Museu do Dinheiro

About the museum

The Museu do Dinheiro (Money Museum), created and run by the Banco de Portugal (Bank of Portugal), opened on 19 April 2016 in the former Igreja de São Julião (Church of Saint Julian), in Lisbon's Baixa district. The church was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake and rebuilt by 1802, suffered a fire in 1816, and was acquired by the Banco de Portugal in 1933, when it was deconsecrated.

In 2007 the bank decided to restore the building to house the museum. The project, by the architects Gonçalo Byrne and João Pedro Falcão de Campos, took place between 2007 and 2012. The space has a strong interactive component and includes the Núcleo de Interpretação da Muralha de D. Dinis (D. Dinis Wall Interpretation Unit), a section of Lisbon's medieval city wall.

The route shows the evolution of money in Portugal and the world: from barter to coins and banknotes, with pieces such as an electrum stater from Lydia, one of the first coins in the West, a 9th-century Chinese banknote, a gold morabitino of D. Sancho II and the 500-escudo note linked to the Alves dos Reis fraud. Visitors can touch a gold bar of about 12 kg and strike a personalised coin.

Highlights

• Gold bar of about 12 kg that can be touched
• Interactive world map of the history of money
• Electrum stater from Lydia, one of the first coins in the West
• 500-escudo note from the Alves dos Reis case
• Section of the D. Dinis wall
• Striking of a personalised coin

Permanent exhibition

• Exposição permanente do Museu do Dinheiro – Interactive route through the history of money, with coins, banknotes, a gold bar to touch and the D. Dinis Wall Interpretation Unit.

Founded

2016

Operated by

Banco de Portugal

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A lift and/or platform lifts give access to the upper floors and the wall; ramps at changes of level and wide circulation areas. There are touch experiences (replicas, models and objects to touch) and guided tours in Portuguese Sign Language, by prior booking. The exhibition content is in English, and printed material is available in English and French.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Children under 12 must always be accompanied by an adult. The museum has an area for prams and a changing table, and the exhibition is very interactive.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on Largo de São Julião, in the former church of the same name.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The museum has a shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit