Visit the Ruins Park to stroll around the hilltop and admire the Belle Epoque architecture of the historic Villa Lobos. There’s always something happening at the cultural center, whether it’s a local art exhibition, live music, or a family-friendly theater performance. At the terrace café, you can enjoy a drink and some snacks with a view over Rio’s Centro and Lapa neighborhoods, as well as Sugar Loaf Mountain and Guanabara Bay.
The Ruins Park is often included on tours of Rio’s Santa Teresa neighborhood.
Admission to the park and cultural center is free.
The Ruins Park Café serves hot and cold drinks, as well as light meals and snacks.
Some parts of the site are accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
Ruins Park is in the Santa Teresa neighborhood of Rio, about 1 mile (2 kilometers) south of the Centro region. Bus 160 stops close by, but it’s best to take a taxi—as with most Rio neighborhoods, it’s not safe for tourists to walk outside of the main areas.
The park and cultural center are open from Tuesday to Sunday from morning until evening. Events vary depending on the day and season, but there are normally live bands or theater performances on weekend afternoons and evenings, especially during the summer.
One of the city’s most colorful and artistic neighborhoods, Santa Teresa sprawls across the hilltops south of downtown Rio. Highlights include a ride on the 19th-century Santa Teresa Tram, the oldest of its kind in South America; the Tram Museum, which tells the story of the historic tram; the famous Selaron Steps, designed by Chilean artist Jorge Selarón; and the Chácara do Céu art museum, which is just a short stroll from the Ruins Park.
