Photos show the interior of the National Museum, which reopens this Wednesday after 7 years

Summary National Museum reopens seven years after the 2018 fire, presenting exhibitions of recovered collection and new whale skeleton, with renovations expected to be completed in 2027.

Seven years after the closure of the National Museum , due to a fire that destroyed a large part of the structure and collection, the doors reopened this Wednesday, the 2nd. The museum, which is located in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, underwent renovation, which is not yet complete, and is scheduled to be completed in 2027.

Images released by the museum show the interior of the renovated palace, with pieces that are once again on display to the public. The reopening marks a historic moment for the institution.

The work had a budget of R$517 million, financed by public and private companies, through the Museu Nacional Vive project, a partnership between UFRJ, UNESCO and the Instituto Cultural Vale.

For the reopening, the National Museum will host a special temporary exhibition, in addition to the presentation of pieces from the recovered collection, such as the Bendegó meteorite, which survived the fire, and a new sperm whale skeleton, on display under the building's skylight.

The works on display are:

• Bendegó meteorite;
• Sperm whale skeleton (15.7 meters);
• Carrara marble sculptures;
• Works by Gustavo Caboco;
• Restored architectural elements;
• Fragments of Luzia's skull.

The museum is located in the former São Cristóvão Palace, in Quinta da Boa Vista, which was once the residence of the Portuguese royal family and the seat of the Brazilian Empire. It is one of the oldest and most important in South America, having been founded in 1818. Before the 2018 fire, it housed a collection of over 20 million items.

The fire was investigated by the Federal Police, who ruled out the possibility of foul play. A short circuit in an air conditioning unit was identified as the cause.

The fire destroyed fossils, historical documents, indigenous artifacts, and other items. Some of the fragments of Luzia's skull were recovered – the human fossil is the oldest in the Americas ever found.

Museum news

Visitors to the National Museum can visit the exhibition “Among Giants: an experience at the National Museum”, which was created to mark the reopening of the space and can be visited free of charge until August 31st. The route has three environments that talk about nature, heritage and art. Tickets are available on the Sympla platform.

At the entrance to the museum, visitors are greeted by the Bendegó meteorite, which weighs 5.6 tons and withstood the fire, becoming a symbol of the museum's resilience.

The piece is accompanied by works by indigenous artist Gustavo Caboco, who created interpretations of the meteorite in a series of works, in partnership with his family.

The highlight of the staircase is the 15.7-meter sperm whale skeleton, which is suspended under the building's new skylight. The sperm whale is a toothed whale, known for being the largest toothed cetacean on the planet.

The skeleton underwent restoration and assembly that lasted about two months. The museum launched a campaign for the public to choose a name for the specimen.

The third room is dedicated to the history of the museum and the reconstruction of the palace. It displays Carrara marble sculptures, restored architectural elements and photos illustrating the process.

New collection

Since 2021, the National Museum has been expanding its collection through the Recompôs project, which aims to recover part of the collections that were lost in the fire in 2018. The initiative has already incorporated more than 14 thousand items into the museum's collection, with support from donations from Brazilian and international institutions and families that have items of public interest.

Some of the objects received were shells, fossils, historical pieces and even taxidermied animals.

Of the more than 14 thousand pieces currently in the collection, 1,815 are expected to be used in new exhibitions that will be installed in the palace.

The best-known donated item is the Tupinambá cloak, used in indigenous ceremonies in the 16th century and donated by the National Museum of Denmark.

A private collection of more than 1,104 remains collected in the Araripe Basin, between the states of Ceará, Pernambuco and Piauí, was also incorporated into the institution through an agreement with the Swiss-German collector Burkhard Pohl.

Another 17 African pieces were donated by ambassador Alexandre Addor and 7 pre-Columbian ceramics were donated by Gilka Leite Garcia.

A family donated a taxidermied tiger and singer Nando Reis contributed a collection of shells.