University Of São Paulo Museums And Institutes Initiate Free Activities On Vacation

Don’t know where to take the kids on this vacation or go on a different family outing? USP’s museums, institutes and cultural centers are a great option, guaranteeing fun and learning at the same time. In January, there are several free activities at USP museums in São Paulo, such as the Ipiranga Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC), Museum of Geosciences, Museum of Zoology and Animal Science, Museum of Archeology and Ethnography (MAE), Cientec Park and Casa de Dona Yayá, as well as others on campuses in the interior, such as the Luiz de Queiroz Museum, in Piracicaba, and the Center for Scientific and Cultural Promotion, in São Carlos. Check out some initiatives in which you can participate for free:


Ipiranga museum
The Ipiranga Museum has 11 permanent exhibitions, with 3,700 collection items, 353 of which received multisensory treatment, facilitating tactile and olfactory interactions – there are rooms with smells -, in addition to material in Braille. The objects date back to the 19th and 20th centuries, but there are older items that date back to colonial Brazil. There are paintings, sculptures, coins, textual documents, photographs, fabric and wood objects and two large models. Admission is free until the month of March: tickets can be booked online weekly, on Fridays at 10 am, when tickets for the next two weeks are offered on the Sympla platform. Another option is to withdraw directly at the ticket office. Distribution starts at 11:30 am, in order of arrival and is subject to capacity (Ação Contra a Fome in partnership with Sesc São Paulo is receiving 1 kg of food in exchange for admission). Tickets are released every hour and the tip is to arrive at least 30 minutes in advance.


House of Dona Yaya
For January, Casa de Dona Yayá, Center for Cultural Preservation of the University of São Paulo, has prepared a special program. There is a workshop, Brinquedos e Brincadeiras , inspired by games from the past (22nd); and a recital with 50th anniversary songs by Chico Buarque (29th). In addition to the Sunday activities, the space is also open for visiting the exhibition Yayá: everyday life, feminism, illness, wealth , which addresses various aspects of the history of Sebastiana de Mello Freire, owner of the historic property that, in 1969, was transferred to USP and is currently listed by municipal and state bodies. Check out the full schedule on the CPC website .


Museum of Zoology (MZ)
There are a number of special holiday activities for children, parents and anyone with an interest in natural history. Until the 29th of January, thematic games, origami and handicraft workshops and reading sessions and documentaries about dinosaurs are the activities proposed by the program Holidays at the Museum of Zoology. There are also exhibitions, Biodiversity: Knowing to Preserve , which aims to discuss the patterns and processes of Brazilian biodiversity and raise public awareness of the importance of environmental preservation. Admission is free and no prior registration is required. Full schedule at this link .


Photo: MAE/USP
Museum of Archeology and Ethnology (MAE)
Between the 16th and 20th of January, from 2 pm to 5 pm, the museum holds the Holiday Activity, with a program aimed at children and pre-teens aged 6 to 15 years. Simulated excavations, games and workshops present archeology, based on an exhibition on indigenous cultures and a collection of Amazonian archeology. Registration is free, but spaces are limited. To enroll, you must contact MAE by e-mail: [email protected]. In addition, since last Saturday, January 14th, the Resistance Now! Strengthening and uniting the Kaingang, Guarani Nhandewa and Terena indigenous cultures includes monitored visits.


Museum of Human Anatomy
Composed of increasingly rare anatomical pieces – many of which are prepared using special techniques – the museum is maintained by USP’s Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB) and its mission is to disseminate knowledge about the constitution of the various organs that make up the different systems of the body. Human Body. Along with anatomical pieces, the MAH also has a collection of identified skulls, used in research in different areas of knowledge, such as anthropology, dentistry and forensic medicine. Alfonso Bovero, after whom the museum is named, was a doctor and Professor of Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine of USP and responsible for putting together the first collection of pieces for demonstration that would form the great collection of the anatomy museum. Until February 3, the service will be from Tuesday to Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm. For more information click here .


Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC)
The museum has several free exhibitions: Cartography of Nonexistent Worlds , by Manoel Veiga, brings 41 works, including paintings and photographs, made in the last 15 years (on display until January 29); I, Villa Adriana , the result of the incursions of the Italian artist Luca Vitone in one of the most emblematic architectural complexes of Ancient Rome: the summer villa of Emperor Hadrian in Tivoli (Rome), which dates back to the 2nd century AD. C. (until January 29); and Lugar-Comum , which sheds light on the Museum’s collection through works by artists such as Carmela Gross, Ding Musa, Emmanuel Nassar, Claudio Mubarac and Regina Silveira (until August 20). Learn more by clicking here .


Museum of Geosciences
Those who like dinosaurs, rocks, meteorites and are curious to understand the formation of the planet must visit the Museum of Geosciences, linked to the Institute of Geosciences (IGc) at USP. There, visitors find two long-term exhibitions, one on minerals, with about 2,100 pieces, and the other on rocks, divided into sedimentary (from the deposition of particles) and metamorphic (formed in environments of high pressures and temperatures). For those who enjoy Minecraft, it is possible to find the rocks and ores present in the game. There is also an exhibition on sands and another with fossils from Araripe, which covers the region of Cariri in the south of the State of Ceará, northwest of Pernambuco and east of Piauí, one of the largest fossil deposits of the Cretaceous period in the world. More information on the museum’s website. .


Parque Cientec
Located in the Água Funda neighborhood, Parque CienTec USP offers activities on Saturdays, some with fixed schedules and others according to the arrival of the public. All are free and there is no need to make an appointment or register, just arrive at the site and enjoy the mixture of science and nature. The main activities are an ecological trail, a session in the planetarium, physics toys and a bee walk. The suggestion is to go with comfortable clothes to walk around the park and closed shoes for the trail. The use of masks is mandatory. There is no parking lot or food for sale, but there are spaces to have a picnic. Find out more on the park’s page and on the social networks Facebook and Instagram .


Center for Scientific and Cultural Dissemination
The traditional Holiday Afternoons at the Center for Scientific and Cultural Dissemination of USP in São Carlos (CDCC-USP) take place from January 23 to 27, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a daily program related to science and culture, aimed mainly at children and teenagers. . The program includes activities such as Scout Workshop, Educational Games and Literature. There are also experiments, such as Phases of the Moon in the Glass, Electricity Room, Mechanical Arm, Color Chemistry or Perception Garden. Participation is free and places are limited, with registration in person on a first-come, first-served basis. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a guardian. Some activities have a recommended age range that must be observed. Full schedule at this link .


Luiz de Queiroz Museum
Based at the Escola Superior Luiz de Queiroz (Esalq) of USP in Piracicaba, this Monday, January 16, the exhibition A Agricultura nas Bandeiras opens . The exhibition addresses the economic, historical, social and cultural aspects of agricultural and pastoral activities present in the symbolism of the flags of different countries in the world, exploring their most varied contexts and meanings. The exhibited pieces were made using collage techniques and industrial manufacturing standards developed by high school students from the integrated technical courses at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo, Campus Capivari, under the guidance of Professor Tiago José Berg, coordinator of the exhibition. More information by clicking here .