iMuseu Nacional de História Natural e da CiênciaPríncipe Real
Natural Variations – A Journey Through Portugal's Landscapes
An immersive 1,200m² journey through ten Portuguese ecosystems: climb a mountain, descend into a cave and dive into the ocean among plants, animals and fossils.
More in Lisbon
Near the end you walk under a 12-metre fin whale hanging over the ocean room. It's a model of a young one, and the museum's guide points out an adult grows to twice that. Before you reach it you've climbed past an eagle owl on a rock ledge and an Iberian wolf, then followed a river down to the coast.
The route crosses ten Portuguese ecosystems on 1,200 m², from the city to the Azores and Madeira, built from sets, video and sound with specimens and models of more than 140 species. It starts in a city section about the pigeons, bats and cockroaches you share Lisbon with. Maps along the way mark the protected areas where each landscape is real, and an interactive screen at the end helps you pick one.
The animals are preserved or modelled, and a visit takes 45 to 60 minutes. It's on the first floor, included in the museum ticket, free on Sundays from 10:00 to 13:00, and runs until 31 December 2026.
Look for
The young fin whale
Look up in the ocean room: a 12-metre model of a juvenile fin whale hangs overhead, half the length an adult can reach.
The eagle owl on its ledge
On the mountain, an eagle owl sits on a rocky outcrop with its ear tufts and orange eyes while its "uhu-uhu" call plays.
The wolf and the fojo
An Iberian wolf stands beside a fojo, the trap people built to catch wolves, with a video explaining that wolves raid flocks because their wild prey is running out.
The megalosaurus footprint
In the cork and holm oak section, a model of a big footprint left in mud by a meat-eating dinosaur, near a wild boar under a full-size holm oak.
The Desertas tarantula
In the islands section, a tarantula that lives only on Deserta Grande, off Madeira.
Good for
- An Hour Or Less
- Rainy Days
- Small Kids
About 60 min
Skip if
You want live animals: every plant and animal here is a preserved specimen or a model.
With kids
On the third Sunday of each month, 10:00 to 13:00, a free relaxed session turns down sound and lighting for families with small children and noise-sensitive visitors. Baby changing and an accessible toilet are on the same floor; wheelchair users ask at the ticket office for the platform.
Also at Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência
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Image credits
9
- Natural Variations – A Journey Through Portugal's LandscapesCourtesy of Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência
- Arpad Szenes: Collection Highlights (Third Exhibition Cycle 2026)Courtesy of Fundação Arpad Szenes – Vieira da Silva
- Tragedy and Farce: Júlio Pomar and Gabriel AbrantesCourtesy of Atelier-Museu Júlio Pomar
- The Eternal Ark – Fernando Pessoa and PosterityGualdimG / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Museu Nacional de História Natural e da CiênciaJoaomartinho63 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Casa-Museu Medeiros e AlmeidaRedpill 87 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fundação Arpad Szenes – Vieira da SilvaJnpoJuwan / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
- Atelier-Museu Júlio PomarGualdimG / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Casa Fernando PessoaLijealso / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0