Cais do Sertão Museum: Discover Sertanejo Culture

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The Cais do Sertão Museum, located in Recife, is a cultural space dedicated to the appreciation and preservation of Sertanejo culture, especially the life and work of Luiz Gonzaga, the King of Baião.

Opened in 2014, the Cais do Sertão Museum is one of the most modern and interactive in Brazil, offering visitors an immersive and educational experience.

Museu Cais do Sertão em Recife PE — Cais do Sertão Museum in Recife PE

Just a few metres from Recife’s Ground Zero is the Cais do Sertão Museum.

The Cais do Sertão Museum covers an area of 7,500 m2, just a few metres from Recife’s Marco Zero.

Cais do Sertão’s proposal is to be much more than a museum to house the collection and honour the work of the most important Pernambuco artist of all time.

Using innovative exhibition and technological resources, the space will offer visitors an immersive experience into the universe of the northeastern hinterland, the origin and source of inspiration for Luiz Gonzaga, in all its richness, diversity and complexity.

Cais do Sertão, one of the most modern cultural centres in the country, takes up the ancient prophecy of Antônio Conselheiro.

Museu Cais do Sertão - Recife PE — Cais do Sertão Museum – Recife PE

In a space of 7,500 square metres, on the site of the old Warehouse 10 in the Port of Recife, art, culture and technology come together in an innovative project.

Video of the Cais do Sertão Museum

Museu Cais do Sertão em Recife PE09:41

Museu Cais do Sertão em Recife26:00

Cais do Sertão Museum – Recife, Pernambuco

Using the most modern exhibition and technological resources, the museum invites visitors to immerse themselves in the universe of the northeastern interior and be surprised by its richness, diversity and complexity.

The work of Luiz Gonzaga, the artist who best sang and brilliantly translated the life of the Northeastern man to the world, is the leitmotif of this plunge into the reality of the Sertão.

O Rei do Baião - sanfonista e compositor Luiz Gonzaga — The King of the Baião – Accordionist and Composer Luiz Gonzaga

Travelling through the different spaces of the museum means discovering and experiencing the multiple dimensions of this universe: Living, working, singing, occupying, believing, migrating and creating in the Sertão.

Exhibitions and attractions

1. The life and work of Luiz Gonzaga

The museum dedicates a significant part of its space to the history of Luiz Gonzaga, with personal objects, photographs, musical instruments and audiovisual recordings.

2. Installations and Interactivity

Sertão Vivo: Exhibitions about life in the Sertão, including cultural, social and economic aspects.
Interactive spaces: The museum has a variety of interactive installations such as touch panels, video and audio that provide an immersive experience for visitors..
Technology and multimedia: Use of advanced technology to create an immersive experience, including augmented reality and virtual reality.
An area of the museum dedicated to temporary exhibitions that vary throughout the year, always with themes related to the Sertanejo and Northeastern culture.

3. Educational activities

The museum regularly organises workshops on topics related to Sertanejo culture.
Educational programmes for schools and groups, with guided tours and educational activities.

4. Cultural events

The museum organises concerts and performances by local and regional artists, especially musicians from the North East.
Festivals and fairs: Cultural events such as music festivals, craft fairs and gastronomic fairs.
Educational programmes: Educational programmes for schools and groups, with guided tours and educational activities.

5. Infrastructure

Auditorium: A room for lectures, presentations and events.
Shop and café: A shop selling products related to the museum and North East culture, and a café for relaxing.
Location: Avenida Alfredo Lisboa, s/n, Bairro do Recife, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil..

6. Realisation

Cais do Sertão is a project of the Government of Pernambuco, through the Secretariat of Economic Development. It has a budget of R$ 97 million, financed by the Ministry of Culture and the State Treasury.

This funding includes construction, installations, equipment, furniture, content, the development of a management model and an educational project. To carry out the project, agreements have been signed with the Port of Recife, Porto Digital (through Porto Mídia) and the Gilberto Freyre Foundation.

Cais do Sertão is part of the Porto Novo project, through which the Port of Recife is giving back to the city spaces that were previously used for port operations.

It is a major project for the requalification and re-urbanisation of prime spaces that will dialogue with and enrich the leisure, cultural and tourist offer of the Recife neighbourhood.

In addition to the museum, the project includes the Pernambuco Crafts Centre, the Maritime Passenger Terminal and the redevelopment of the entire area around these facilities.

Cais do Sertão Museum in Recife

Written by Willy Sievert

Editor of Bahia.ws since its founding in 2009. Based in Salvador, he travels frequently across the Northeast and all of Brazil to keep the guides up to date. Learn more about Willy Sievert →

Published on 07/05/2014 · Updated on 22/06/2025