This was a great museum and we also really enjoyed the café and gift shop. The museum showcases tiles from the 15th century through today. It was cool to see how the tradition has evolved over the years. Many signs are in both Portuguese and English. All the staff we spoke with were also very fluent in English. This was also the first place I saw a people love us on Yelp sign (in Portuguese) which was super cool. The café serves coffee, beer and wine as well as sandwiches and pasties in a beautiful setting. Part of the café is indoors and part is in a garden courtyard. Beautiful sculptures and flowers. We got here on the bus but you could also Uber. Bus stop is very close but it's a bit out of the way from the main touristic areas. I would budget about two to three hours here depending on how interested you are in the tiles. Definitely have a drink and a snack and enjoy the courtyard garden area. Shop was well stocked, reasonably priced and featured some work by local artisans. read more

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Everyone and their mother told me to come to the tile museum on my recent trip to Lisbon. Honestly, it was cool to see, but I didn't spend anywhere near the 1-1.5 hours people recommend spending here. It was a 30 minute max type of museum unless you're going to stop and read every single thing about every single tile in this place...which I guess people must do. One thing that was incredibly cool is the panoramic view of what Lisbon used to look like before the big earthquake they had. It's interesting to see what monuments survived, which ones didn't and what stands there today. Overall, if you have extra time during your trip this isn't a bad way to spend it - I just wouldn't plan on being here for hours and hours (unless you really, really want to). read more

Museu Nacional do Azulejo - Art Museums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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Catching up on review drafts a while back! Had the pleasure of enjoying a few hours here in April 2022. Portugal being famous for their decorative ceramic tiles, this museum displays an extensive collection of both classical ceramic wall tile and modern art, housed in a 16th century monastery building. From the outside the building doesn't look super impressive though inside there's a good amount to see. Ticket price last I checked was €8, we arrived shortly after 10am on a Saturday and there was a line of about 20 people at the entrance and ticket counter though the line moved quickly. Upon entry first stop was the cafe for a quick breakfast, they took about 20ish minutes to open after the museum building opened, as we waited the staff was setting out chairs and readying some foodstuffs. Not wanting to wait too long, I went with a pastel de nata, a mini croissant and an espresso. The pastries were nothing special though not inedible. The espresso was solid. That being said, I came for the tiles and not the food, so getting to that... The exhibits start from the ground floor encircling a small courtyard and you make your way up a few more stories. The first two levels have more traditional tiles used for building ornamentation, some purely decorative motifs, others with elaborate scenes painted on them. The exhibit progresses in chronological order with upper floors featuring modern art. Since the museum sits in a historic monastery, the chapel, antechamber, auditorium and surrounding rooms part of the original church floor plan showcase elaborate wall and ceiling ceramic embellishments. Really gorgeous! Overall certainly recommend checking out this museum--there was a fair variety and what stood out to me was both the functionality and humor of some of the more classical pieces, and the creativity of the modern pieces. Worth it to spend a couple hours here if you're visiting Lisbon. read more

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This was a lovely art museum showcasing the ceramic tiles that Portugal is known for! It was so cool to look at all the colorful patterns and different art techniques. The museum is housed in a former convent so you can also check out the beautiful church with paintings everywhere. We had honestly planned to spend a few hours here but we were able to move through it in about an hour. It was SO hot that day and it felt even hotter in the museum so that probably pushed us along quicker. There were many great picture opportunities and they have a nice little gift shop at the end. I do wish there was a little bit more history to read about at the museum. It was only 8 euros for admission! read more

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If you are in Lisbon and appreciate art and history, the National Tile Museum is a must see. I booked the 1 hour self guided tour through GetYourGuide for 2 pm and arrived 15 minutes early. The staff did allow me to go into the Museum a few minutes early. The National Tile Museum will immerse you into Portugal's rich history and culture. You do not need to use the self-guided tour since there are a bunch of places where they are areas of the museum with English translations. Volunteers are located around the museum who are more than willing to answer any question that you have. One of the best parts of the National Tile Museum was the church or chapel filled with centuries full of art. I would recommend checking out the museum if you are in Lisbon. If you have time before or after your tour check out the cafe or the gift shop to enjoy some a coffee or buy some unique pieces. read more

Museu Nacional do Azulejo - Chapel - Art Museums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

A must see in Lisbon! They have a great collection of old and new artistic tile pieces and a wide variety of techniques. The historical insights were very helpful in understanding the process of tile creation and the works we saw were stunning! I only wish they had a more extensive gift shop because I definitely was interested in taking some tiles home. read more

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Worth a see. If you like mosaics or tiles, you will be pleasantly surprised. I would say plan on spending a couple of hours here. They do have captions in English, which adds to the experience. read more

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This is the beautiful National Tile Museum in Lisbon, Portugal. If you appreciate art and history this museum is a must-see. Roughly a 1-1.5 hour self guided tour will immerse you in some of Portugal's rich history and culture. There are some pieces that have English translations and some pieces that are only written in Portuguese. I would recommend bring some sort of translator (person or app) to allow yourself to fully engage. While beautiful there were some water leaks in the exterior hallways and construction taking place (closed off areas). We went in March and the crowd was relatively small since the peak season hadn't started. Overall a 4/5 experience. read more

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This place is beautiful. It's filled with tiles from all over Portugal. The intricate work that is done to make this is top notch. So much talent. There are religious decorative historical tiles and so much more A must see in Lisbon read more

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The museum is interesting and popular but not my favorite. A friend told us it's the best museum in Lisbon. I can't believe that. read more

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Beautiful tile mosaic! It's worth the visit Housed in the former Madre de Deus Convent, the museum's collection is one of the largest of ceramics in the world. read more

The Azulejo or Tile is the identitary art of Portugal. It's been used throughout the past five centuries and differs from how it's perceived in other cultures. The museum truly appreciates the heritage of tile found all over the country. We went through room after room mesmerized by tiles on the floor, walls, ceiling, and even tile art. There was so much to see it was overwhelming and spectacular. Each room was more magnificent than the one before and the tiles are more unique, like nothing I've seen before. We walked through tile chapels filled with religious tiles. We saw 20th century tiles that were art deco, art nouveau and even three dimensional. The hunting room was full of animal tiles. On the third floor we saw a panoramic view of London, the panels were 23 meters long and documented the history of Lisbon prior to the 1755 earthquake, breathtaking! There was an attractive restaurant and seating in a beautiful garden. I went a little wild in the gorgeous gift shop, there was no shortage of tile items to purchase. We spent about two hours here. It was off the beaten path and difficult to get to by public transportation so we took an Uber. read more

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Visited the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Museum of Tile) on a recent adventure in Portugal. I felt it was pretty meh; I think I wanted to see more tile! The golden Church and Convent of Madre de Deus hidden inside was nothing short of spectacular, however. It's still an active place of worship, and understandably chosen by many Lisbon residents as their wedding ceremony venue. Worth a visit, but I think I had more fun wandering through the streets of Lisbon looking at the tile in the wild. read more

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We went on a Tuesday afternoon and the line to get tickets wasn't too bad. While not super huge, the museum itself impressed me with its variety of tile and other art. Definitely worth a visit and tickets were pretty affordable as well! read more

Very nice little museum. The tiles are beautiful and it was fun to learn the history of the art style. Great activity for a rainy morning in Lisboa. read more

Museu Nacional do Azulejo - Courtyard - Art Museums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

This is THE most amazing thing you can see in Portugal. Having been to 9 other European countries and literally saw all the museums included in their passes, most museums were boring to me. But not this one. This is like nothing else. Building itself is 500+ years old. Too bad the museum does not advertise or explain the building and/or their exhibit very well. But if you read up on your own, it is amazing. It is a must see! read more

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A highlight of my trip to Lisbon, the national tile museum is amazing. Two hours to see and appreciate the Portuguese art of azulejo. The building is housed in a former convent and it is neatly laid out and aligned so that you can appreciate the art without being crowded. The museum includes porcelain, tiles, ceramics and faience from the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the more interesting exhibits was on how these tiles are manufactured and then there are several exhibit rooms with different types and designs. My favorites were the turquoise cat and the female figure, both of which I have included in my photos. The museum is a bit far from the usual downtown areas. You can walk, but there is a direct bus too. The 24-hour fare with a Viagem card works on the buses. [Review 16590 overall - 107 in Portugal - round number 100 of 2022.] read more

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This was one of my favorite spots in Lisbon! I love architecture, but even if you don't, this is such a cool place. It's free with the Lisbon card and I don't know what it would be for individual tickets. This whole museum was fascinating and you were able to see how these tiles have been such an integral part of Portuguese culture and art. It's a lot farther from other big tourist spots so I would recommend either public transport or Uber. It is worth the drive! read more

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A medium sized museum with two floors that has a ton of different ceramic exhibits and a church. The tiles are very similar to the different patterns around the city but there are some ones that are more historical and restored. While some of the exhibits have plaques that explain the history and process with the tiles, as a tourist it was somewhat hard to comprehend given the writing in Portuguese. Definitely don't stop in this ceramic's museum without checking out what I thought was the show stopping church chapel. read more

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Do you like tiles? Because I sure do! This museum was on my short list for our Lisbon stay - I love decorative arts and I love the tile faced buildings in Portugal. This museum is a bit away from the center (decently quick bus ride) and housed in a former convent. The museum focuses on tiles from the 1400's to today, including many altarpieces and mosaics. A highlight for me was the original mosaics in the former cloister areas. And it was super cool to see how modern artists are interpreting this art form. In addition to tiles, there are some remnants of the old convent including a gorgeous chapel filled with relics and reliquaries. On our visit, there was a lovely crèche on display -not sure if that's seasonal or not. Check out the gift shop for design driven gifts, or the courtyard cafe. read more

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I loved this little museum. It was pretty cheap to go in, I think 5 euros or something so definitely worth the couple coins. A beautiful display of tiles, architecture, and overall not very crowded so easy to enjoy. Very well laid out and easy to navigate as well. I think one of the highlight during my trip to Lisbon, I would recommend it for a chill afternoon activity. read more

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You can use your Lisbon card to visit this delightful museum for free. It had so many beautiful tiles, and the Church inside was so beautiful. My favorite part was sitting in the room next to the church and learning from a documentary more about tiles and the metro station. I also bought a gorgeous tile to bring back as a souvenir. read more

What an awesome day exploring Lisbon's Museu Nacional do Azulejo. This museum is spectacular! [Wow, the riches to behold in this ancient City, that is Lisboa!] The Portuguese craftsmanship comes to a head with their azulejo (pron. "ah-zoo-LAY-zhoo") tile-work! This museum, dedicated to displaying and preserving this beloved art form is one where you could (literally) easily spend 2-3 hours poring over the minutiae of the museum's monumental displays. These aren't simply everyday bathroom tiles, mind you; but, works of art--from single pieces to large-scaled frescoes to its epic "360-degree" Lisboa cityscape on the top floor. There's also a garden courtyard (on the first level) next to its coffee shop, for those who need a refreshment. A loja (shop) also sits on the first level offering beautiful tiles and vibrant art books. If in Lisbon, and you've never been, do NOT miss this one...!!! :D read more

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Gorgeous museum! Absolutely absorbing, and the tiles are gorgeous. Built in a former convent, the interior has not been ruined - lightly, but well renovated so that you can still imagine the convent. The app you download at the beginning is very informative. There's a lot of information, to read after your visit as well. The chapel area is overwhelming. So much gold. Definitely worth a visit! read more

The tile museum. Azulejo is mural blue tile that been use on church, palace, gathering place, monastery or convent, and more. This type of tile was widely use fro 13th century to 15th century. Mostly in Portugal and dome in Spain. This national museum has wide collection of the blue tile. The upstairs show a continuous long time display the entire city of Lisbon. It is impressive. You can find each landmark in the city. The tile are the mural to record the the history. Many of them are well preserved. Some just an illustration of art. The details are exquisite and delicate. I like the way they can make the time in different angle or corner of the building and not losing the flow of the story. Visit may take 1.5 hours. Parking may be a challenge because of the front of the museum not allow private car to park. But you can park close to shopping near LidL. read more

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Horrific administration. Website is under construction. It said it was open on 12/24, but when we got there it was closed. There was another tour group behind us that was also shocked to find it closed. read more

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If you have an interest in tile design or decorating it's must. You'll have to head a little off the beaten path to get there. The chapel is beautiful. Check out the tile depiction of Lisbon before the earthquake. read more

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Loved this museum! Visiting Portugal you notice so many buildings have beautiful tiling. This museum gives insight into the history of tiles in Portugal and has some stunning hand painted tile works. There is also a chapel/monastery in the museum as well and a cute courtyard with a cafe. Stop in if you have the time the museum can be done quickly but you can also spend a good amount of time here! read more

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Our friendly chef at Restaurant Qualquer Hora recommended a visit to the tile museum...he was right, though it takes longer to get there than to visit (because you need the bus; so take a cab or a uber, the queue to get back was impossible and this was mid October) Its a great little place with just about the right amount of things to see...the cafe was good too and no rip off (2 coffees & 2 croissants - large - for €5.70) ...very enjoyable Took some photos to give an idea...we looked down on the church but by the time we got downstairs it had been shut up for lunch, annoying as if we had known we would have done the visit the other way round...grrr read more

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Well worth the visit! At first thought, it sounded boring. But when we went, it was great! They had tiles that were new and modern, and ancient. There were numerous different rooms. The building itself was interesting. I took a lot of pictures, and I'd go back if I return to Lisbon. Well done museum, with a cute cafe, and gift store. read more

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I was charmed immediately by how lovely the entryway into this museum is. I found it by accident as I was Googling "I love Portuguese Tile," haha. Because I do love Portuguese tile, I was pumped to check this place out and get a better understanding of the history of the art. The building itself is nice; the entry fee was 5EUR. Upon entering, you're sort of guided long displays in a sort of timeline fashion, which I thought was clever. Given how much I love the tile motif, I enjoyed all of it. I learned that I'm partial to the pre-Baroque style--mostly geometric, Gothic, and Islamic styles. This will be useful to know when I'm purchasing tile for my home. ;) Plus, it's nice trivia to know at a dinner party. I highly recommend checking it out. read more

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History of Portuguese tile set in a former convent which was a former Moorish palace. The tiled cafe and garden alone are worth the visit. If you are obsessed with Portuguese tile (Azulejos), then this place is your place. Cafe food is yummy and the Moorish garden you get to eat in is gorgeous. Take a taxi. read more

If you have any interest in tiles or tile-making this is the place for you. Located in a beautiful former convent, on a hill overlooking the waterfront, Museu Nacional do Azulejo covers an art form that was much more central to expression in Portugal than in other countries. Cobalt blue is the predominant color in the collection tho polychrome became popular. Many tiles of the 16th and 17th centuries, feature naive renderings of African animals the artists had probably never seen. Why the dog and cat figures are also so divorced from reality remains a mystery. There's a pleasant covered courtyard where lunch and snacks are served. read more

One of the most famous museums for a very good reason. It's amazing. It's not just tile- so don't let the name of it fool you- there's a gorgeous church (Madre de Deus Church- Baroque) in here with numerous relics. This place was a convent- built in 1509 by Queen Leonor. Her chapel is still here and you can visit it. The tiles are exceptionally beautiful and well curated and arranged and explained. It's a really love place- but if you've no interest in tiles, I would not recommend it. It's just tiles- and the church. The museum is pretty far from all the other attractions. There's a bus that goes by and the Hop on Hop Off bus has it as a stop. We took a taxi there. Right around the block (toward the Tagus) is a Lidl grocery store- a BIG one with a pharmacy. We had trouble finding big stores in Lisbon near our hotel (except for El Corte Ingles) so we were super happy to find this Lidl- we like to buy gifts at regular grocery stores- and we found lots of fun stuff here. It is a long way from anything- and we were lucky to get a cab. We didn't have data so we couldn't call one. I think the museum would have called one for us- but we wanted to go to Lidl and we didn't want to walk back. Luckily, we managed to get a cab on the street Lidl was on and get back to central Lisbon. read more

After a brief visit to the Fado Museum (melancholic style of Portuguese music) we continued down the road to the tile museum. Seem like an appropriate music for Portugal, right? -Free on Sundays -Beautiful modern and old tiles on display. We especially enjoyed the church sanctuary filled with tiles from floor to ceiling -this is a must for the full Portuguese immersion We had hoped to see more interactive pieces on how tiles are actually made. read more

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One of the unique artistic features of Portugal is the tile art, and this museum has a lot of them! Going back to the 16th century, this former Mother of God convent is now the home of the largest tile collection in Portugal. The impressive tiles range from simple to ornate, and takes you on a journey through cultural influences from the north African (moorish) to Italian to Spanish. Make sure to take a walk through the old chapel, which has breathtaking tile murals next to paintings and sculptures. read more

AMAZING!!! This is another Convent and Cathedral converted to a museum in Lisbon- Worth a trip to learn about tile (Azulejo), but also to check out the amazing cathedral/Chapel/Convent.... Tile has an important history in Portugal, and here we learn that Tile was used to communicate things, and tile displays usually had a relevance or context to the place they were installed that is lost when the tiles are moved....We see tile scenes in situ in the cathedral/chapel with the shushing monk telling the congregation to keep quiet.... Walking through the history of tiles from th 16th century to present day is a great way to spend a half day. This is a spectacular museum and we had a guide. Well worth it! read more

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We really enjoyed our visit here. The history of the wonderful tile tradition of Portugal is traced through thoughtfully laid out exhibits beautifully displayed. I didn't realize before visiting that the building itself is a treasure and is beautiful in its own right. The extensive mosaic landscape of Lisbon before the great earthquake on the 2nd floor is a magnificent work of art as well as a historic historic record of the past. This is a very worthwhile place to explore. read more

One of the most famous museum in Lisboa And very rich of historic tails ! You must go there if you spend time in Lisbon read more

Would categorize as a small/medium sized museum. There's also a legit restaurant/cafe - didn't try it but the people who were seated looked like they were having a great time. the awesome: - learned a lot about tiles - gorgeous tile rooms - affordable pricing - friendly staff the cons: - FAR from the metro, legit 15-20 walk. And have to walk uphill next to a highway like path. Maybe should have gotten a taxi from the metro. - the center garden area was closed off, maybe due to the rain or repair. Tip:This place is a 10 min taxi ride to the aquarium, would recommend making a stop there. read more