternoons. Tips: walk the boulevard to the Pedra do Sal and Cais do Valongo area to understand the neighbourhood's history.
4
The Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR)
The city's art museum, opposite the Museu do Amanhã: two buildings joined by a wave-shaped roof, with a collection and exhibitions about Rio.
Leer más ↓
On the other side of Praça Mauá is the MAR, opened in 2013 as Porto Maravilha's first cultural landmark. It occupies two very different buildings — an eclectic 1918 mansion and a modernist building that used to be a bus terminal — joined by a large wave-shaped roof that gives it its distinctive silhouette.
Its programme revolves around the city: Brazilian art, urban history, popular culture and temporary exhibitions curated in-house. It also has a school of looking (Escola do Olhar) and a terrace with views over the bay. It's the natural pairing with the Museu do Amanhã on the same day.
Getting there: Praça Mauá 5, opposite. Best time: Tuesday to Sunday, depending on the programme. Tips: check its free-entry day and opening hours before you go, as they change with the season.
5
The AquaRio and the port area
South America's largest marine aquarium, a few blocks away, and the rest of the regenerated neighbourhood: Cais do Valongo, Pedra do Sal and the port warehouses.
Leer más ↓
A few minutes' walk away is the AquaRio, billed as the largest marine aquarium in South America, with about 26,000 square metres of built area, 4.5 million litres of water and around 10,000 animals from some 350 species. It's open every day from 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00, and sells tickets through its official website, with discounts for booking in advance.
The neighbourhood also holds deeper layers of history: the Cais do Valongo, the wharf where hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans were landed, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017; the Pedra do Sal, the birthplace of carioca samba, with open samba circles on some nights of the week; and the port warehouses converted into cultural spaces.
Getting there: on foot from Praça Mauá or by VLT. Best time: daytime for the aquarium, a samba night for the Pedra do Sal. Tips: AquaRio parking is charged separately (R$ 55 for up to three hours for visitors with a ticket, according to the official website).
💵 Prices
Tickets
| Type | Price |
|---|
| Entrada general (inteira) | R$ 40,00 (source: museudoamanha.org.br, ingressos section, verified 22/09/2026) |
| Media entrada | R$ 20,00, on presentation of documentation proving eligibility (source: museudoamanha.org.br, verified 22/09/2026) |
| Promoción 'Todo dia 10, R$ 10' | R$ 10,00 on the 10th of each month, for the museum's 10th anniversary; no additional half-price discount applies to this promotional price (source: museudoamanha.org.br, verified 22/09/2026) |
| Gratuidades | The museum offers free admission in the cases provided for, on presentation of supporting documentation. It's best to check the exact conditions on the official website before your visit |
| Horario | Thursday to Tuesday, 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:00, including public holidays. Closed on Wednesdays (source: museudoamanha.org.br, verified 22/09/2026) |
| Franja horaria del ticket | Admission is booked by time slot: the 10:00 ticket, for example, can be used between 10:00 and 10:59 |
| Boulevard Olímpico y mural Etnias | Free: they're open-air public spaces |
| AquaRio (atracción vecina) | Tickets on sale at ingressos.aquariomarinhodorio.com.br, with a discount for booking in advance; open 9:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:00. Parking R$ 55 for up to 3 hours for visitors with a ticket (source: aquariomarinhodorio.com.br, verified 22/09/2026) |
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
Activities and tours
| Activity | Price | Duration | Operator |
|---|
| Visit to the Museu do Amanhã's main exhibition | R$ 40 general / R$ 20 half-price / R$ 10 on the 10th (2026) | 2 to 3 h | Museu do Amanhã (IDG / Prefeitura do Rio) |
| Walk along the Boulevard Olímpico and the Etnias mural | Free | 1 to 2 h | Self-guided |
| Visit to the Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) | Separate admission, with free days; check with the museum | 1.5 to 2 h | MAR |
| AquaRio | According to the current rate on its official website | 2 h | AquaRio |
| Samba circle at the Pedra do Sal | Free (drinks and food extra) | One evening | Local samba collectives |
| Historical walk around the Cais do Valongo and the African heritage circuit | Free on your own; guided tours with local guides | 2 h | Pequena África circuit guides |
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
🚌 How to get there and distances
Getting around
NotesIt's the best way to get there: the VLT connects Santos Dumont, Central do Brasil, Praça XV and Cinelândia with the port area and Praça Mauá (source: VLT Carioca / Motiva, verified 22/09/2026)
NotesThe nearest station is Uruguaiana; from there you walk to Praça Mauá or change to the VLT (source: MetrôRio, verified 22/09/2026)
On foot from the historic Centro
Free
NotesYou can walk from Praça XV or Candelária; the route passes the Igreja da Candelária and the banking district
Taxi and ride-hailing apps
Variable fare
Bicycle
Hourly rental or day pass
NotesThe Boulevard Olímpico has its own cycle lane and connects with the centre and the Aterro do Flamengo
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
How to get there
| Route | Airlines / operators | Avg. price | Duration |
|---|
| Copacabana / Ipanema → Museu do Amanhã | MetrôRio to Uruguaiana or Carioca + VLT | R$ 7,90 + R$ 5,00 | 35 to 45 min |
| Historic Centro → Museu do Amanhã | VLT or on foot | R$ 5,00 / free | 10 to 25 min |
| Santos Dumont Airport (SDU) → Museu do Amanhã | Direct VLT | R$ 5,00 | 15 to 20 min |
| Galeão International Airport (GIG) → Museu do Amanhã | Taxi or ride-hailing apps | Variable fare | 25 to 40 min |
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
🏨 Where to stay
No exact prices: a scale from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (luxury), with 2-3 options per category.
Recommended optionsNew and converted hotels in the Porto Maravilha area and the Centro, with good prices at weekends; at night the neighbourhood is quiet, almost empty outside of events.
Recommended optionsCharacterful guesthouses on the hill, fifteen or twenty minutes by taxi from the museum.
Recommended optionsMid-range hotels and hostels along metro Line 1, halfway between the beaches and the Centro.
Zona Sul (Copacabana, Ipanema)
Recommended optionsThe usual base for travellers: you sleep near the beach and come to Porto Maravilha for the day, in about forty minutes.
🍴 Where to eat
Options / signature dishThe museum itself has a café and shop, handy for a break during your visit.
Food trucks y quioscos del Boulevard
Options / signature dishAlong the waterfront promenade there are food trucks and stalls, especially busy at weekends and on event days.
Restaurantes del Centro y la zona portuaria
Options / signature dishIn the streets of the Centro, ten minutes away, there are pay-by-weight restaurants and traditional botequins, especially at lunchtime on weekdays.
Bares de la Pequena África y la Pedra do Sal
Options / signature dishAround Pedra do Sal there are bars with simple food and beer that fill up on samba circle nights.
❓ Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to get into the Museu do Amanhã?+
General admission costs R$ 40 and the half-price ticket R$ 20, on presenting documents that prove eligibility. There's also a permanent promotion: on the 10th of every month admission costs R$ 10, celebrating the museum's ten years, and no further discount applies to that price. Official prices checked on 22/09/2026 on the museum's website.
What are the opening hours and which day is it closed?+
It opens Thursday to Tuesday, from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:00, public holidays included. It's closed on Wednesdays. Tickets are booked by time slot: the 10:00 ticket, for example, lets you enter between 10:00 and 10:59.
Is there still a free admission day?+
We couldn't confirm it. The museum's official website mentions free admission for the eligible cases, with supporting documents, but as of 22 September 2026 it did not list a free day for the general public; what it does list is the R$ 10 promotion on the 10th of every month. If you're travelling with that expectation, check the museum's website before you go.
What's inside?+
It's not a museum of objects but an audiovisual, interactive experience across five areas: Cosmos (an immersive projection about the origin of the universe), Earth (matter, life and thought), Anthropocene (human impact on the planet), Tomorrow (possible scenarios) and Us (the closing section, on a human scale). It takes about two hours to go through.
How do I get there?+
The simplest option is the VLT, which costs R$ 5,00, runs from 5:00 to 23:00 and links Santos Dumont airport, Central do Brasil, Praça XV and Cinelândia with Praça Mauá. From the Zona Sul, the usual route is the metro (R$ 7,90) to Carioca or Uruguaiana, then the VLT or a fifteen-minute walk.
What else is nearby?+
The Boulevard Olímpico with Eduardo Kobra's Etnias mural —around 3.000 square metres painted in 2016—, the Museu de Arte do Rio right opposite, the AquaRio a few blocks away, the Cais do Valongo (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017) and Pedra do Sal, the birthplace of Rio's samba, with open samba circles on some nights.
Is the neighbourhood safe?+
By day and during museum hours, with visitors around and the VLT running, it's a normal area. At night, outside Boulevard events, the port area empties out quite a bit: to get back after dark, it's best to take a taxi or a ride-hailing app.
Sources consulted (8)
- Museu do Amanhã — Programe sua visita / Ingressos (R$ 40 inteira, R$ 20 meia, 'Todo dia 10, R$ 10', ticket time slot): https://museudoamanha.org.br/visite/programe-sua-visita
- Museu do Amanhã — Visite (opening hours: Thursday to Tuesday from 10h to 18h, last entry 17h, public holidays included): https://museudoamanha.org.br/pt-br/visite
- AquaRio — opening hours (9h to 17h, last entry 16h), ticket sales and parking: https://www.aquariomarinhodorio.com.br/
- Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR): https://www.museudeartedorio.org.br/
- VLT Carioca / Motiva — R$ 5,00 fare and service from 5h to 23h: https://trilhos.motiva.com.br/redir/vltrio/
- MetrôRio — Meios e Tarifas (R$ 7,90 since 12/04/2026): https://www.metrorio.com.br/ComoPagar/MeiosTarifas
- Wikipedia (ES) — «Museo del Mañana»: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_del_Ma%C3%B1ana
- UNESCO — Cais do Valongo, World Heritage (2017): https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1548/
