Uruguay has several interesting museums, and most of them are located in the capital.
The National Museum of Fine Arts (Museo nacional de artes visuales) is the most famous art museum not only in Montevideo, but also in the country. Here you can see the works of world-famous masters, in particular Pablo Picasso and Pablo Serrano, and Uruguayan artists Rafael Barradas, Joaquin Torres, etc. There are about 6,000 paintings in the museum. In addition, the museum has an impressive art library with 8000 books.
The Museum of Fine Arts named after Juan Blanes is located in the Palladio Mansion, which is already a work of art in itself — lavishly decorated with marble and decorated with statues. There are works by Uruguayan artists, including modern ones, prints and sculptures, and the only Japanese garden in the country is located on the adjacent territory.
Carnival in South America is not only a Brazilian tradition. Uruguay has its own carnival, and Montevideo has a Carnival Museum. It was created relatively recently, in 2008 — and primarily not for tourists, but for local residents, in order to preserve the traditions of this action and tell the younger generation about them. In the museum you can see carnival costumes and masks from different eras, musical instruments, numerous photographs and documents telling about the history of carnival in Uruguay, and watch popular science films on this topic.
There is an unusual Colored Pencil Museum in the city of Colonia del Sacramento. The world’s largest collection of colored pencils is on display there — almost 15,000 pieces, various household items from the middle of the 20th century, and tours of the museum are conducted personally by the owner.