Puppet Museum
In the Convent of the Bernardas, in Madragoa, Portugal's only museum devoted to puppets: Bonecos de Santo Aleixo, Robertos and figures from Asia and Africa.
Puppet Museum
The Puppet Museum occupies the former Convent of the Bernardas, in Madragoa, and is the only Portuguese museum entirely devoted to the art of puppetry. It was created in 1987 by the Companhia de Marionetas de São Lourenço – founded by José Alberto Gil and Helena Vaz – in an old building between the Castle and Graça, and moved in November 2001 to this Cistercian convent, founded in 1653 on the initiative of King João IV and bought by Lisbon City Council in 1997. The collection brings together more than three thousand pieces, over five hundred of them on display since the 2025 renewal. Here you can see the centuries-old Bonecos de Santo Aleixo, on loan from CENDREV, and the traditional Portuguese Robertos, alongside puppets from China, India, Indonesia and Burma and the Sogobó figures from Mali. Glove, rod, string and shadow puppets tell a universal story of object theatre, from popular fairs to contemporary creations, and the convent cloister is one of the quietest corners of the city.
Located at: Museu da Marioneta
Address: Rua da Esperança 146, 1200-660 Lisboa
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00 (closed on Mondays)
Phone: +351 213 942 810
Coordinates: 38.7080039, -9.1557935
Buses: 67B, 706, 714, 727, 774, 728, 732, 760, 713
Tram: 25E, 15E, 18E, 28E
Metro: Cais do Sodré (Green)
Train: Cascais Line, Santos Station
Opened: 1987 (39 years)
