Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis

About the museum

The Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis has its origins in the Museum of Paintings and Prints, created in 1833 by D. Pedro IV to hold property seized from absolutists and from abandoned convents during the civil war. Known as the Museu Portuense (Oporto Museum), it was installed in the former Convent of Santo António da Cidade. In 1839 it passed to the Porto Academy of Fine Arts, which linked it to the great artists of Porto, and with the Republic it was named after the sculptor António Soares dos Reis. In 1932 it became a national museum.

Since the 1940s it has occupied the Palácio dos Carrancas, a neoclassical building commissioned in 1795 by the Morais e Castro family, which combined a residence with a gold and silver thread factory. In the 19th century it was the scene of military and political events, passed to D. Pedro V and, by the will of D. Manuel II, to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto, until it was incorporated into State property in 1937. The Rainha D. Amélia Velodrome, dating from 1894, occupied the grounds of the former estate.

The collection includes painting, sculpture, decorative arts and contemporary works. The long-term exhibition, opened in 2023, proposes two narratives: the history of the museum and its collections, and the artists and their works, with the sculpture “O Desterrado” (The Exile) by Soares dos Reis in a central position. There is also the Casa-Museu Fernando de Castro, attached to the museum since 1951.

Highlights

• “O Desterrado” (The Exile) by Soares dos Reis, the central work of the collection
• Long-term exhibition with two narratives: the museum and the artists
• Neoclassical Palácio dos Carrancas, with the original Dining Room and Music Room
• Jardim das Camélias and Rainha D. Amélia Velodrome garden, with a lapidary collection
• Casa-Museu Fernando de Castro, open to visitors by appointment

Permanent exhibition

• Exposição de longa duração – A route with two complementary narratives: the history of the museum and how its collections were brought together, and the artists and their works, with Soares dos Reis's sculpture in a central position.

Founded

1833

Operated by

Museus e Monumentos de Portugal

Visitors per year

approx. 69,970

Admission & discounts

General admission: €10. Free admission on any day of the week, up to a limit of 52 entries a year, for Portuguese citizens or residents in Portugal, with a Cartão de Cidadão and NIF (tax number). Exemptions, discounts and special tickets follow Despacho n.º 13793/2024.

Accessibility

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

Lifts to all floors, ramps on the ground floor, exhibition rooms with a wide, unobstructed circuit, rest areas with benches along the route, accessible toilets on the ground and first floors, and a wheelchair available. The texts use plain language and have labels in Portuguese and English.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The education service publishes a catalogue of family programmes, alongside programmes for schools and the community.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in a central area, near the Hospital de Santo António and the Palácio de Cristal. By train, São Bento station (about a 20-minute walk) can be reached from the Campanhã intermodal terminal.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Lockers

Free lockers; bags, umbrellas and other large objects may not be brought in. Shop with publications and products related to the collections of the Museus e Monumentos de Portugal. Two gardens to visit: Jardim das Camélias and Jardim do Velódromo Rainha D. Amélia.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum hires out spaces; information is on the museum's services page.

Plan your visit