Visiting the Museum of Art Rio (MAR): Everything you need to know
- Jul 20
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
The Museum of Art Rio (MAR) is one of Rio de Janeiro's main art museums. Located in Praça Mauá beside the Museum of Tomorrow, it combines temporary exhibitions with views over Guanabara Bay.
If you're planning a visit, here's what to expect, from opening hours and facilities, accessibility for English speakers, and the layout of the museum.
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Museum of Art Rio opening hours
The Museum of Art Rio is open:
Thursday to Tuesday: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Last entry: 5:00 pm
Closed: Wednesdays
If your schedule is flexible, visit on Tuesdays, when entry is free. If you go on Tuesday, you will still need to pass by the ticket office to pick up a free ticket.
Practical information
A few things are worth knowing before you arrive:
Free luggage storage is available.
Only small purses and handbags are allowed inside the galleries, backpacks must be left in the cloakroom.
Toilets and drinking water are available on every floor.
Lifts are available throughout the museum, making it accessible for those who can't use the stairs.
There is a small cafe at the entrance to the cafe, by the ticket office.
How the visit works
Unlike many museums, MAR has a set route that starts in the middle of the building, before going to the rooftop then working its way down. After entering, you'll be directed straight to the lift, which takes you to the forth floor.
Fourth floor
The visit begins on the fourth floor, which has a library and a small gallery. It's a fairly quick stop before continuing upwards.
Sixth floor
From there, take the lift up to the sixth floor. This level is mainly a rooftop viewing area overlooking Guanabara Bay and the Museum of Tomorrow. There are no exhibitions or visitor facilities here, but it's worth spending a few minutes enjoying the view before heading back down.
Fifth floor
Take the internal stairs down to the fifth floor, where the main exhibition begins.
During my visit, this floor featured a mix of:
Paintings
Video installations
Music and audiovisual displays
Large projections
Exhibits about the Orishas
Historical themes
Third and second floors
From the fifth floor, you continue down through the museum using the internal stairs.
The third and second floors each contain two exhibition rooms, making six gallery rooms in total across these levels.
The exhibitions included:
Photography
Paintings
Textile works
Historical exhibitions
As with most contemporary art museums, exhibitions change over time, so what you see may differ from my visit.
Is MAR good for English speakers?
If you don't speak Portuguese, it's worth knowing that very little information is available in English.
During my visit:
One video included English subtitles.
Almost all exhibition signs and descriptions were in Portuguese.
You can still appreciate much of the artwork visually, but if you like reading exhibition information, you'll get much more from the museum if you understand Portuguese or download a translation app (like Google Translate) so that you can translate using your phone camera.
Is MAR worth visiting?
MAR offers a different experience from the Museum of Tomorrow. While the Museum of Tomorrow focuses on science and the future, MAR is centred on Brazilian art, culture and history through changing exhibitions.
Even if contemporary art isn't usually your thing, the rooftop views and rotating exhibitions make it an interesting stop if you're already exploring Praça Mauá. Just keep in mind that the exhibitions change regularly, so your experience may be quite different depending on when you visit.
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