Museu Geológico

The Museu Geológico dates from 1859, when the kingdom’s Geological Commission moved into the old Convent of Nossa Senhora de Jesus in Lisbon. Everything in it comes from the fieldwork of Portugal’s geological surveys over more than 160 years, and it’s now run by LNEG, the national laboratory for energy and geology.

What makes it unusual is that the rooms, the furniture and the way the specimens are laid out still follow 19th-century museum style. Experts call it a “museum of museums”, and in 2010 it was listed as a Property of Public Interest for both its collections and its display. For children used to touchscreens, it can feel like stepping into an old explorer’s study: long galleries and tall wooden cabinets. For some children that’s the magic. For others it’s a lot of glass cases, so set it up as a hunt.

The easiest way into the museum with children is its own shortlist, the “(first) 27 Marvels of the Geological Museum”. The museum picked remarkable pieces from its fossil, prehistory and mineral collections. Some that children tend to love:

• Dinosaur bones. The pelvis of Omosaurus lennieri (now called Dacentrurus lennieri), a plated dinosaur related to Stegosaurus, and the femur of a long-necked sauropod described as Apatosaurus alenquerensis.
• A crocodile skull, from Gavialosuchus americanus lusitanicus.
• The Monte das Fortes meteorite, a rock that fell from space.
• A trilobite, Hungioides bohemicus, the same kind of sea creature found in the slate quarries of Arouca.
• The dog of Muge, from the prehistoric shell middens of Muge. The museum calls it a companion of humans from 6,000 years ago.
• Human skulls with trepanation marks, where holes were cut into the skull, and skulls with marks of blows. These may upset some children, so decide in advance whether to look.
• Fossil insects, a fossil Carboniferous forest and leaves preserved in volcanic ash.
• Crystals: pyrite, quartz, aragonite and wolframite.

The list also includes a tiny early mammal, Henkelotherium guimarotae, from the Guimarota mine. In June 2026 the museum’s Guimarota collection of Jurassic mammals and small vertebrates was recognised by the International Union of Geological Sciences as an IUGS Geo-collection.

Portugal before Man has 18 display cases of the main Portuguese fossils from each period of Earth’s history. It’s the best room for seeing how old Portugal is, and how often it was under the sea.

100 Million Years of History of Lisbon is about the ground under the city, from the Late Cretaceous to the recent past. Each case covers one slice of time with its fossils (corals, shells, sea urchins, reptiles and mammals), its rocks and a map of where they can be seen around Lisbon. Children who live in Lisbon enjoy finding their own neighbourhood.

The mineral room includes large crystals from the Panasqueira mine and samples from the Neves Corvo mine, plus coal, petroleum and radioactive minerals.

The prehistory collection has more than 100,000 objects, of which about 1,600 are on show, from the Palaeolithic to the Roman period. The Roman mining finds are a highlight: a bronze plate inscribed with Roman mining law, and baskets, a hat and a sandal sole made of esparto grass, worn by miners at Vipasca, today’s Aljustrel.

Children aged about 7 and up with a particular interest in dinosaurs, fossils or rocks get the most out of it. Under-10s are free, so it costs little to try. It’s a quiet, traditional museum, which can suit children who find big, noisy science centres overwhelming.

It’s not hands-on. Visitors can’t touch the specimens, and there’s no food, drink or flash photography inside. Bags, backpacks and umbrellas have to go in a locker, so you can’t carry a snack bag round. Very young children who need to touch and run will find it frustrating. The museum is on the second floor of the building, and access for buggies and wheelchairs isn’t described on the website, so phone ahead if that matters.

The biggest catch for families is timing: it’s only open on weekdays, 10:00 to 18:00, and closed on public holidays. That makes it a better fit for homeschoolers and school holidays than weekends.

When we checked, tickets were €5 for adults and seniors, €2.50 for individual students and free for children under 10. School groups pay €1.50 per pupil and accompanying teachers go free. The Circuitos Ciência Viva card gives 50% off adult, senior and student tickets. Payment is cash only, so bring coins and notes.

Guided visits for schools and groups must be booked in advance and are for 15 to 25 people. A home-education group could ask: email museugeol@lneg.pt or phone +351 21 346 39 15.

The address is Rua da Academia das Ciências 19, in Bairro Alto, so it’s easy to reach on foot from the centre of Lisbon or by public transport.

After the dinosaur bones here, the Dino Parque in Lourinhã has life-size models, and Pedra da Mua at Cabo Espichel has real dinosaur footprints on a cliff. Each December, Lisbon’s natural history museum holds a minerals, gems and fossils fair with free activities for children (see What’s on). To see where some of these specimens came from, visit the trilobite museum in Arouca or the Aljustrel mining park.

Is the Museu Geológico open at weekends?

No. It opens Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00, and is closed at weekends and on public holidays.

Does the Lisbon Geological Museum have dinosaurs?

Yes, real bones rather than models, including the pelvis of a plated dinosaur and the femur of a sauropod, plus fossils from every period of Portugal’s history.

How much does it cost?

€5 for adults, €2.50 for individual students and free for under-10s, cash only.

How long does a visit take?

The museum doesn’t give a time. With a list of things to find, most children will have had enough within an hour or two.

Can children touch anything?

No. It’s a traditional museum with specimens behind glass, and touching the exhibits isn’t allowed.