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Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
Oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian's art collection, from ancient Egypt to Lalique jewellery, set in a landscaped garden alongside the Kengo Kuma-redesigned modern art centre.
At a glance
- Type
- Art museum
- Area
- Avenidas Novas, Lisbon, Portugal
- Opening
- Open 6 days a week (closed Tuesday) · 10:00–18:00
- Official site
- gulbenkian.pt
Good to know
- Garden
- Café
- Modern Collection (CAM)
- Shop
Why we recommend it
Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, an Armenian businessman who made his fortune in the oil industry, spent the last years of his life in Lisbon and left his collection and his fortune to a foundation based in the city. He collected with the motto "only the best", and the museum that bears his name shows around a thousand of the roughly 6,000 pieces he gathered. The foundation's headquarters and museum sit in a 7.5-hectare garden close to Praça de Espanha, and the whole complex is one of the finest examples of Portuguese modern architecture and landscape design.
The Founder's Collection is arranged as a chronological and geographical route. It begins with Egyptian, Greco-Roman and Mesopotamian objects, moves through Islamic ceramics, carpets and glass, and continues with Chinese porcelain and Japanese lacquer. The European rooms hold illuminated manuscripts, French furniture and decorative arts, and paintings by artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens and Monet. The final room is devoted to the jewellery and glass of René Lalique, a friend of the collector, and is often the part visitors remember most.
At the far end of the garden, the Centro de Arte Moderna, which opened in 1983 as the country's first museum of modern art, holds the Modern Collection. It reopened in 2024 after a redevelopment by Kengo Kuma and Associates and is the best place in Lisbon to see Portuguese art from the twentieth century onwards, alongside temporary exhibitions. The two museums can be visited on separate tickets or together.
The garden, designed by António Viana Barreto and Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles, deserves time of its own. Paths lead through woodland, past a lake with ducks and turtles and an open-air amphitheatre, and it is free to enter. It is a calm stop for families and a good place for a picnic on a warm day.
The museum opens from 10:00 to 18:00 and is closed on Tuesdays, with last entry at 17:30. Allow two hours for the Founder's Collection and more if you add the modern art centre. The building is accessible, and there is a café and a shop. The nearest metro stations are São Sebastião, on the red and blue lines, and Praça de Espanha, on the blue line, each a few minutes' walk from the main entrance on Avenida de Berna.
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum FAQs
Which day is the Gulbenkian Museum closed?
Tuesday. It opens from 10:00 to 18:00 on the other days, with last entry at 17:30.
What is in the Modern Collection?
The Centro de Arte Moderna holds modern and contemporary art, with a strong focus on Portuguese artists, in a building redesigned by Kengo Kuma that reopened in 2024.
What are the highlights of the Founder's Collection?
Egyptian and Islamic art, Chinese and Japanese pieces, French decorative arts, paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Monet, and a room of René Lalique jewellery.
Is the garden free?
Yes. The Gulbenkian garden is open to the public without a ticket.
How long should you allow?
About two hours for the Founder's Collection, plus another hour or more for the Modern Collection.
How do you get there?
Take the metro to São Sebastião or Praça de Espanha and walk a few minutes to the main entrance on Avenida de Berna.
Is it a good museum for families?
Yes. The route is easy to follow, and the garden gives children space to run around between visits.
Who was Calouste Gulbenkian?
An Armenian businessman in the oil industry who settled in Lisbon and left his art collection to the foundation that runs the museum.