Museums in the Azores

The Azores Archipelago, besides being rich in nature, fauna, and flora, is also well-endowed with museums that represent the history of the places and preserve their cultural identity and history. In the various Museums in the Azores, you can find different themes and styles, but with one thing in common: the preservation of memory and the desire to keep their struggles, discoveries, and remnants of the past alive, often still present in their memories.

Many museums preserve sculptures, photographs, paintings, and objects that tell their story and were part of certain moments in that community and should be kept alive.

Much of the museums in the Azores show the attachment of the population and respect for their heritage, whether historical, cultural, or natural. Below, we present some of the main museums of the archipelago.

Museums on the Island of Santa Maria

Santa Maria Museum

The Santa Maria Museum is housed in a house in the center of the Santo Espírito parish. It is a 20th-century property and not considered a typical rural house. At the end of the 20th century, the property was adapted to host the museum. The museum has two floors and an annex that serves as a reserve.

In the late 1960s and a few years later, there was an initiative by the parish priest of Santo Espírito to collect items from the community with the intention of preserving its identity.

In 1972, the Ethnographic and Parochial Museum of Santo Espírito was inaugurated. After a period of difficulties for the institution and the collection, the Regional Government of the Azores took possession of the property and changed the name to “Ethnographic House of Santa Maria.” In 1991, it became a museum, the “Museum of the Island,” and with specialized personnel working and studying the collections, adapted the property for museum functions. In 1996, it was officially inaugurated as the “Santa Maria Museum.”

The collection is primarily made up of ethnographic pieces focused on locally produced ceramics. It also includes ceramics produced on the Island of São Miguel and Terceira, as well as pieces made in mainland Portugal and other European countries. The collections date from the 19th and 20th centuries. The permanent collection also features items related to agriculture, weaving, and the daily life of the island’s population.

Address & Contacts

Santa Maria Museum
Rua do Museu s/n – Santo Espírito
9580-238 Vila do Porto
Santa Maria – Azores
Phone: (+351) 296 884 844
Email: museu.smaria.info@azores.gov.pt

Hours

WINTER – October 1 to March 31

Tuesday to Sunday and Holidays – 09:30 – 17:00
Last entry – 17:00
Closure of the Building to the Public – 17:30
Closed on Monday

SUMMER – April 1 to September 30

Tuesday to Sunday and Holidays – 10:00 – 17:30
Last entry – 17:30
Closure of the Building to the Public – 18:00
Closed on Monday

Location on the Map

Museums on the Island of São Miguel

Carlos Machado Museum

The Carlos Machado Museum is the oldest museum in the Azores archipelago, having developed from the former Açoriano Museum founded in 1876. It is located in the former Convent of Santo André, which was the first patron of Ponta Delgada. In 1980, it came under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Ponta Delgada, and in 1914 it became the Carlos Machado Museum, in honor of its founder.

Its current collection includes four main areas: Natural History (botany and zoology), Art, Sacred Art, and Ethnography. In 2006, the Sacred Art collection was opened to the public, including paintings and sculptures from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Address & Contacts

Santa Bárbara Branch
9500-105 Ponta Delgada
Phone: 296 20 29 30/31
Email: museu.cmachado.info@azores.gov.pt

Hours & Price

Winter (October 1 to March 31)
Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM
No lunch break; Includes holidays
Closed on Mondays

Summer (April 1 to September 30)
Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
No lunch break; Includes holidays
Closed on Mondays

Entry price: 2 Euros per area / 5 Euros for three areas
Free entry for children under 14 years
50% discount for ages 15 to 25, retirees, and seniors over 65

Location on the Map

Contemporary Arts Center

The Contemporary Arts Center is located in what was once a factory for alcohol and tobacco. A rehabilitation project was undertaken for the building, which still retains characteristics of the old factory.

Recent constructions with more abstract shapes have also been added to contrast with the old. The center has various departments that interconnect between the new and old buildings, such as an arts and culture center, laboratories, art studios, an audiovisual and multimedia center, library, among others. The center was developed to be sustainable and provide comfort for the users’ experience.

Address & Contacts

Rua Adolfo Coutinho de Medeiros s/n
9600-516 Ribeira Grande
São Miguel – Azores
Phone: 296 470 130
Email: acacinfo@azores.gov.pt

Hours

Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Location on the Map

Military Museum of the Azores

The Military Museum of the Azores is located in the Fort of São Brás, in Ponta Delgada and was founded in 2006. It was created to preserve the historical-military heritage of the Portuguese Army in the Azores and to portray this history and keep the memory alive.

The objective of the Military Museum of the Azores is to collect, preserve, and exhibit materials and artifacts related to military history and create public interest in historical heritage. Its collection chronologically depicts Azorean military history. The collection includes materials from the Azores Military Zone Units, some private donations, and others supplied by central army depots.

In 2009, archival documents from the late 19th and 20th centuries were also incorporated.

Address & Contacts

Fort of S. Brás
Av. Infante D. Henrique
9500-150 Ponta Delgada
Phone 296 308 633

Location on the Map

Maia Tobacco Museum

The Maia Tobacco Museum is located where the Maia Tobacco Factory once stood, which closed in 1988. This museum aims to disseminate, inform, conserve, and interpret the history of the tobacco agro-industry in the Azores. Visitors have the opportunity to see how the factory operated, the various departments, and how the entire process of producing Maia tobacco was carried out, such as weighing, pressing, and drying the tobacco.

Address & Contacts

Estrada São Pedro – 9625-380
Phone: +351 296 442 905
Email: mtm.scmm@gmail.com

Prices

• Entry Price: €2.50
• Young people aged 14 to 18: €1
• People over 65: €1

Hours

Monday to Friday
9:00 AM – 12:20 PM; 2:00 PM – 4:20 PM.

Saturdays
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM; 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Location on the Map

Museums on the Island of Terceira

Angra do Heroísmo Museum

The Angra do Heroísmo Museum was officially created in 1949, and its first facilities were in the Bettencourt Palace, together with the District Archive of Angra from 1951 to 1969.

In 1969, the museum was transferred to its current building in the Convent of São Francisco. On January 1, 1980, an earthquake affected the safety of the museum, leaving only a few rooms available for visitation. Renovations began in 1991, and its inauguration occurred in 1997; however, the total reopening happened only in 2000 with the completion of the permanent exhibition.

The collection of the Angra Museum is quite diverse, including collections of military history and transport from the 18th and 19th centuries, collections of paintings, ceramics, and furniture. There are also some examples of less recognized but equally important collections, such as collections of technical and scientific instruments, civil and religious attire, toys, and musical instruments.

Address & Contacts

Ladeira de São Francisco
9700-181 Angra do Heroísmo
Phone: +351 295 240 800
Email: museu.angra.info@azores.gov.pt

Prices

Individual ticket: €2.00

Fixed Discounts

Children up to 14 years: free entry.
School visits: free entry.
Young people aged 15 to 25: €1.00
Retirees or those aged 65 and older: €1.00
Teachers of any grade: €1.00
Municipal Youth Card: €1.00
Groups of 10 or more people: €1.00
Sundays: free entry

Hours

Summer Period
April 1 to September 30
Tuesday to Sunday and on holidays: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM

Winter Period
October 1 to March 31
Tuesday to Sunday and on holidays: 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM

Closed on Mondays

Location on the Map

Wine Museum

The Biscoitos Wine Museum is a thematic museum that aims to present to visitors over four centuries of vineyard culture history in the parish of Biscoitos.

The museum was inaugurated in 1990 during the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Casa Agrícola Brum by the heirs of the former wine producer from the parish of Biscoitos.

The museum aims to provide an experience of vineyard life for visitors, allowing them to appreciate the entire wine production process, from vine cultivation to the transformation of grapes into wine and its by-products.

The museum consists of several sections: a wine cellar, a distillery, an ethnographic room, a tasting room, a typical house where the wine bottling takes place, an 18th-century defense tower, among others.

Address and Contacts

Canada do Caldeiro
9760-054 Biscoitos – Praia da Vitória
Phone: +351 295 908 404
Email: casa.agricola.brum@gmail.com

Hours

May 1 to September 30
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Closed on Monday

October 1 to April 30
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Closed on Sunday and Monday

Location on the Map

Museums on the Island of São Jorge

Francisco de Lacerda Museum

The Francisco Lacerda Museum, also known as the Regional Museum of São Jorge, was created in 1991.

The museum features various exhibitions with themes related to the island’s ethnography. These are items dated from the 19th and 20th centuries and related to music, ceramics, agriculture, weaving, furniture, among others. One of the most important collections of this museum is the collection of Maestro Francisco de Lacerda. The museum also hosts exhibitions from other entities and accepts semi-temporary private collections with a predefined theme.

Address and Contacts

Rua José Azevedo da Cunha
9850-038 Calheta
São Jorge – Azores
Phone: (+351) 295 416 323
Email: museu.flacerda.info@azores.gov.pt

Hours

Summer – April 1 to September 30
Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Closed on Monday

Winter – October 1 to March 31
Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 09:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed on Monday

Location on the Map

Museums on the Island of Graciosa

Graciosa Museum

The Graciosa Museum is located in the building of the former grain store, a place that was once used for storing the cereals and wine produced on the island. The museum’s collection is linked to the recreation of historical and cultural aspects of the island and the daily life of the people.

The museum reproduces a typical house of the island with all its traditional elements that evoke the past. It features instruments related to traditional trades of the time and their daily activities.

Near the museum, there is a garden where artillery pieces from various fortifications that defended the island in the past are displayed at strategic points along the coast. The museum also has two branches: one related to whaling, near the port of Santa Cruz, and another, a typical windmill of the island, located in the village of Fontes.

Address & Contacts

Largo Conde de Simas, 17
9880-345 Santa Cruz
Graciosa – Azores
Phone: (+351) 295 712 429
Email: museu.graciosa.info@azores.gov.pt

Hours

Summer (April 1 to September 30)

* Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
* Last entry at 5:30 PM
* Closing of the building at 6:00 PM
* Closed on Monday

Winter (October 1 to March 31)

* Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 09:30 AM – 5:00 PM
* Last entry at 5:00 PM
* Closing of the building at 5:30 PM
* Closed on Monday

Price

Normal ticket: €1.00 (ticket valid for the central building and branches)
Senior ticket: €0.50
Student card: €0.40

Location on the Map

Museums on the Island of Pico

Pico Museum

The Pico Museum falls under the category of Regional Museum and consists of three museum branches: the Whalers Museum, located in the village of Lajes, the Whaling Industry Museum, in the village of São Roque, and the Wine Museum, in the village of Madalena.

These three branches aim to promote the cultural heritage of Pico Island and seek to preserve and publicize local identity and maintain collective memories associated with historical events of whaling and wine production.

The Pico Museum is also the headquarters of the Regional Whaling Heritage Advisory Committee and is responsible for managing the recovery and conservation of this heritage.

Address & Contacts

Rua dos Baleeiros, nº13
9930-143 Lajes do Pico
Phone: (+351) 292 679 340
Email: museu.pico.info@azores.gov.pt

Hours

Summer Hours (April 1 to September 30)
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Closed on Monday

Winter Hours (October 1 to March 31)
Tuesday to Sunday: 09:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed on Monday

Location on the Map

Whaling Industry Museum

The Whaling Industry Museum is part of the Regional Museum Network as an extension and one of the three branches of the Pico Museum. It stands out as the first industrial archaeology museum that opened to the public in the Azores archipelago.

The Whaling Industry Museum is located in an old whaling factory that was built in 1942 and operated until 1984. The museum is considered one of the best of its kind and features machinery and other elements used in the factory for the production of oil and flour.

Address & Contacts

Whaling Industry Museum
Rua do Poço
9940-361 São Roque
Phone: (+351) 292 642 096
Email: museu.pico.info@azores.gov.pt

Hours

Summer Hours (April 1 to September 30)
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Closed on Monday

Winter Hours (October 1 to March 31)
Tuesday to Sunday: 09:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed on Monday

Location on the Map

Museums on the Island of Faial

Horta Museum / Manuel de Arriaga House

The Horta Museum was created in 1977, and its installation is in the former Jesuit College, an 18th-century property, which is adjacent to the Main Church of Faial Island.

The Horta Museum falls under the category of Regional Museum and has a large diversity in its collection. Its collection is historical and includes pieces related to the history of the island and its port. These are ethnographic elements, furniture, objects related to traditional agricultural technologies, images of Sacred Art from the 16th to the 19th centuries, among others.

The Museum of Horta includes the Manuel Arriaga House, which was the residence of the first president of the Portuguese Republic, elected in 1977. This museum space aims to preserve the memory of the first president as well as stimulate reflection and civic participation. This space includes a room for long-term exhibitions and film projections, a room for temporary exhibitions, a library, and a space for consulting digitized documentation, a multipurpose room, and a green area.

Address & Contacts

Palácio do Colégio
Largo Duque d´Avila e Bolama
9900-141 Horta
Faial – Azores
Phone: (+351) 292 392 784
Email: museu.horta.info@azores.gov.pt

Hours

Summer (April 1 to September 30)

* Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
* Last entry at 5:30 PM
* Closing of the building at 6:00 PM
* Closed on Monday

Winter (October 1 to March 31)

* Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 09:30 AM – 5:00 PM
* Last entry at 5:00 PM
* Closing of the building at 5:30 PM
* Closed on Monday

Location on the Map

Capelinhos Volcano Interpretation Center

The Capelinhos Interpretation Center was inaugurated in August 2008 and aims to provide educational and scientific information about the eruption of the Capelinhos Volcano, the formation of the Azores archipelago, and also about the different types of volcanic activity in the world, in addition to the history of Azorean lighthouses.

The landscape was created by a volcanic eruption from 1957 to 1958, during which a new volcano, the Capelinhos Volcano, was born, significantly altering the geomorphology of Faial Island. The interpretation center building is buried, so it does not interfere with the beautiful volcanic landscape.

The Center helps visitors better understand geological phenomena and comprehend how the nine islands of the Azores archipelago were formed.

Address & Contacts

Farol dos Capelinhos, 9900 Horta
Phone: (+351) 292 200 470
Email: pnfaial.vulcaodoscapelinhos@azores.gov.pt

Hours

NOVEMBER 1 – MARCH 31
Tuesday to Friday > 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM*
Saturday | Sunday | holidays > 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM*
Closed > Mondays | January 1 | Carnival Tuesday | Easter Sunday | December 25

Guided tours:
Tuesday to Friday > 11:00 AM | 3:00 PM
Saturday | Sunday | holidays > 2:30 PM | 4:00 PM

APRIL 1 – OCTOBER 31
Every day > 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM*
Closed > Easter Sunday

Guided tours:
11:00 AM | 1:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 4:30 PM
Duration of the visit: 60 minutes
Number of people per visit: 4 – 30
Advance booking is recommended with a minimum of 48 hours’ notice
*Last entry 30 minutes before closing.

Price

Full Ticket:
Child (0 – 6 years): Free
Junior (7 – 14 years): €5.00
Adult (15 – 64 years): €10.00
Senior (+ 65 years): €5.00
Family (2 adults and children up to 14 years): €20.00
Residents in RAA*: Free

Thematic Ticket – Exhibitions:
Child (0 – 6 years): Free
Junior (7 – 14 years): €4.00
Adult (15 – 64 years): €8.00
Senior (+ 65 years): €4.00
Family (2 adults and children up to 14 years): €16.00
Residents in RAA*: Free

Thematic Ticket – Stereoscopic Film:
Child (0 – 6 years): Free
Junior (7 – 14 years): €2.00
Adult (15 – 64 years): €4.00
Senior (+ 65 years): €2.00
Family (2 adults and children up to 14 years): €8.00
Residents in RAA*: Free

Thematic Ticket – Lighthouse Climb:
Child (0 – 6 years): Free
Junior (7 – 14 years): €0.50
Adult (15 – 64 years): €1.00
Senior (+ 65 years): €0.50
Family (2 adults and children up to 14 years): €2.00
Residents in RAA*: Free

Single Faial Ticket:
Child (0 – 6 years): Free
Junior (7 – 14 years): €9.50
Adult (15 – 64 years): €19.00
Senior (+ 65 years): €9.50
Family (2 adults and children up to 14 years): €38.00
*Upon presentation of Citizen Card.

Children up to 12 years must be accompanied by an adult.

Location on the Map

Museums on the Island of Flores

Flores Museum

The Flores Ethnographic Museum was created in 1977 and has been located in the Convent of São Boaventura, built in 1641, since 1993.

The collection of the Flores Museum consists of ethnography and underwater archaeology collections. The museum has a set of Azorean and American sculptures that were donated, in addition to collections of local ethnography, exhibitions about agricultural tasks, local handicrafts, sacred art, weighing, and the devotions of the Holy Spirit.

Boqueirão Whaling Factory Museum

The Boqueirão Whaling Factory Museum is located in the former Boqueirão Whaling Factory for the production of whale oil. It has been out of use for a long time and is classified as a Property of Public Interest. In 2009, restoration work was done, and the building was transformed into the current museum, which was inaugurated in 2015.

Its collection tells the story of the whaling industry on the island, and it is still possible to see all the original and well-preserved machinery from that time, as well as photographs and videos depicting other moments of the factory. Through its collection, it is possible to understand all phases of whaling and its commercial use through physical elements and photographs and videos.

Address & Contacts

Building of the Convent of São Boaventura
Largo da Misericórdia
9970-303 Santa Cruz das Flores
Flores – Azores
Phone: (+351) 292 592 159
Email: museu.flores.info@azores.gov.pt

Hours

Summer (April 1 to September 30)

* Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
* Last entry at 5:30 PM
* Closing of the building at 6:00 PM
* Closed on Monday

Winter (October 1 to March 31)

* Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 09:30 AM – 5:00 PM
* Last entry at 5:00 PM
* Closing of the building at 5:30 PM
* Closed on Monday

Location on the Map

Museums on the Island of Corvo

Corvo Ecomuseum

The Corvo Ecomuseum was inaugurated in 2007 and is located in two traditional houses in Vila do Corvo that have been refurbished to house the museum.

The Ecomuseum serves as a cultural and environmental interpretive center for Corvo Island and has a museum space and galleries with temporary exhibitions. The museum seeks to interpret and manage its heritage to assist in the sustainable development of the community and the preservation of history. Unlike other museums that present their collections in rooms, the ecomuseum presents its entire available heritage.

Address & Contacts

Corvo Ecomuseum Canada do Graciosa
9980-031 VILA DO CORVO
Phone: 292 596 063
Email: ecomuseudocorvo.focal@gmail.com

Hours

Monday to Friday from 09:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Location on the Map

The Azores offer an infinite array of cultural options to visit. Just choose the theme you like the most and look for a museum on one of the islands of the archipelago. These are stories and memories preserved from centuries past, which are important to remember and keep alive in our memory.