Museums · Montevideo · Uruguay
4 best museums in Montevideo
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Da dinges, Public domain
Quick answer
Start with Museo Torres García, Museo del Carnaval and Museo Andes 1972. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 4–5 hours across 2 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 4–5 hours
- Areas
- Ciudad Vieja and Parque Rodó
Museums in Montevideo
Gallery · Ciudad Vieja
1.Museo Torres García
Dedicated to Joaquín Torres García, the Uruguayan painter whose 'constructive universalism' combined grids and symbols, this museum on Peatonal Sarandí shows his paintings, wooden toys and drawings, including his famous inverted map of South America.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Ciudad Vieja
2.Museo del Carnaval
Next to the Mercado del Puerto, this museum explains Uruguay's long carnival through costumes, giant heads, masks, murga recordings and the candombe drums of the Afro-Uruguayan comparsas.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Art
Museum · Ciudad Vieja
3.Museo Andes 1972
A small private museum tells the story of the 1972 Andes plane crash, in which a Uruguayan rugby team survived 72 days in the mountains.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Gallery · Parque Rodó
4.Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales
Uruguay's largest art collection, inside Parque Rodó, displays national painters such as Juan Manuel Blanes, Pedro Figari and Torres García alongside temporary exhibitions.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Ciudad Vieja | Museo Torres García, Museo del Carnaval and Museo Andes 1972 | 1 hour + 1 hour + 1 hour |
| Parque Rodó | Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales | 1–1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 1 free, 3 low cost. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 1 half-day
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Ciudad Vieja and Parque Rodó): Museo Torres García → Museo del Carnaval → Museo Andes 1972 → Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- May: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cooler and quieter, with crisp days; a good time for museums and long lunches.
- June: highs of 15°C (59°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Damp, grey and windy, with chilly evenings; hotel prices are at their lowest.
- July: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. The coldest month; occasional frost and sharp southerly winds, but clear sunny days too.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Ciudad Vieja — The old port peninsula of colonial and art deco streets, museums and parrillas
- Parque Rodó — A lakeside park, an art museum and bars near Playa Ramírez
More of Montevideo
All things to do in Montevideo · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Montevideo?
Museo Torres García. Dedicated to Joaquín Torres García, the Uruguayan painter whose 'constructive universalism' combined grids and symbols, this museum on Peatonal Sarandí shows his paintings, wooden toys and drawings, including his famous inverted map of South America.
+Which of these are free in Montevideo?
Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales.