Archaeology Centre

Lisbon Archaeology Centre

The Lisbon Archaeology Centre, known as CAL, occupies no. 166 Avenida da Índia in Belém, in one of the warehouses built in 1909 by José António dos Reis – the same group that today houses the Avenida da Índia Gallery, at no. 170, and Karnart, at no. 168. As well as being a technical unit supporting Lisbon City Council in the field of archaeology, the CAL is the main repository for the vast amount of material excavated in the city: finds from digs across Lisbon come here to be studied, conserved and stored. In 2023 its work received an international award from the Society for Historical Archaeology, and the centre also runs a volunteer programme. It is not a museum and has no permanent exhibition, so it does not open for walk-in visits; but the City Council organises free guided visits to the building, by prior booking, in its “Visitas Comentadas” programme, and the CAL leads archaeological walks around the city, for example on the International Day for Monuments and Sites in April. To find out about upcoming visits, it is best to contact the centre or check Lisbon's cultural calendar. It is right next to the Julião Sarmento Pavilion.

Located at: Câmara Municipal de Lisboa
Address: Avenida da Índia, 166, Lisboa
Opening hours: no walk-in visits; occasional free guided visits by prior booking
Phone: +351 218 172 180
Coordinates: 38.6943666, -9.2118953
Buses: 729, 79B, 723
Tram: 15E
Opened: 2013 (13 years)