The National Museum of Brazil (Museu Nacional-UFRJ) in Rio de Janeiro will partially reopen its galleries nearly seven years after a devastating electrical fire destroyed around 90% of its collection. The temporary reopening features guided tours of three rooms, including one displaying decorative paintings uncovered during restoration, the surviving Bendegó meteorite, a suspended sperm whale skeleton, and donated objects such as fossils, manuscripts, ceramics, and Indigenous artefacts. The museum's full reopening is scheduled for 2028, with a reconstruction budget of 516.8 million reais ($90.4 million) and an additional 170 million reais ($29.8 million) still needed.
This partial reopening matters because it marks a significant milestone in the recovery of Brazil's oldest scientific institution and first museum, which lost around 20 million objects in the 2018 fire. The museum has received 14,000 donations from around the world, including a rare 16th-century Tupinambá cloak repatriated from Denmark, and continues restoration work on iconic items like the Luzia skull. The reopening offers the public a first look at the reconstruction process and underscores the ongoing challenges of securing adequate funding for cultural heritage preservation in Brazil.