What Is MAAT Lisbon?

MAAT — the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology — is a two-building museum campus on the Tagus riverfront in Belém, built as a cultural project of the EDP Foundation. The site opened in stages in 2016: exhibitions inside the repurposed Central Tejo power station began in June, and the new contemporary Gallery building, designed by London-based architecture studio AL_A under Amanda Levete, opened to the public on October 5 with a large-scale installation by French artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster.

The Gallery building is the museum's signature piece — a low, undulating structure clad in around 15,000 handmade ceramic tiles, with a curved roof that doubles as a free public plaza and river-viewing terrace open even outside ticketed hours. Central Tejo, its neighbor, is a coal-fired power station built in 1908 that once supplied electricity to the entire Lisbon region; its cavernous turbine halls now house the Electricity Museum's machinery alongside rotating contemporary art and architecture exhibitions, connected to the Gallery by a riverside park.

Together the two buildings form Lisbon's main venue for contemporary art, architecture, and industrial-heritage programming — a different register from the Manueline-era monuments nearby, and a useful contrast if you're spending a full day on the Belém riverfront.

Tickets & Prices 2026

According to the official MAAT ticketing page, standard admission is €12 for residents of Portugal and €16 for everyone else. A single ticket typically covers both the MAAT Gallery and MAAT Central buildings — confirm this at booking, since access can vary by exhibition. Reduced-rate tickets are a 25% discount for students under 30 (€9 for PT residents, €12 for non-residents) and a 15% discount for visitors 65 and over or unemployed (€10.20 for PT residents, €13.60 for non-residents). Discounts can't be combined and proof of eligibility is checked on entry.

Free admission covers children up to 12, MAAT Friends members, a companion accompanying a visitor with special needs, EDP Group staff, and members of recognized professional bodies (APOM, ICOM, AICA). MAAT also offers free general admission on the first Sunday of each month from 10:00am to 1:00pm — but the official site notes this is exclusive to Portugal residents, so it isn't a workaround for international visitors. The MAAT Friends membership gives unlimited free entry plus 25% off workshops and tours, worth considering for anyone visiting Lisbon repeatedly.

Some third-party sources report a 15% discount for Lisboa Card holders. Card-linked discounts change from year to year, so verify current terms before counting on it — our breakdown of whether the Lisboa Pass is worth it covers which Belém-area sights it discounts. Tickets are sold online through the official MAAT site and at the door; prices and conditions for guided tours and workshops are listed separately on each activity's page.

Opening Hours & Best Time to Go

Hours are consistent year-round on the official schedule:

• Wednesday–Monday: 10:00am–7:00pm
• Closed: every Tuesday, January 1, May 1, and December 25
• Reduced hours: December 24 and December 31, closing at 3:00pm

Weekday mornings are the quietest slot — school groups tend to arrive mid-morning, so getting there close to 10:00am opening gives you a calmer walk through Central Tejo's turbine halls. If you're visiting mainly for the architecture and the rooftop views, late afternoon works best: the low-angled light on the Gallery's ceramic tiles and the Tagus is noticeably better than midday. Book 1 to 3 days ahead for weekends, holiday periods, or a major temporary exhibition; on quieter weekdays, same-day booking is usually enough.

One planning detail worth flagging: MAAT closes Tuesdays, while Belem Tower and Jerónimos Monastery close Mondays. A single Belém day can't hit all three if it falls on either of those days — Wednesday through Sunday is the safe window for combining MAAT with its riverfront neighbors.

How Long to Plan

Budget 1.5 to 2 hours for a standard visit — enough to walk through the MAAT Gallery's main exhibition, cross into Central Tejo's power-station halls, and take a short stop on the accessible rooftop promenade. If you want to properly take in the architecture, the current exhibitions in both buildings, and the river views without rushing, allow 2 to 3 hours instead. Visitors who read through the full electricity-generation exhibit inside Central Tejo — genuinely detailed, with much of the original 1908 machinery still in place — often stretch that to 3 or 4 hours.

MAAT is a shorter stop than Jerónimos Monastery but a longer one than Belem Tower, so it slots naturally into the middle of a Belém half-day. If you're mapping a longer stay, our 2-day Lisbon itinerary shows where a Belém riverfront morning or afternoon fits without crowding out the rest of the city.

How to Get There

MAAT sits on the Tagus riverfront at Av. Brasília in Belém, about 6km west of central Lisbon. The easiest approach is the Cascais Line suburban train from Cais do Sodré to Belém station — MAAT is a 5-to-7-minute walk from the platform, using the pedestrian crossing to the river side and then following Avenida Brasília toward the museum's undulating roofline. Tram 15E also connects the historic center to Belém and stops within a 5-to-10-minute walk of the museum, always along the river side; it's a scenic option but frequently packed in high season. Several Carris bus routes serving the riverfront stop close to the museum entrance — check the current routes on the Carris app or site, since numbers are periodically renumbered.

If you're driving, parking directly at MAAT is limited; the larger public lots near the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument or Belem Tower, both a short walk away, are a more reliable option on busy days. From Belém station or the tram stop, the walk to MAAT is flat and well-signed along the riverfront promenade.

Visit Tips: Queues, Booking & Common Mistakes

Book online ahead of time for weekends, holidays, or a headline temporary exhibition — MAAT doesn't have the single-staircase bottleneck that some Belém monuments do, but ticket queues at the door can still run long when a popular show is on. On quiet weekdays, walking up and buying at the entrance is generally fine.

Don't skip the rooftop — a freely accessible promenade over the river that's easy to miss if you only follow signage toward the ticketed exhibition spaces. Ask at the entrance if you're not sure how to reach it.

A common mistake is assuming MAAT, Belem Tower, and Jerónimos Monastery are bundled on one ticket or open the same days — they aren't, and they're closed on different weekdays (MAAT on Tuesday, the other two on Monday). Book each separately and plan your Belém day for Wednesday through Sunday if you want all three open.

Nearby Attractions

MAAT sits in the middle of the Belém riverfront, within easy walking distance of Lisbon's other Age-of-Discovery landmarks. Belem Tower is about a 10-to-15-minute walk west along the river, and the Jerónimos Monastery is a similar distance inland — most visitors combine MAAT with one or both as a single Belém half-day or full day, since the contrast between MAAT's contemporary architecture and the 16th-century Manueline monuments nearby is part of the appeal.

Back in central Lisbon, São Jorge Castle is a tram or train ride away rather than a walk — most itineraries treat Belém as a separate outing from the historic center rather than combining the two areas into one continuous route.

Frequently Asked Questions