The Planalto Palace will reopen for guided tours.
The Presidential Palace had been closed to visitors since 2020.
By Pedro Rafael Vilela - Reporter for Agência Brasil - Brasília
Starting next Sunday (14), visitors who wish to visit the Palácio do Planalto will be able to schedule a guided tour of the building, the seat of the Presidency of the Republic, and one of the icons of modernist architecture in the Brazilian capital. The resumption of visits is part of the actions of the Presidency of the Republic to bring the population closer to the seat of the federal executive power. Free of charge, the visit must be scheduled electronically. exclusively through the website.
Guided tours were suspended in March 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. A year ago, on January 8, 2023, the Palace was targeted by extremist vandals during an attempted coup and had to undergo restoration that lasted several months.
According to the Secretariat of Administration, linked to the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic, the tour of the Planalto Palace includes the ground floor, the second floor, the third floor, and the basement, which is now a new exhibition space. Visits will last approximately one hour and will be conducted in groups of up to 30 people every half hour, with spaces reserved for priority groups. Visits will take place on Sundays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with the last group entering at 1:00 PM. Reservations are not required for children under 10 years old.
The goal of the visitation program at the headquarters of the Federal Executive Branch is to bring the public closer and allow for “a greater understanding of the institutional mission of the Presidency of the Republic.” According to the Civil House, “the visits also emphasize aspects of heritage education in building and expanding the population's knowledge about the history, culture, and artistic assets of the government headquarters.”
The Palace - Located in the Three Powers Square in Brasília, the Planalto Palace was one of the first buildings constructed in the new capital. Its inauguration, on April 21, 1960, was the centerpiece of the celebrations for the inauguration of Brasília, marking history and symbolizing the transfer of the federal capital to the center of the country. Also located in the square are the headquarters of the Supreme Federal Court and the National Congress Palace.
The Planalto Palace houses the office of the President of the Republic and the ministries of the Civil House, the Secretariat of Social Communication (Secom), the Secretariat of Institutional Relations (SRI), and the General Secretariat. It is where the president's main official agendas, ministerial meetings, and the launch and announcement of new federal government programs and projects take place.
More information about visiting can be obtained by calling (61) 3411-2317 (General Coordination of Public Relations) or via email: corep@presidencia.gov.br.