The initiative covers sites within the MMP network that are currently open to the public, at a time when several national museums and monuments are closed for renovation and conservation work funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

Open sites included in the offer feature monuments such as the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, the National Pantheon, and the Ajuda National Palace in Lisbon; the Mafra National Palace; the Convent of Christ in Tomar; the monasteries of Batalha and Alcobaça; and the Sagres Fortress.


Renovations

Although part of the network, sites temporarily closed for renovations include the National Archaeology Museum, the National Museum of Costume, the National Museum of Ancient Art, the National Tile Museum, and the National Museum of Theatre and Dance—all in Lisbon—as well as the Lamego Museum and the Rainha D. Leonor Museum in Beja.

The National Music Museum, which had been closed since October 2023, reopened at its new location in Mafra last November, while Belém Tower also resumed welcoming visitors in May following the completion of PRR-funded works.


MMP manages 37 national museums, monuments, and palaces across 21 cities and towns, including sites designated as UNESCO World Heritage.

Acess Scheme

This free admission offer for 12 August complements the “Acesso 52” (Access 52) scheme, which allows Portuguese citizens and residents to enjoy 52 days of free entry per year to museums, monuments, and palaces covered by the program—a scheme whose continuation is currently being evaluated by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports. To benefit from this scheme, residents of Portugal must present their Citizen Card at a ticket office, with the free access counting towards the annual 52-day allowance.


The “Acesso 52” initiative accounted for 892,637 free visits to national museums and monuments in 2025—representing 18% of total admissions recorded that year—according to data released by MMP in April of this year.