The Museu do Amanhã, or Museum of Tomorrow, is an applied sciences museum located at Pier Maua in the Rio de Janiero harbor. You may not initially think of a science museum as a top destination, but I can say that it was hands down one of the best museums I have ever visited. In addition to being an amazing science museum, it is also an incredibly accessible museum. The museum was opened in December 2015 with accessibility as a guiding principle of the design.
Getting There
To get to the museum you need to take the metro to the nearest stop, Uruguaiana, or take a taxi. There is no parking at the museum. The Uruguaiana metro station is wheelchair accessible. Check out this link for more information about the accessibility of the Rio de Janeiro metro.
Tickets
The museum is free to everyone on Tuesdays. On Wednesday though Sunday individuals with disabilities pay half price and can bring a caregiver for free. The museum accepts self-declaration of disability and caregiver status. You do not need any supporting documentation to buy these discounted tickets.
You may buy tickets online or at the museum. If you buy tickets online it is important to note the ticket is for is a specific date and time. You must use the ticket at the date and time shown. The site to buy tickets online is in Portuguese. To buy a ticket for a person with a disability select “Meia entrada” and then “Meia – pessoas com deficiência.” To buy a ticket for a caregiver select “Gratuidade” and then “Acompanhante de pessoa com deficiência.” There is a priority line at the museum if you buy your tickets when you arrive.
My Visit
I was impressed with the how many ways the museum included accessibility. All of the signage was in braille and the map of the museum was a tactile map. One of the temporary exhibits used braille creatively to replicate the images of the displays. For example, one display showed a picture of a duck with braille in the shape of a duck over the picture. These exhibits also included videos with several language options for captions, including sign language. The sign language video played next to the original video.
In addition to the exhibits the physical building itself was very accessible. The accessible bathrooms were easy to find and they marked where the door would open on the floor. The museum explores natural science and how humans are playing a role in our changing world. There is a lot of information in the exhibits and I could have spent the whole day at the museum. I definitely recommend going early in the day to allow yourself enough time to enjoy all the exhibits.