The best museums to visit in Salvador, Bahia: Reviews, tickets, and how to visit for free

Salvador, Bahia has 41 officially listed museums (official list), ranging from large historical institutions to small, topic-specific spaces. These museums cover themes such as Afro-Brazilian culture, religious traditions, colonial history, art, music, and regional cuisine. Many of them are operated by cultural foundations, universities, or the city government. This guide will take you through the best museums in Salvador for travellers to learn about the history, culture, and art in this incredible city.

Unfortunately, many of the museums in Salvador do not provide comprehensive information or guides in English - and in many cases the information provided in Portuguese is also quite limited. If you do not speak Portuguese, consider using a translation app like Google Translate, which can be downloaded for offline use and used to scan and translate text on informational signs during your visit.

Entry prices to Salvador's museums are relatively cheap by international standards (around R$ 20 / USD $4), with many museums offering free admission on Wednesdays.

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Here are the best museums for foreign travellers to visit in Salvador, Bahia

The list below includes the best museums in Salvador for foreign travellers to to visit, including the price and free admission days, museum opening days, and my personal review of each one.

1. Casa do Carnaval da Bahia (Bahia Carnival House)

Entry price: R$20, free on Wednesdays (2025)

Location: Pelourinho

Open: Tuesday to Sunday, and public holidays

English: Little written information in English. An English audio is guide available, however the audio is quite long for the number of displays to see while listening to it.

This museum opened in 2018 to celebrate and document the cultural history of Bahia’s Carnaval. It features audio-visual exhibits and costumes and offers interactive experiences, including a dance room. The museum explores the evolution of Carnaval in Bahia and its influence on music and culture across Brazil.

Visiting Casa do Carnaval da Bahia

The museum is split into four sections: the entry has a library with books you can read, then, the ground floor exhibition displays carnival costumes, and typical Brazilian instruments used during carnival. There is also some information on the history of Carnival, including the creation of trio electricos, first created in Salvador for Carnival.

The second floor has two interactive music rooms where you can dance along to videos of carnival dance choreography. The rooms also have costumes and drums. This exhibition is a fun and unique way to learn about Carnival music and dance.

Finally, the rooftop has a cafe and incredible panoramic views of the Bay of All Saints.

2. MAM - Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia (Bahia Modern Art Museum)

Entry price: General entry is free, but special exhibitions may charge for entrance. Tickets are required for JAM no MAM and for the cinema.

Location: Solar do Unhão

Open: Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays)

English: Some signs are translated in English

Housed in an 18th-century sugar warehouse complex, the museum was founded in 1960 to promote modern Brazilian art. The site includes a chapel, aqueduct, and gardens facing the bay. It also hosts events, film screenings, and the JAM no MAM jazz sessions on weekends. The museum also runs workshops and educational programs in visual arts.

Visiting Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia

MAM holds a small permanent collection and larger rotating exhibitions of contemporary art. MAM's exhibitions are split across five halls, displaying modern and contemporary art from a range of artists. There is also a bookshop, cinema, and a small cafe by the museum entrance. If you can, stay to watch the stunning sunset from the museum over the Bay of All Saints.

3. Museu Náutico da Bahia (Nautical Museum of Bahia)

Entry: R$20

Location: Farol da Barra (Barra Lighthouse)

Open: Every day

English: Some signs are translated in English

The lighthouse was built in 1698 on the site of the former Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra, the oldest fort in Brazil. It is located inside the Barra Lighthouse, which visitors can also climb for a view of the surrounding area. The structure has undergone several renovations, with the current lighthouse dating to 1839.

The museum includes navigation instruments, ship models and colonial-era maritime artefacts. This museum was a pleasant surprise and is highly recommended for those interested in Salvador's history. The museum provides a good historical overview of Salvador, more so than Salvador's actual history museum, which seemed to display more art than history exhibits.

4. Museu Nacional da Cultura Afro-Brasileira (Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture)

Entry: R$20, free on Wednesdays & Sundays

Location: Pelourinho

Open: Tuesday - Sunday (closed Mondays)

English: Some signs are translated in English

The museum presents artistic and cultural expressions of Afro-Brazilian identity. It has a focus on modern art and Afro-Brazilian symbolism. It features largely art exhibitions rather than historical objects. The exhibitions cover themes such as ancestry, resistance, and cultural memory.

Visiting the Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture

The museum has three flours. The first two floors are rotating art exhibitions featuring art by Afro-Brazilian artists. The art exhibitions mostly featured paintings, as well as a few sculptures and other contemporary art pieces. There are signs with introductory explanations of the exhibits in each room, but there is little information about the individual art pieces.

The top floor has a special exhibition - a dark mirrored room with railway tracks and various sculptures. There is a cafe and water refill on the ground floor.

5. Museu Afro-Brasileiro (Afro-Brazilian Museum)

Entry: R$10

Location: Pelourinho

Open: Monday to Friday (closed weekends)

The Museu Afro-Brasileiro de Salvador is a national museum focused on the historical, artistic, and cultural contributions of Afro-Brazilian and African heritage to Brazil. It was created with early support from the anthropologist Pierre Verger and was the first national museum in Brazil with a specifically Afro-Brazilian theme.

Its collection includes objects of African origin, national artworks by major Brazilian artists, and contemporary pieces that reflect Afro-Brazilian identity and experience. Exhibits include religious artefacts such as ex-votos (items offered in gratitude to spiritual entities) as well as works by artists like Rubem Valentim, Mestre Didi, and Rosana Paulino. These pieces reference orixás, Afro-Brazilian spiritual traditions, and themes such as cultural erasure and ancestry. One of its most famous pieces is a collection of wood carvings by artist Carybé, depicting Candomblé orixás.

Exhibits include some information on African contributions to Brazilian culture in Portuguese. The museum is hosted inside the Faculty of Medicine building of the Federal University of Bahia.

6. Forte de Santa Maria & Forte de São Diogo

Entry: R$20 for both

Location: Barra

Open: Wednesday - Monday (closed Tuesdays)

English: The displays are in Portuguese, however the staff at Forte de Santa Maria speak great English and will give you a brief overview of the exhibition when you enter, and can answer any questions.

Both forts were constructed in the 17th century to defend the entrance to the Bay of All Saints. They are part of a defensive system established by the Portuguese to protect the city from Dutch and pirate attacks. The two forts can be visited on a single ticket, and both locations are operated under the Circuito de Arte project.

Forte de Santa Maria houses the Pierre Verger Space of Bahia Photography, a photography gallery displaying historical photos of Salvador. It displays photos taken by Pierre Verger, a French photographer, ethnologist, and anthropologist who spent a significant part of his life in Salvador, Bahia, documenting the city's culture, particularly its Afro-Brazilian traditions. His work is highly regarded for its portrayal of the African diaspora and its influence on Brazilian culture.

The gallery features a really interesting interactive digital map of Salvador, that allows you to see historical photos of the locations you click on the map.

Forte de São Diogo houses the Espaço Carybé de Artes, a small one-room digital art exhibition about the artist Carybé an Argentine-Brazilian artist, researcher, and writer. Interactive screens allow you to flip through historical photos of his art and drawings sorted into various categories.

7. Memorial das Baianas de Acarajé (Memorial of the Baianas)

Entry: R$5

Location: Pelourinho

Open: Monday - Saturday (closed Sunday)

English: None

This small one-room museum is dedicated to the history, clothing, religion, and culinary traditions of the baianas, women known for selling acarajé and performing religious and cultural roles in Bahian society. It highlights the symbolic importance of their dress, accessories, and rituals, many of which are rooted in Afro-Brazilian and West African heritage. The exhibition explains the origins and meanings of various clothing items such as the pano da costa, balangandãs, and turban, along with their uses in social, ceremonial, and protective contexts. Displays also feature information about dendê (palm oil), a defining ingredient in Bahian cuisine.

A special section focuses on Richelieu embroidery, introduced in the early 20th century and known for its cutwork and white-on-white thread. Religious influences include references to Exu, Ogum, and Christian iconography, showing how different beliefs coexist in the traditions of the baiana. The museum also describes the annual Lavagem do Bonfim procession and the wider cultural significance of the baiana as an emblem of resilience, faith, and cultural heritage.

8. Casa da História de Salvador (Salvador History House) + Galeria Mercado Modelo

Entry: R$20 for both

Location: Cidade Baixa, next to Mercado Modelo

Open: Tuesday - Sunday (closed Mondays)

English: A few signs in Casa da Historia are translated in English. The Galeria Mercado Modelo has English speaking guides who will give you a brief overview of the gallery in English when you enter.

The Casa da História is located in a renovated colonial building near the Elevador Lacerda, just across the road from the Mercado Modelo. It has three floors. The first contained a photo gallery and a digital art room, that projected moving patterns representing the four elements (fire, air, water, and earth). The second floor displayed historic photos of Salvador and a topigraphical map

The Galeria is managed by the city and often features rotating works from local and national artists.The Casa has four exhibitions with art and display pieces. It focuses more on visual presentations than historical narrative. The gallery space is relatively small but includes works by notable Bahian artists.

9. Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado (Jorge Amado House Foundation)

Entry: R$20, free on Wednesdays

Location: Largo do Pelourinho

Open: Monday to Saturday, closed on Sundays

English: None

Founded in 1987, this cultural institution is dedicated to the life and work of writer Jorge Amado. The building itself is a restored colonial property where Amado lived. The museum contains manuscripts, photos, personal items and correspondence of Jorge Amado and his wife, Zélia Gattai. It also highlights characters from Amado’s novels and their cultural significance in Bahia.

Visiting the Jorge Amado House Foundation

The museum has three floors. The first presents a timeline of Jorge Amado's life through photos. The second floor has a gallery of illustrations, as well as some photos from his travels internationally. The third floor has a sitting room with a mural, and a great view of Pelourinho from the windows.

There is also a small bookshop and courtyard café are located on site. By the cafe, there is a small additional exhibition about Exu, an orixá in Afro-Brazilian religions known as the messenger between the spiritual and human worlds. The permanent exhibition about Exu exists because Jorge Amado himself chose this orixá as the guardian of the Casa, and the institution has dedicated an entire space to honour Exu through artworks, sculptures, videos and projections donated by artists as part of a permanent installation known as "O Guardião" 

Objectively a really nice museum for those who are a fan of Jorge Amado's work or who can read Portuguese, but it may be difficult to engage with for foreigners who are not already familiar with Jorge Amado. Nevertheless there are some nice illustrations and photographs to look at and a great view from the top floor.

10. Museu da Misericórdia (Museum of Mercy)

Entry: R$30

Location: Pelourinho

Open: Tuesday to Saturday

The museum is located in a 17th-century former hospital run by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia. It documents the history of health care and social assistance in colonial and imperial Brazil.Its collection includes religious artworks, furniture, medical instruments, and historical documents. Guided tours are usually available. The building retains many of its original architectural elements.

11. Museu da Gastronomia Baiana (Bahian Gastronomy Museum)

Entry: Free

Location: SENAC building, Pelourinho

Open: Monday to Saturday (closed Sundays)

English: None

This small museum was established to preserve and present Bahia’s culinary traditions. It is supported by the SENAC culinary institute.

The space includes a small exhibit on ingredients, techniques, and influences in Bahian cuisine, with items such as traditional cookware, recipes, and regional food history. There are displays about acarajé, moqueca, and other Afro-Brazilian dishes. There was also another display with weapons and a few other historical items that didn't seem to align with the theme of the museum. There is also a small photo gallery inside the cafe, and some further informational displays inside the restaurant.

12. Cidade da Musica da Bahia (City of Music of Bahia)

Entry: R$20, free on Wednesdays

Location: Cidade Baixa, next to Mercado Modelo

Open: Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays)

English: None

Opened in 2021, this museum highlights the history and influence of Bahian music. It is housed in a restored building known as the Casarão dos Azulejos Azuis. The museum features interactive exhibits, sound installations, and biographies of key figures in Bahian music. Genres covered include samba, axé, forró and MPB. The rooftop offers a panoramic view of the lower city.

Visiting the Cidade da Música da Bahia

The museum has three floors. The first floor has a series of video booths where you can watch videos that you select on an app on your phone. There is also a room with couches and a large video projection, teaching about music in the various bairros (neighourhoods) of Salvador. The second floor contains more video booths that can be controlled via your phone, this time teaching about history, and a room dedicated to orchestra with an audiovisual presentation. Finally, the third floor has more booths with educational videos, a karaoke room, and a percussion workshop that is held a few times throughout the day.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of the displays are presented through video. The videos are only available in Portuguese and do not offer subtitles (in Portuguese or English), making this museum difficult for foreigners to visit in a meaningful way.

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