Sights & Attractions in Rio de Janeiro

Things to Do in Centro and Environs

Name	Category	Location

Arcos da Lapa Formerly the Aqueduto da Carioca (Carioca Aqueduct), this structure...	Transportation Sites	Centro and Environs

Beco do Comércio A network of narrow streets and alleys centers on this pedestrian...	Pedestrian Malls	Centro and Environs

Biblioteca Nacional Corinthian columns adorn the neoclassical National Library (built...	Libraries	Centro and Environs

Casa Rui Barbosa Slightly inland from the Atêrro is a museum in what was...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Catedral de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro The exterior of this circa-1960 metropolitan cathedral, which...	Religious Sites	Centro and Environs


Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil What was once the headquarters of Brazil's oldest bank is now...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Centro Cultural Correios The Post Office Cultural Center always hosts a few surprisingly...	Government Buildings	Centro and Environs

Convento do Santo Antônio The Convent of St. Anthony was completed in 1780, but some parts...	Religious Sites	Centro and Environs

Corcovado There's an eternal argument about which view is better, from...	Public Art (Mural / Sculpture / Statue), Mountains	Centro and Environs

Escadaria Selarón After traveling the world and living in more than 50 countries...	Architectural Sites	Centro and Environs

Floresta da Tijuca Surrounding Corcovado is the dense, tropical Tijuca Forest. Once...	Parks	Centro and Environs

Fundação Planetário Rio's planetarium is a great escape if your vacation gets rained...	Observatories / Planetariums	Centro and Environs

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Candelária The classic symmetry of Candelária's white dome and bell...	Religious Sites	Centro and Environs

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Glória do Outeiro Perched atop a hill, this baroque church is visible from many...	Religious Sites	Centro and Environs

Igreja de São Francisco da Penitência The church was completed in 1737, nearly four decades after it...	Religious Sites	Centro and Environs

Jardim Botânico The 340-acre Botanical Garden contains more than 5,000 species...	Gardens / Arboretums	Centro and Environs

Monumento aos Pracinhas The Monument to the Brazilian Dead of World War II (the nation...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Mosteiro de São Bento Just a glimpse of this church's main altar can fill you with...	Religious Sites	Centro and Environs

Museu Carmen Miranda This tribute to the Brazilian bombshell is in a circular building...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu Casa do Pontal If you're heading toward Prainha or beyond to Grumari, consider...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu Chácara do Céu The collection of mostly modern works at the Museum of the Small...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu da Imagem e do Som The first audiovisual museum in Brazil, the Museum of Image and...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu das Telecomunicações Housed in the Oi Futuro, this high-tech museum is a multimedia...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM) In a striking concrete-and-glass building, the Modern Art Museum...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu de Arte Naïf do Brasil More than 8,000 art naïf works by Brazil's best (as well...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu do Bonde If you're waiting around for the bonde (tram) close to Largo...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu do Índio Just a few blocks away from the Botafogo metro station is Rio...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu Histórico Nacional The building that houses the National History Museum dates from...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu Nacional de Belas Artes Works by Brazil's leading 19th- and 20th-century artists fill...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Museu Villa Lobos Museu Villa Lobos A short walk from the Museu do Índio...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Paço Imperial This two-story colonial building with thick stone walls and an...	Squares	Centro and Environs

Palácio do Catete Once the villa of a German baron, the elegant, 19th-century granite-and-marble...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Palácio Tiradentes The Tiradentes Palace runs a permanent exhibit on its own history:...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Parque do Flamengo Flanking the Baía de Guanabara from the Glória...	Parks	Centro and Environs

Parque Lage This lush green space, down the road from Jardim Botânico...	Gardens / Arboretums	Centro and Environs

Quinta da Boa Vista West of downtown, on the landscaped grounds of a former royal...	Zoos / Aquariums	Centro and Environs

São Conrado Blocked by the imposing Dois Irmãos Mountain, Avenida...	Neighborhoods / Streets	Centro and Environs

Sítio Roberto Burle Marx Beyond Grumari, the road winds through mangrove swamps and tropical...	Museums / Galleries	Centro and Environs

Theatro Municipal If you visit one place in Centro, make it this theater, modeled...	Architectural Sites	Centro and Environs
Sights Overview »