Modern thinking on favela museology sees the need for memory to be arranged in an open, dispersed and egalitarian format. In line with this contemporary though, the open air museum of Providência is conducted as a tour through the alleys of the community slopes, where visitors go on a physical and mental journey through its past and present, interacting with residents and with living, breathing history. 

It begins at Museu da Dodô (Dodo Museum), the old home of samba icon Dodô da Portela, which has been transformed into a testament to the history and development of carnival.