The Museu do Índio, or Indian Museum, is one of the largest collections of historical information concerning the indigenous peoples of Brazil. The museum is operated by Salesian nuns, and costs a mere R$5 (about USD$2.50---prices current as of February 2010) to get in. The museum is covered with indigenous artwork and displays artifacts, including musical instruments, hunting tools, fishing gear and cultural and spiritual objects from the a variety of tribes from the states of Amazonas and Pará.
Rua Duque de Caxias 356
Praça 14 de Janeiro,
Manaus - AM
Brasil
+55-92-3635-1922
museudoindio.org.br
The Amazon Natural Science Museum is a privately owned and run natural history museum featuring a variety of fish, insects and other Amazon native species. A main feature of the museum is one 200-ton aquarium tank and six 2-ton tanks with more than 120 species of native Amazonian fresh water fish. The star attraction is the Pirarucu, the largest fish in the Amazon. The grounds outside the aquarium cover about 5 acres, while an adjoining forest sanctuary covers another 9 acres. The butterfly room at the museum is another popular attraction featuring rare and exotic species of butterflies found only in the Amazon.
Amazon Natural Science Museum
Rua Cachoeira de sao Gabriel s/n
Coronia CachoeiraGrande, Cidade Nova
Manaus -- AM
Brasil
+55-92-3644-279
amazontower.net
A portal into Manaus' historical past, the Museum of Seringal Vila Paraiso captures the plantation era of the region's rubber boom in the 1800s and its industrial past. The museum tour begins with a boat ride to visit a chapel once used by workers for worship. The tour then takes visitors to an old manioc factory where workers once toiled to produce manioc flour by hand. After the manioc factory, visitors are led to the rubber plantations. Rubber was a major commodity during the time known as "the latex age"---and era of luxurious amenities for the rich who profited from the industry. The museum takes you on a tour of the rubber trails to view actual trees and simulated processes of how the latex was extracted from the trees as well as a glimpse into the dwellings of past rubber workers.
The museum tours are held Wednesday through Sunday and must have a minimum of two travelers to take place. To purchase tickets for a museum tour, visit the SEC tourist office at the Cultural Center at the Palacio Rio Negro where you will be instructed on how to safely get to the launch.
Centros Culturais Palácio Rio Negro
Av. Sete de Setembro, 1546 -- Centro
Cep: 69005-141
Manaus - AM
Brasil
+55-92-3232-4450
