Museu Nacional do Traje

About the museum

The Museu Nacional do Traje opened in 1977, following the exhibition “O Traje Civil em Portugal” (Civil Dress in Portugal), held in 1974 at the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga. The initial collection came from the Museu Nacional dos Coches, with pieces that largely belonged to the Royal Household. Donations from private individuals are the main source of enrichment of the collection, which now totals about 40 thousand pieces.

The museum is housed in the Palácio Angeja-Palmela, a former pleasure estate in Lisbon, and has the Monteiro-Mor Botanical Park attached, created in the 18th century to a design by the Italian Domenico Vandelli. The park covers about 11 hectares and includes lakes, lawns, paths, the historic garden, the botanical garden, an orchard, a kitchen garden and woodland. There is the first known araucaria in mainland Portugal.

The collections represent mainly civil dress and accessories, documenting the evolution of ways of dressing, especially among the aristocracy and the upper middle classes. Women's dress is the largest core, and there is also men's clothing, underwear, children's dress, dolls with their costumes, painting and furniture. The accessories include buttons, fans, bags, hats, shoes and shawls; the bragal (household linen) brings together fabrics, embroidery, lace and bedspreads.

Highlights

• About 40 thousand pieces of dress and accessories from the 18th century to the present day
• Palácio Angeja-Palmela, a former pleasure estate
• Monteiro-Mor Botanical Park, about 11 hectares
• Children's dress collection and dolls in costume
• Bragal: fabrics, embroidery, lace and bedspreads

Founded

1977

Operated by

Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, E.P.E.

Director

Dóris Santos

Visitors per year

approx. 26,668

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Residents of Portugal: free access to the museums and monuments of Museus e Monumentos de Portugal up to 52 days a year, on any day of the week, upon presentation of the Cartão de Cidadão at the ticket office.

Botanical Park entrance: €3. 50% discounts on the standard ticket for visitors aged 65 or over, young people aged 13 to 24 and families with at least one adult and one child. Free admission also for unemployed residents of the European Union, researchers and museum professionals on duty, former combatants, accredited tourism and media professionals, and members of ICOM, ICOMOS and APOM; free admission requires proof at the ticket office.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop and library; the park can be hired for events.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Hire of park spaces.

Plan your visit