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Birmingham, MI
United States
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$$$
ITINERARY (1/2 Day)
Museum of Tomorrow
Mural Etnias
Restaurante Mauá
Rio Art Museum
nugget’s Advice
Prepare in advance
You can buy combo tickets for the Museum of Tomorrow and the Rio Art Museum (MAR) online at https://museudoamanha.org.br/en. However, you have to visit the Museum of Tomorrow first (where you will be provided with tickets for both museums). Your second ticket will be valid for visiting MAR within the next seven days.
Good to know
As with anywhere else in Rio, exercise caution when walking around. Don't wear excessive jewelry or leave purses on strollers. Cross-body bags are recommended.
Recommended day/time
Don't do this on a Monday since both museums are closed.
Recommended time of the year
Rio gets hot and crowded from mid-December to end of February. It's the school holidays, so hotels, beaches and transports are crowded.
Save Money
The museums are free on Tuesdays. The Rio Art Museum is also free on the last Sunday of every month. Kids five and under are free, and anyone under 21 are half-price.
About This Day
Heading to Rio with kids? This itinerary is a fun, family-friendly outing for both children and parents. A family visit to the newly renovated Rio port includes beautiful art, amazing architecture and plenty of opportunities for kids to roam around and enjoy themselves. Plus it provides a great introduction to cultural diversity in Brazil.
Museum of Tomorrow
1 Praça Mauá,
$$$
The Museum of Tomorrow is a stunning, futuristic structure designed by famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. It's built next to the waterfront at Pier Mauá where kids can marvel at the incoming cruise liners. Inside, the main exhibit focuses on the environment, sustainability and climate change. As reviewed by the Guardian, "focusing on ideas rather than objects, ecology more than technology, [the museum] is a little trippy, a little hippy, very worthy but rarely dull."
DIRECTIONS
Take a taxi or Uber to Praça Mauá. Alternatively, take line 1 (blue) of the VLT to Santos Dumont Airport or to Rodoviária / Praia Formosa and get off at Parada dos Museus or Museums stop. Walk 200 meters (~200 yards) to the museum entrance.
TIP
If your kids are hungry all the time like mine are, there's a "boteco" (the Brazilian version of a pub) across the street on the southwest side of Mauá square. It is a good place to get some fresh coconut water and pão de queijo (the delicious gluten-free cheese rolls Brazilians love).
FREE
The Etnias (Ethnicities) Mural by Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra is absolutely stunning. Not just because of its sheer size, but because of the mix of brightly colored shapes and textures. The work was commissioned for the Olympics and depicts five members of indigenous groups on five continents: the Mursi from Ethiopia, the Kayin from Thailand, the Tapajós from Brazil, the Supi from Europe and the Huli from Papua New Guinea.
DIRECTIONS
Walk west along Olympic Boulevard and the cruise liners arrival warehouses.The mural will be on your left. You really can't miss it!
TIP
During the Olympics, there were plenty of vendors, food trucks and live music along the Olympic Boulevard. If you can't find ice cream by the mural, head to the Vitali stand on Praça Mauá for some Italian gelato.
Restaurante Mauá
Túnel Rio 450 Anos, Rio de Janeiro
$$$
Here you’ll find creative cuisine, plenty of local ingredients and a beautiful view. For the more adventurous, try the chopped cashew with organic egg, shiitake flour and mini potatoes. The girls loved the rice and beans and grilled fish.
DIRECTIONS
Head back to Praça Mauá. The Rio Art Museum is on the southwest corner of the square. Take the elevator to the rooftop. You don't have to buy a ticket to enter the museum.
TIP
The restaurant is open from 12pm to 6pm. We got there a few minutes before noon and there were already quite a few people in line.
Rio Art Museum
1-5 Praça Mauá, Rio de Janeiro
$$$
Unless it's a rainy day or you have some time and energy to spare, I'd skip the actual museum. However, check out the installation on the main floor before or after you head up to Restaurante Mauá on the rooftop. The colorful favela was impressive and fascinating for the kids (and the adults).
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