also located adjacent to the santos dumont airport, the museu histórico nacional was founded in 1922 in the fort santiago complex, which has roots in the very earliest days of rio de janeiro.

following an afternoon of perusing the impressive exhibits and collections and admiring the colonial architecture, one can enjoy a nice lunch in the adjoined viceroy café -all without leaving the museum. visiting hours are from 10 am -5:30 pm tuesday through friday and 2-6 pm on weekends and holidays.