Taipa Houses Museum

Although you couldn’t really call Macau a museum destination, it has two very good ones, and a few smaller museums that are worth a quick look. 

Aside from our recommended museums below, you’ll find small museums of religious relics at some of the older church sites.  In our opinion, none of these were compelling enough to be worthy of a stop.  We’ve listed our favorite museums below, in the order of those we found to be the most worth your visit: 

Macau Museum of Art (at the Macau Cultural Center)
Avenida Xian Xing Hai
Ph: +853-791-9814
www.artmuseum.gov.mo
Open 10 am – 7 pm, closed Mondays
GPS Coordinates: N22 degrees, 11.319′, E113 degrees, 33.234′ 

This wonderful museum had two world-class exhibits when we were there, focusing on the Xiang Dynasty, and contemporary Chinese abstract painting.  Other great shows are pending, making this museum a “must-see” on your trip to Macau.

 Macau Museum
112 Praceta do Museu do Macau (at the Mount Fortress)
Ph: +853-2835-7911
www.macaumuseum.gov.mo
Open 10 am – 6 pm, closed Mondays
GPS Coordinates: N22 degrees, 11.860′, E113 degrees, 32.520′

This modern museum provides a nice history of Macau.  We particularly enjoyed the dioramas featuring the calls of various hawkers, and the tiny exhibit on fighting crickets the best. 

Lou Kau Mansion
Travessa da Se, #7
Open 9 am – 5 pm, closed Mondays
GPS Coordinates: N22 degrees, 11.647′, E113 degrees, 32.470′
Located a few steps from Senado Square, this traditional Chinese house, with its richly carved ornamental interior, is easy to miss, as it’s not well-marked.  It’s well worth a visit, and not inundated by visitors.

Taipa Houses Museum
Avenida de Praia, island of Taipa
Ph: +853-2882-7103
Open 10 am – 6 pm, closed Mondays
GPS Coordinates: N22 degrees, 09.222′, E113 degrees, 33.565′

It’s just a 10 minute taxi ride out to this very pretty architectural museum on the island of Taipa, comprising 5 traditional green colonial Portuguese houses.  Of them, only the “Macanese House” has a compelling interior, reflecting the life of a colonial Portuguese family.  This is a nice place for a picnic lunch, and a nice, easy getaway from the city of Macau.

 Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial House
Avenida Sidonio Pais (opposite the police station)
Ph: +853-2857-4064
Open 10 am – 1 pm, 2:30 pm – 5 pm, closed Tuesdays
Of primary interest as the one-time home of the father of the Chinese republican revolution, this very pretty home contains early documents, photos, and the bedroom of his wife.
GPS Coordinates: N22 degrees, 11.987′, E113 degrees, 32.944′ 

Macau Tea Culture House
Lou Lim Ieoc Garden. Est de Adolfo Loureiro #10
Ph: +853-2882-7103
Open 9 am – 7 pm, closed Mondays
GPS Coordinates: N22 degrees, 11.980′, E113 degrees, 32.866′

Mostly you’ll find changing exhibitions here, in this beautiful building, focusing on the clothing, culture, and household goods of the peoples who make up “Tea Culture” in Asia.