This landmark white dome, gleaming in the sun, was opened to the public on the 100th birthday of architect Oscar Niemeyer. The inside is softer in grays but equally spectacular, featuring a discreet mezzanine mostly held up by columns suspended from the roof. A signature curved ramp juts out from its base and runs around the outside like a ring of Saturn. Good-quality temporary art exhibitions fill the interior.
Museu Nacional
Top choice in Brasília
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.16 MILES
This square is a focal point of the city design, a synthesis of the ideas of architects Niemeyer and Costa, combining various monuments, museums and…
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0.95 MILES
Featuring photogenic roof ‘dishes’ and twin towers, the Congresso Nacional has one of the more interesting interiors in the city. In addition to the color…
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3.75 MILES
The official presidential residence, the Palácio da Alvorada, is a Niemeyer building constructed in 1958. It was the first edifice in the city to be…
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0.76 MILES
Palácio do Itamaraty is home to the Foreign Ministry and one of Brasília's most impressive buildings – a series of concrete arches towering over Burle…
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1.16 MILES
The Palácio do Planalto, where Brazil's president works, is another Niemeyer design that's worth seeing inside and out. From the curved lines of the…
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1.12 MILES
Santuário Dom Bosco is made of 80 concrete columns that support 7400 pieces of illuminated Murano glass, symbolizing a starry sky, which cast a blue…
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0.19 MILES
The 16 curved ribs rising to the crown of the iconic exterior coupled with the light-filled circular interior, which sits under a dome of wavy stained…
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Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
2.88 MILES
Brasília’s most important contemporary museum houses temporary exhibitions in two galleries, an indie cinema, a cafe and a bookstore. Buses 0.103 and 103…
Nearby Brasília attractions
0.15 MILES
The national library was opened in 2008 and yet still seems to be not fully realized. The arcade and grille of the handsome exterior give it a vaguely…
0.19 MILES
The 16 curved ribs rising to the crown of the iconic exterior coupled with the light-filled circular interior, which sits under a dome of wavy stained…
3. Teatro Nacional Cláudio Santoro
0.39 MILES
The lopped-off pyramid of the Teatro Nacional looks somewhere between a waterslide and a skateboard ramp. Inside, sculptures and a garden adorn the…
0.6 MILES
This bank-run cultural center has several galleries devoted to temporary exhibitions, a sculpture garden, a cafe and theater. The lobby of the main bank…
0.63 MILES
Numismatists will be interested in visiting this museum in the central bank HQ. A detailed history of Brazilian coins and banknotes – try keeping track of…
0.76 MILES
Palácio do Itamaraty is home to the Foreign Ministry and one of Brasília's most impressive buildings – a series of concrete arches towering over Burle…
0.82 MILES
Water cascades between the arches of the Palácio de Justicia into a koi fish pond. Visitors cannot access the interior.
0.95 MILES
Featuring photogenic roof ‘dishes’ and twin towers, the Congresso Nacional has one of the more interesting interiors in the city. In addition to the color…