The Macau Museum is built into the ramparts of Monte Fort, the 17th-century Jesuit fortress on the hill above the Ruins of São Paulo. The entrance is from the fort's upper level, and the three floors of the museum tell the story of Macau from its founding as a Portuguese trading post through the centuries of co-existence between Portuguese and Chinese cultures to the 1999 handover to China.
The collection is thoughtfully arranged to show Chinese and Portuguese perspectives on the same events, with artefacts from both communities displayed alongside each other. Traditional crafts, religious objects, photographs, and reconstructed street scenes give a sense of daily life across different periods. The fort's rooftop provides a useful panorama of the city that helps orient a first-time visitor before exploring the streets below.