Casa do Maranhão
A museum dedicated to the bumba-meu-boi festival, housed in a former customs building, displaying richly embroidered ox figures, costumes, and an overview of the different regional styles.
Bumba-meu-boi is the most important folk festival in Maranhão. It tells the story of an ox that dies and is brought back to life. In 2019, it was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Casa do Maranhão is in the former customs house by the old town port. Its galleries display ox figures covered in sequins and beadwork, character costumes, and feathered headdresses. Exhibits explain the musical styles of the different groups, including the Matraca, Zabumba, and wind-instrument traditions, and there are video materials. Admission is free. The photographs show local bumba-meu-boi performances, not items inside the museum.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 09:00–18:00 (check on site)
Nearby sights
- Casa de Nhozinho
- Rua Portugal (Projeto Reviver)
- Museu de Artes Visuais
- Casa das Tulhas (Feira da Praia Grande)
- Museu do Reggae
- Palácio dos Leões
- Historic Centre of São Luís (Praia Grande)
- Palácio de La Ravardière