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Considering that, in the current pandemic context, we are unable to invite you to visit it in person, we are pleased to offer you a digital tour through the National Museum of Natural History and Science. This Museum is one of the best Portuguese museums in terms of accessibility, communication and museology. It began as the Royal Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden (c. 1750) and, later, the National Museum of Lisbon (1861). In 1911, with the creation of the University of Lisbon, the Museum was declared an extension of the Faculty of Sciences, becoming the National Museum of Natural History (1926).
After successive changes throughout the 20th century, the National Museum of Natural History and Science integrates, since 2011, various collections, the old buildings of the Escola Politécnica, Lisbon’s Botanical Garden and the Astronomical Observatory of Lisbon located in Ajuda. All of these are included in its interactive website, via 360 HDR technology.
The visit begins at Rua da Escola Politécnica, where you will have access to the entrance hall of the Museum. This begins the journey through history: the last great 19th-century chemistry laboratory, the Laboratorio Chimico, the magnificent amphitheatre, the Amphiteatro Chimico and the Visitable Reserve, where you can see the chemistry collections. After the visit to the Cloister, on the 1st floor, you may visit the exhibitions Memory of the Polytechnic and Naturalistic Collections at Sala da Baleia. All this online experience allows the visitor to get to know some of the MUHNAC spaces and its history a little better.
National Museum of Natural History and Science