Lisboa Story Centre
Lisbon Story Centre
The Lisboa Story Centre is a multimedia exhibition on the history of Lisbon, in the east wing of Praça do Comércio. You go round with an audio guide, and the visit takes 60 to 70 minutes. It opens daily, 10:00 to 19:00. An adult ticket costs €8, and the Lisboa Card gets you in free.
Updated
What the Lisboa Story Centre is
It is an exhibition on the history of Lisbon, from its founding to the present day, told with films, sets and animations. You walk through at your own pace, with an audio guide that starts by itself in each room.
The route has 6 sections and 17 numbered chapters. There are reconstructions, models of ships and buildings, large period prints and projections. The audio guide shows the chapter number and a picture on a small screen, and you can also pick a chapter by hand.
The first five sections are on the ground floor. The last one is on the first floor, reached by stairs or a lift at the end of the route.
Lisbon: myths and realities
The founding legends, the lie of the land and the city walls.
Lisbon, a global city
The city of the voyages of discovery and of trade with the world, its religious and political life, the reign of King João V.
1 November 1755
The morning of All Saints’ Day, the earthquake and the city in ruins.
Pombal’s vision
The plan for rebuilding the city after the earthquake.
Terreiro do Paço: politics and leisure
The square itself, as a stage for political events and for strolling.
Virtual Lisbon
On the first floor: an interactive model of central Lisbon and the Room of the Future, with projects that never left the drawing board, such as tunnels, bridges and other links between the two banks of the Tagus.
Is the Lisboa Story Centre worth it?
Yes, if you want the history of Lisbon in a visit of 60 to 70 minutes, before you explore the Baixa on foot. The earthquake room shows what happened on this very spot.
The audio guide is included in the ticket and covers the whole route in several languages, with a children’s version in Portuguese.
It is indoors, so it suits a rainy or hot day. The building is wheelchair accessible. It stands on the same square as the Rua Augusta Arch, and a joint ticket for both costs €11.
There is no live guide. Staff welcome visitors and the audio guide leads the visit. You cannot eat or drink inside, and the centre has no café.
The 1755 earthquake room
The earthquake of 1 November 1755 fills the third section of the exhibition. Chapter XIII is a film in a room of its own, set up as an immersive theatre with stage and sensory effects.
Before the room, the chapters on the Church and on the morning of All Saints’ Day show the city on that day. After it, the next chapter walks through the ruined city.
It is the only room where filming and photography are not allowed. The way out has a fairly steep ramp.
The 1755 earthquake destroyed the royal palace, which stood where the square is now.
Lisboa Story Centre ticket prices
An adult ticket costs €8. Seniors and students pay €6, children aged 6 to 15 €4, and children aged 5 and under go free.
| Ticket | Adult | Senior | Student | Child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | €8 | €6 | €6 | €4 |
| Group of 10 or more | €6 | €5 | €5 | €3.50 |
| With | Adult | Senior | Student | Child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rua Augusta Arch | €11 | €9 | €9 | €7 |
| Cod history centre | €11 | €8.50 | €8.50 | €6 |
| Arch and cod history centre | €14.50 | €12.50 | €12.50 | €10 |
Adult and student tickets are for ages 16 and over, senior tickets for 65 and over. A family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children costs €20. With the Lisboa Card, entry is free. The audio guide is always included.
The joint tickets add the arch viewpoint, about 30 minutes, or the Centro Interpretativo da História do Bacalhau, the cod history centre in the east tower, about 45 minutes. These prices apply from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Tickets are sold at the ticket office by the entrance, at the Ask Me Lisboa tourist offices and online, on the Lisboa Story Centre’s website. You do not need to book.
Lisboa Story Centre opening hours
It opens daily, 10:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 17:45. The only day it closes is 25 December.
| Days | Open | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | 10:00 to 19:00 | 17:45 |
| 31 December and 1 January | 10:00 to 17:00 | 15:45 |
| 25 December | Closed | Closed |
The ticket office is open 10:00 to 19:00. If you go in at last entry, there is still time for the whole route before closing. The centre may close at short notice for unforeseen reasons, which it announces on its website and social media.
The Lisboa Story Centre with children
There is a children’s version of the audio guide, in Portuguese, recommended for ages 12 and under. Children aged 5 and under do not need a ticket.
Children aged 6 to 15 pay €4. For 2 adults and 2 children, the €20 family ticket costs less than separate tickets.
The interactive model and the digital table in the Room of the Future, on the first floor, are the hands-on parts. The earthquake room has sound and image effects worth knowing about before you take small children in.
There is no eating inside. For lunch there are restaurants in the arcades, a few steps from the entrance.
Accessibility
The Lisboa Story Centre is wheelchair accessible, with a ramp at the entrance, a lift to the first floor and an accessible toilet. There are two changes in level to know about.
Entrance
A ramp covers the small step at the door. The square around it is pedestrian and flat, but there are no reserved parking spaces.
Exhibition
All the rooms are accessible, with ramps where the floor changes level. Many of the interactive screens can be used seated.
Lift and toilet
The lift takes one wheelchair at a time to the first floor. The accessible toilet has a sliding door and room to turn a wheelchair.
The two changes in level
The way out of the earthquake room has a fairly steep ramp. The exit through the shop has a step of about 5 cm.
Where the Lisboa Story Centre entrance is
The entrance is in the arcade of the east wing of Praça do Comércio, at Nos. 78 to 81, 3 min on foot from the statue. It is the wing on your right as you face the arch.
The exit of Terreiro do Paço metro station that opens onto the east arcade is a few steps away. The 15E and 25E trams stop on the north side of the square, by the arch.
In the same building there is an Ask Me Lisboa tourist office, open daily, and a shop with books and objects about Lisbon. The exact position is on the map of the square.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a visit to the Lisboa Story Centre take?
About 60 to 70 minutes. The audio guide takes an hour on average, depending on your pace, and the centre’s price list allows 70 minutes. Afterwards you can go up to the city model on the first floor. Add about 30 minutes if you also climb to the arch viewpoint.
Is the Lisboa Story Centre free with the Lisboa Card?
Yes. Lisboa Card holders get in without paying, with the audio guide included like every other visitor. Just show the card at the ticket office, open 10:00 to 19:00. Without the card, an adult ticket costs €8 and a child’s ticket €4.
Which languages is the Lisboa Story Centre audio guide in?
Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean. Every version covers the whole exhibition and runs to roughly the same length. There is also a children’s version, in Portuguese only. The audio guide is included in the ticket price.
Can you take photos inside the Lisboa Story Centre?
Yes. You can take photos, with or without flash, and film throughout the exhibition, except in the room with the film on the 1755 earthquake and tsunami. Tripods are not allowed. Publishing the images in the press or using them commercially needs the centre’s permission.
Is the Lisboa Story Centre open at Christmas and New Year?
It is closed on 25 December. On 31 December and 1 January it closes earlier, at 17:00, with last entry at 15:45. The rest of the year it opens every day, 10:00 to 19:00.