Museu do Brinquedo Português
Museum in the Casa do Arnado in Ponte de Lima, dedicated to the history of Portuguese toys from the late 19th century to 1986.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museu do Brinquedo Português is housed in the Casa do Arnado and its annexes, next to the Roman bridge, on the right bank of the Lima river in Ponte de Lima. The permanent exhibition takes visitors on a journey through Portuguese toy manufacturers, from the late 19th century to 1986.
On the ground floor, a zinc train ride presents some of the most important national manufacturers and compares Portuguese toys with foreign ones, showing how foreign moulds were copied and imitated. A survey of almost two hundred Portuguese manufacturers invites visitors up to the first floor. There, the collection pieces follow a chronological order, decade by decade, linked to the country's formal, technical and socio-political changes: distaffs and flutes made of tinplate, wooden beach buckets, paper-pulp dolls, lorries, boats, trains, tricycles and pedal cars, up to the heyday of plastics and the PVC Smurfs.
The route continues in the garden, with access to the Sala das Maquetes (Model Room), the Oficina das Brincadeiras (Play Workshop) and the room for temporary exhibitions. The exit is through the museum shop.
Highlights
- Almost two hundred Portuguese toy manufacturers
- Zinc train and tinplate toys
- Paper-pulp dolls and pedal cars
- Plastic toys, up to the PVC Smurfs
- Sala das Maquetes and Oficina das Brincadeiras
Permanent exhibition
- O brinquedo português, do final do século XIX a 1986 – Route through Portuguese manufacturers and the decades of national toys, from the zinc train to plastics, over two floors.
- Founded
- 2012
- Operated by
- Município de Ponte de Lima
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1.50Students up to age 25 (from age 6), holders of the Cartão Jovem youth card and people over 65 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 6 · Free admission up to and including age 6, if not part of a group. |
| Seniors | €1.50From age 65. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree admission for people with a proven cognitive disability. |
| Students & apprentices | €1.50Students up to age 25, from age 6. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €1 per personGroups of 10 to 30 people with advance booking; guided visit at €1 per person, regardless of the children's age. |
| Families | €6Two adults with one or more children. |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €6 · Two adults with one or more children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
The museum has the Oficina das Brincadeiras (Play Workshop) and hosts birthday parties.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
The exit from the museum is through the shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Group visits require advance booking. |
