Museums in LisbonMuseu da Marioneta: Lisbon's Puppet Museum
The Museu da Marioneta is Lisbon's puppet museum, housed in the former Convento das Bernardas in the Madragoa district. It holds the largest collection of traditional Portuguese puppets, plus masks and figures from Southeast Asia and Africa, and it runs puppet shows and workshops in its own theatre hall. This page covers the hours, the closed day, every ticket price, the free entry rules, the Lisboa Card, the collection, the convent's history and how to get there. Compare it with the rest in the guide to museums in Lisbon.
The Museu da Marioneta in the old Convento das Bernardas, Lisbon. Photo: GualdimG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer Hours, price, closed day, collection
The Museu da Marioneta is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00 with last entry at 17:30, and it closes every Monday. A full ticket costs €5 ($5.58), children to 12 enter free, and the museum is free with the Lisboa Card. It sits in the Convento das Bernardas at Rua da Esperança 146 in Madragoa. The nearest station is Santos.
Key takeaways
- Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00, last entry 17:30. Closed Monday and on 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January and 1 May. Details in opening hours.
- Adults pay €5 ($5.58), ages 13 to 25 pay €2.50 ($2.79), ages 65 and over pay €4 ($4.46), children to 12 go free. The full price table is in tickets and free entry.
- Free with the Lisboa Card, which also covers the National Coach Museum and the Fado Museum.
- Puppet shows cost €7.50 ($8.36) full or €5 ($5.58) reduced and are sold separately from entry. See shows and workshops.
Key Facts for Visitors
Open. No closure for works is announced.
Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00, last entry 17:30.
Every Monday, plus 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January and 1 May.
€5 ($5.58) full. €2.50 ($2.79) for ages 13 to 25 (non-residents), €4 ($4.46) for 65 and over (non-residents), free to 12.
Free entry with the Lisboa Card.
No duration is published.
Santos station on the Cascais line. Buses 706, 713, 714 and 727, trams 25 and 28.
Museu da Marioneta at a Glance
Lisbon's puppet museum lives inside a convent.
What It Is
The Museu da Marioneta is the city's museum of puppets, operated by EGEAC, the municipal culture company that also runs the Fado Museum and Museu de Lisboa. It holds the largest collection of traditional Portuguese puppets in the country, alongside masks and figures from Africa and Southeast Asia. The setting is the Convento das Bernardas on Rua da Esperança 146 in the Santos and Madragoa district, and the same building is home to 34 resident families, so it is a living convent rather than an empty shell.
The National Museum of Ancient Art (MNAA) is closed, with a partial reopening planned for 21 November 2026.
Source: Museu da Marioneta, Visit Lisboa.
Opening Hours and Closed Days
The museum keeps one simple schedule all year, with Monday as the closed day.
Opening Times
The museum opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. The last admission is at 17:30, so arrive half an hour before closing at the latest. Like most of Lisbon's national and municipal museums, it closes every Monday. If a Monday is the only day you have, the Gulbenkian Museum, MAAT and the Royal Treasure Museum all open that day.
The museum also shuts on public holidays: 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January and 1 May.
- Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00-18:00
- Last entry: 17:30
- Closed: Monday
- Closed: 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January, 1 May
Source: Museu da Marioneta hours.
Museu da Marioneta
A look inside on video. Third-party video by Lisboa Cultura. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Tickets and Free Entry
Entry is cheap by Lisbon standards, and children under 13 pay nothing at all.
Ticket Prices
A full adult ticket costs €5 ($5.58). Young visitors from 13 to 25 who are not Lisbon residents pay €2.50 ($2.79), and visitors aged 65 and over who are not residents pay €4 ($4.46). Children to 12 enter free. Tickets are sold through Blueticket.
The free Sunday rule is the detail that trips visitors up. Entry is free on Sundays and public holidays until 14:00, but only for residents of the Lisbon municipality. A tourist showing an out-of-town or foreign ID pays the normal price on a Sunday morning like any other day. Unemployed Lisbon residents also enter free.
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | €5 |
| Ages 13 to 25, non-residents | €2.50 |
| Ages 65 and over, non-residents | €4 |
| Children to 12 | Free |
| Lisbon residents, Sundays and holidays until 14:00 | Free |
| Show ticket, full | €7.50 |
| Show ticket, reduced | €5 |
The Lisboa Card
The museum is free with the Lisboa Card, according to Visit Lisboa and the card's own list. The pass from €31 ($34.57) for 24 hours also covers the Lisboa Story Centre and the Museu de Lisboa.
| Card option | Adult price | Valid |
|---|---|---|
| Lisboa Card 24h | €31 | 24 hours |
| Lisboa Card 48h | €51 | 48 hours |
| Lisboa Card 72h | €62 | 72 hours |
Source: Museu da Marioneta hours, Museu da Marioneta useful information, Lisboa Card.
The Convento das Bernardas, home of the Museu da Marioneta, Lisbon. Photo: Lijealso, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Collection Holds
Portuguese puppet traditions form the core, with a large Asian and African deposit on long loan.
Portuguese Puppets
The museum's core is the largest collection of traditional Portuguese puppets, a claim made by Visit Lisboa. No object count is published on the museum's pages, so the collection is best described by type rather than by number.
The Capelo Deposit
Since 2008 the museum has held a deposit from the Francisco Capelo collection: puppets and masks from Southeast Asia and Africa. This is the part of the museum that goes beyond the Portuguese tradition.
The Current Exhibition
The temporary programme changes, and at present the museum shows 60 Years of Puppet Animation from the Latvian film studio Animacijas Brigade. It is the 19th partnership between the museum and the MONSTRA festival. A teacher workshop is listed for 31 October from 10:30 to 15:30.
Check the museum's site before you go, because temporary exhibitions change.
Source: Visit Lisboa, Museu da Marioneta.
The Convent and Its History
The building is older than the museum by more than three centuries, and it has survived an earthquake.
From Convent to Museum
The Convento das Bernardas was founded in 1653 as a convent. The 1755 earthquake nearly destroyed it, and rebuilding started in 1758. The municipality bought the building in 1998, restoration followed from 1999 to 2001, and the museum moved in in November 2001. It remains a working convent in one sense, because 34 families live in the residential part of the complex.
The museum itself is older than its current home. It was created in 1987 by the Companhia de Marionetas de São Lourenço, making it the first and only puppet museum in Portugal. It moved to the convent in 2001 under EGEAC. The Lisboa Story Centre on Praça do Comércio covers Lisbon's history.
Source: Wikipedia, Museu da Marioneta.
Shows and Workshops
This is a museum with a working stage, and the programme is worth checking before your visit.
Puppet Shows
The museum runs puppet shows in its own show hall, and the programme changes, so check the calendar on the museum's site for what is on during your dates. Shows are priced separately from entry: €7.50 ($8.36) full and €5 ($5.58) reduced, and the price can vary per programme. A museum ticket does not include a show, and a show ticket does not include the galleries, so budget for both if you want the full visit.
Workshops
Workshops run alongside the shows. Past sessions include The Mask and Emotions. A teacher workshop is listed for 31 October from 10:30 to 15:30, tied to the Latvian animation exhibition.
Check the museum's calendar if a workshop is the reason for your visit.
Source: Museu da Marioneta useful information, Museu da Marioneta.
Getting There and Access
The museum sits between Santos and the Tagus, and it is easy to reach by train, tram or bus.
By Train, Bus or Tram
The nearest rail station is Santos on the Cascais line. By bus, routes 706, 713, 714 and 727 serve the area. Trams 25 and 28 also serve the area.
Wheelchair Access
The museum has a lift, ramps and a platform for wheelchairs, but these work through the side entrance rather than the main door. Call ahead so staff can meet you and open the right entrance. Paid parking is available about 400 metres away at Largo Vitorino Damásio if you drive.
Visiting Rules
A few rules differ from other museums, and photography is the main one.
Photography and the Show Hall
Photography, filming and sound recording need written authorisation from the museum. Ask at the desk before raising a camera or a phone. Inside the show hall, phones are not allowed at all during performances, and food and drink are banned throughout the building.
Tips for Your Visit
Do
- Do arrive by 17:30 at the latest, because that is the last admission and the doors close at 18:00.
- Do bring your Lisboa Card, because the museum is free with it and the pass also covers the National Coach Museum and the Fado Museum.
- Do call ahead if you need the wheelchair entrance, because the lift, ramps and platform work through the side entrance and staff need to open it.
- Do check the show calendar before you go, because puppet shows are a separate €7.50 ($8.36) ticket and the programme changes.
- Do check the museum's site for the current exhibition, because temporary exhibitions change.
Don't
- Don't come on a Monday, because the museum is closed every Monday and on 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January and 1 May.
- Don't expect free entry on Sunday morning as a tourist, because the free Sunday and holiday rule until 14:00 applies only to Lisbon municipality residents.
- Don't photograph or film without written authorisation, because the museum requires permission for photography, filming and sound recording.
- Don't bring food, drink or a phone into the show hall, because phones are banned there during performances and food and drink are banned throughout.
Museu da Marioneta: Questions and Answers
How much does it cost to enter the Museu da Marioneta?
A full ticket costs €5 ($5.58), ages 13 to 25 pay €2.50 ($2.79), ages 65 and over pay €4 ($4.46) and children to 12 enter free. See the full price table in tickets and free entry section.
What day is the Museu da Marioneta closed?
The museum closes every Monday, plus 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January and 1 May. Plan around it with opening hours, or switch to the Gulbenkian Museum, which opens on Mondays.
Is the Museu da Marioneta free with the Lisboa Card?
Yes. Visit Lisboa and the card's own list both give free entry to the museum with the Lisboa Card, which starts at €31 ($34.57) for 24 hours. Details are in the Lisboa Card for Museums guide.
Is the puppet museum good for children?
Children to 12 enter free, and the museum runs puppet shows and workshops. Shows are a separate €7.50 ($8.36) ticket, so check the shows and workshops calendar first.
Where is the Museu da Marioneta and how do I get there?
It is at Rua da Esperança 146 in the Madragoa district, inside the Convento das Bernardas. Santos station is the nearest train stop, and buses 706, 713, 714 and 727 plus trams 25 and 28 serve the area. The full directions are in getting there and access.
How long do I need at the Museu da Marioneta?
The museum publishes no visit duration. Last entry is at 17:30.