Situated in the Monte Fort and facing St.Paul’s Ruins, it is one of the newest museums in Macau. It covers the Macau history starting from the Portuguese first landing. The innovative design involves visitors in learning more about Macau. It aims to preserve the cultural traditions, usages and habits, which specifically belong to Macau, in a place where East, and West have so peculiarly learnt how to meet and to live side by side along the centuries.
The Museum of Macao began planning in April 1995, construction was initiated in September 1996, and it was inaugurated on the 18 April 1998. The museum building in itself implanted within the interior of the fortress and the third floor above the soil level of the Fortress interior. Its total area is 2,800 meters square from which around 2,100 meters square is exhibition space.
The administrative building, already on the exterior of the fortress but joined to the Museum by way of a tunnel with escalators that pass under the walls, contains the technical and administrative offices of the museum as well as the management and technician centre security headquarters, auditorium, etc.
The exterior areas of the administration building which has the total area of 2,300 meters square house the museum shop and bar with esplanade to service the public and visitors. As far as the thematic areas that The Museum of Macao features, they are divided into three main groups corresponding to each one of the three floors of the Museum building, Genesis of Macao Region (floor 1),Popular Arts and Traditions in Macao (floor 2)and Contemporary Macao (floor 3).
Although the Museum does not possess a collection of a high monetary value, it includes a vast number of objects of a great historical value which have been carefully chosen and are appealingly exhibited. It is the wish of this museum to be able to show the way of life of the several communities, which have inhabited the city for ages.
