Museu de História Natural do Funchal
Municipal museum in the Palácio de São Pedro, with specimens of the fauna, flora and geology of Madeira, Porto Santo, the Desertas and the Selvagens.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Funchal Municipal Council approved the creation of the Museu Regional da Madeira in 1929, and the museum opened to the public on 5 October 1933, becoming the first museum on the island created by a public body and still operating today. Its first director was the naturalist Adolfo César de Noronha; the taxidermist Günther Maul, who arrived in 1930, prepared most of the specimens on display and directed the museum from 1940 to 1981.
The museum is housed in the Palácio de São Pedro, an 18th-century building that was the residence of the Counts of Carvalhal. The Council bought the palace in 1929 and installed the museum and the Municipal Library (Biblioteca Municipal) there. In 1953 the Municipal Aquarium opened in the east wing; it is currently temporarily closed.
After several names, since 2010 the museum has been called the Museu de História Natural do Funchal, keeping the acronym MMF, linked to its internationally recognised scientific collections. All the specimens on display come from the Madeira archipelago and the surrounding North Atlantic.
Highlights
- Exhibits of birds, mammals, reptiles and fish from Madeira
- Marine and terrestrial invertebrates of the archipelago
- Room dedicated to the Laurissilva, Madeira's forest
- Rocks, minerals and fossils from Madeira
- Sharks and rays
- Small Garden of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants
Permanent exhibition
- Exposição permanente de história natural – Rooms devoted to birds, mammals, bony fish, marine reptiles, sharks and rays, marine and terrestrial invertebrates, Laurissilva, and rocks, minerals and fossils of the Madeira and Selvagens archipelago.
- Founded
- 1933
- Operated by
- Câmara Municipal do Funchal
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4.63 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2.42Young people from age 11 and seniors |
| Children & teens | €2.42free up to age 10 · Free admission up to age 10; from age 11 the young person's ticket applies. |
| Seniors | €2.42 |
Free admission: 18 May (International Museum Day) and 27 September (World Tourism Day)
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 10 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
The museum promotes study visits, lectures and educational activities on commemorative days.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Funchal bus timetables are available at horariosdofunchal.pt.
By car
The museum has no car park of its own; nearby are the Auto-Silo João Jardim (Rua dos Aranhas, 98) and the Plaza Madeira shopping centre (Rua Dr. Brito Câmara, 9), both paid.
It is in the centre of Funchal, about a 9-minute walk from Avenida do Mar, next to the Church of São Pedro.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Outside there is a small Garden of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The museum organises study visits for schools, lectures and activities on commemorative days. |
