Scientific collections
Fossils and archaeology.
The Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden of the Federal University of Minas Gerais is a scientific complex in Belo Horizonte, set in some sixty hectares of grounds covered with varied Atlantic Forest vegetation alongside introduced species. The museum's collection runs to about 265,000 items and scientific specimens in archaeology, palaeontology, geology, botany, zoology, historical cartography, ethnography and folk art, together with an archive of photographs and documents. The grounds also hold an auditorium, a plant nursery, a lake, an open-air ecological amphitheatre and a sensory garden. In June 2020 a fire struck part of the collection's storage, and a team of archaeologists, palaeontologists and other specialists worked to rescue what remained, much of it recording the history of Indigenous peoples and the fauna and flora of Latin America. The museum welcomes visitors and school groups; check opening times and book guided visits.
Fossils and archaeology.
Atlantic Forest.
To touch and smell.
Santa Efigênia district, Belo Horizonte
Guided visits are booked ahead; check the terms for walk-in visits.