universo de memórias joão carlos abreu

A truly astounding collection of quite magical things. Room after room of 'souvenirs' but not like the ones you might be used to. The house itself is beautiful with exquisite wooden floors of ebony and satinwood - they alone were worth the entrance fee of €3.50.Our tour lasted around 50 minutes to an hour, followed by some delicious tea and the obligatory cake in a truly quirky tearoom run by very friendly staff.

you wouldn't think someone's collection of souvenirs could be so interesting. the house is full of beautiful things collected over many years from all around the world. the guide was excellent and a must to be shown around . 30 mins or so plus lovely tea room made for an enjoyable hour or so for a very small cost 2euro each ( 1.50 for senior )

We've been here twice now. The staff are ever so friendly and the guide for your tour of the house seems interested in imparting knowledge not just going through the motions. The collections are mostly gifts received by the retired Minister of Tourism over the years served in this post and the place is fascinating. From beautiful old ornate carved furniture to trinket boxes, ties and ceramics. A treasure trove of interesting objects. If you just want to have a look around, there is a small cafe which has a sweet little garden and the happy staff offering simple cafe fayre. It's simply a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

We did not manage to visit the museum, as it is only open Monday to Friday, so beware! It looked a very interesting museum - shame

We had just left the Santa Clara Convent and chanced upon this place. The garden is beautiful and we enjoyed tea and 'Family Cake' - this is made specially at Christmas and contains, Madeira wine, local honey, raisins and walnuts, topped with caramel frosting.... scrumptious. Staff are young and enthusiastic. The place looks nothing from the street but don't be put off - you won't regret it. We didn't do the trip around the house (entry fee), but glimpses and reviews suggest it is very good.

We found this delightful, quirky little museum on tripadvisor and it is well worth a visit. It is crammed full of items from a collection of ties in one room, to horses in another. If you collect anything you will probably find it here. There were only the two of us on the guided tour and the girl who should us around was lovely and let us take as long as we wanted in each room.

a Man that dedicated is life to culture of island and help to develop the tourism in island , poet and writer also , a nice place to visit near by 2 other museums.

What a wonderful collection of eclectic wonders! If you've visited the Pitt Rivers museum in Oxford then it's like a miniature version in a stunning Madeiran house. Worth a visit, and so is the cafe - fantastic cakes, and toasties with good 'strong' breakfast tea.

My wife and I really enjoyed this ecclectic little museum. This beautiful 18th century house is full of all kinds of neat stuff that the 78 year old Joao Carlos Abreu has been collecting since he was 16. The walls are covered with a variety of art works and the floors are a work of art all by themselves.

What a treat. This beautiful old building was acquired by the regional government in 2001 with the purpose of displaying the personal collections of ex-tourist minister João Carlos Nunes Abreu. With approximately ten thousand pieces on display collected over many years worldwide they reflect his life as a traveler, journalist and public figure. The collections are interesting, varied and very well presented with each of the 14 rooms covering a different category. At times they are completely zany, especially the ties!Tea served in china cups in the pretty courtyard afterwards rounds everything off nicely.Note: Tours are every half hour and cameras are not to be used inside the house.

During our recent holiday it was International Tourism Night(and day). So, on the middle Saturday night we set off to visit this Museum free of charge. I've visited it before, and absolutely loved it. We started with coffee in the lovely tearoom. A different experience at night with a lovely view of the lights twinkling over the bay of Funchal. The tour on that evening was very busy and felt a bit rushed as there were so many people in the small rooms. The guide told us that as part of International Tourism day the house would be open the following day, but, without the tour, so that we could wander around at our pace and take as long as we wanted. So, we went back the following morning and enjoyed everything yet again. Also we had tea( in a lovely china cup and saucer), coffee and a delicious red velvet cupcake. Delicious! We will be back.

João Carlos Abreu, the former secretary of tourism and culture of Madeira, is the man behind everything you see at the Universo de Memorias. He started collecting things at the age of 15 and the collection is truly impressive. Four floors and numerous rooms with silverware, paintings and curiosa from all over the world.This man must be quite a character with a big appetite for life.The prize of € 3,50 (€ 2,- if > 65 years or < 25 years) includes a guided tour.Sit down for a cup of coffee in the café or garden afterwards.Perfect on a rainy day in Funchal.

The second place I visited on World Tourism Day. Straight across the road from Quinta das Cruzes.According to my excellent guidebook the tearoom here is the best place to recharge your batteries for more sightseeing. There was absolutely no mention of the house or its contents. After coffee in the delightful garden tearoom i entered what looked like a very ordinary house for ny tour with the guide. I was the only person doing the tour which tskes place twice an hour, on the hour and half hour. I like my museums quirky and this one takes quirky to a whole new level. As has been said this iis the personal collection of an ex tourist minister and he collected some weird and wonderful things! The various collections are housed in individual rooms and`are all wonderful. The tie room will live in my mind forever. The bathroom can only be described as surreal and I left the museum feeling joyful, uplifted and determined to return, which I definately will. Special mention must be of whoever styled the rooms.Even a few weeks later when I think of it the word which comes to my mind is psychaedelic. The tea room is for everyone to enjoy although the collection may not suit all.my kind of museum!

Opposite both the Quinta das Cruzes & the Conventa Santa Clara this beautiful house has been converted into a museum housing the eclectic collection of the former regional secretary for tourism (including a room full of horses and another of ties)The tea garden is a little oasis with easy seating and plenty to look at.If you are looking for a pit stop whilst exploring the area then this is idea, the coffee is great and the service very friendly

After 12 years of visiting Funchal, found this when visiting the Santa Clara Monastery, just across the road. Had a coffee and scone in the cafe and decided to visit the museum or more exactly a collectors collection from around the world. Rooms in an 18century house each filled with different collections of items from around the world. The horse collection was my favourite, with horses created in every conceivable fabric. And we almost missed the full size horse on the balcony. A really worthwhile visit with guide to take us round and was very knowledgable. Thoroughly recommend this.