for those wishing to soak up a bit of history on their way into the samba parade, there is even a small samba museum situated inside the almighty sambódromo - accessible through the rua frei caneca entrance, right at the arches of the apoteose.

its exhibits tell the story of samba and the carnaval celebrations in rio, along with the display of many retired costumes - visiting hours are tuesday through sunday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

the world-class level of the rio carnival parties has brought with it the demand for highly skilled professionals to manage it - and local institutions have stepped up to meet the challenge.