Pinacoteca do Estado

Praca da Luz, 2

Center

11-3324-1000

• 

Butting up against a wide expanse of a park, the oldest (and most beautiful) museum in the city is a must-see space whose archives grew from the measly 26 with which it opened in 1905 to the incredible 8,000 pieces today. The museum specializes in 19th- and 20th-century Brazilian paintings, with sculpture, photography and even porcelain in its collection. Among the most known of Brazilian’s historical art talent pool are here, including Pedro Alexandrino, Tarsila do Amaral, Laser Seagall, Almeida Junior. A nostalgic, old-school café leads out to a patio on the edge of Parque da Luz, where you can have coffee and cake while contemplating the decadence surrounding you—Estacao Pinacoteca (the kid sibling of Pinacoteca do Estado), Luz train station and Museu da Lingua da Portuguesa all bask nearby.