Museu Historico do Exercito e Forte de Copacabana
- from BRL 3
- Good on a rainy day
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Why go
- The Duque de Caxias turret, its 305 mm Krupp guns able to fire 445 kg shells up to 23 km.
- The five-barrel Hotchkiss revolving cannon outside the museum, bought in 1876.
- The fort's turrets, among the only remaining heavy Krupp fortress cupolas in the world.
Opening hours
Today10:00 – 19:00Show all
Don't miss
- André Vidal turretThe lighter 19 cm turret. The heavier Duque de Caxias turret sits behind and above it.On the fort On the map
Know before you go
- Open daily, 10:00 to 19:00.
- The site is a military base, open to the public.
What's inside
- Exhibition halls with several exhibits on different periods and events in the army's history.
- Observatories, a souvenir shop, Colombo Confectionery and 18 do Forte coffee shop are on site. Colombo opened a branch inside the fort in 2003.
Tips for your visit
- The museum and the coastal fort share one base, which is open to the public.
- Two sites cover the base: the official site and the army museum history site. Both are in Portuguese.
- If WWI interests you, know the museum has no exhibit on Brazil's part in it. The Brazilian Expeditionary Force in Italy gets only limited space.
Interesting facts3
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The fort's individual guns are named Barroso and Osório.
Forte de Copacabana - Wikipedia -
The chapel that stood on the headland once held a replica of the Virgen de Copacabana, patron saint of Bolivia.
Forte de Copacabana - Wikipedia -
One turret's rapid-fire guns were made by the Krupp firm.
Forte de Copacabana - Wikipedia
History
The fort was built on a headland at the south end of Copacabana beach, where a small chapel once stood. The government sent the warships São Paulo and Minas Geraes to suppress the revolt. Minas Geraes did not fire. The revolt was the first tenentista uprising in the Old Republic.
- 1908Army construction of the modern coastal fort begins, to guard the beach and the harbour entrance.
- 1914The fort is completed with two rotating gun turrets.
- 1922On 5 July, rebel officers make the fort the centre of a revolt. On 6 July the warship São Paulo bombards it, and the rebels surrender after half an hour.
- 1987The coastal artillery branch is disbanded and the fort is deactivated.
- 2016The site hosts road cycling, open-water swimming and triathlon events at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
How to get there
- BusTake the M1 to Ipanema/General Osório.
- On footThen walk five blocks further east.
Sources: Fort Copacabana - Wikipedia · Rio de Janeiro/Zona Sul - Wikivoyage (see) · Forte de Copacabana - Wikipedia · Fort de Copacabana - Wikipedia · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Website
- mhexfc.eb.mil.br/
Questions and answers
What are the opening hours of the Copacabana Fort museum?
The museum and the fort are open every day, Monday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 19:00.
Where is the Copacabana Fort museum?
The address is Praça Coronel Eugênio Franco, 1, at Posto 6, at the south end of Copacabana beach.
What can I see outside the Copacabana Fort museum?
Several artillery pieces from the late 19th and early 20th centuries stand outside. They include a British-made Vickers-Armstrong 152.4 mm gun from 1918 and three 75 mm Schneider M1919 mountain guns.
Is there a café at the Copacabana Fort?
Yes. The 18 do Forte coffee shop and Colombo Confectionery are both on site. A Colombo branch opened inside the fort in 2003.
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