Museu da Electricidade

A decommissioned early 20th-century electricity generating station has been transformed in to one of Lisbon's most original and fascinating museums. The building itself is a beautiful example of industrial architecture, but it's the interior that truly impresses. Visitors enter through the Low Pressure Boiler Room, the cathedral-like generating hall. The vintage machinery – steam turbines, furnaces, consoles and piping – is all original and imaginatively lit. The lower level conceals an excellent museum that chronicles the discovery of electricity, with a section devoted to the work of Michael Faraday, who pioneered the development of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. An inter-active exhibition aimed at youngsters allows budding scientists to take part in an array of hands-on experiments that are great fun and wholly educative. In complete contrast to the theme of the museum, the building also hosts a regular series of contemporary art exhibitions and installations.