Brasília has a brand-new museum, and this one is rather different from the capital’s usual collection of architecture, politics and history.

The Museu ANEEL de Eficiência Energética opened on 1 July 2026 at the headquarters of ANEEL, Brazil’s electricity regulator, in Asa Norte. Developed in partnership with Neoenergia Brasília, the museum is designed to make electricity, energy efficiency and sustainability understandable, and, importantly, fun. Admission is free.

Not your typical museum

This is not a museum where visitors simply wander past display cases reading long explanations.

The emphasis is on interaction and experimentation. The museum contains around 20 interactive experiments covering subjects including electricity, physics, magnetism and optics, as well as the history of Brazil's electricity sector. There are also exhibits dealing with renewable energy, sustainability and environmental preservation.

The idea is to explain where electricity comes from, how it reaches homes and businesses, and what happens when energy is wasted. Instead of presenting energy efficiency as an abstract environmental concept, the museum encourages visitors to explore it through hands-on activities.

That makes it particularly appealing for children and teenagers, although adults may discover that electricity is considerably more interesting when nobody is asking them to pay the bill.

There is even a Maker Space

One of the most interesting parts is the Espaço Maker, an area dedicated to robotics, technology, creativity and practical learning.

Here the focus moves from simply understanding technology to experimenting and solving problems with it. ANEEL and Neoenergia expect the museum to receive more than 28,000 visitors per year, while around 13,000 participants annually are expected to take part in activities and training in the Maker Space.

Schools are an important part of the project. Public-school groups can receive transportation funded through the programme, helping make the museum accessible to students from across the Federal District.

Why it is worth visiting

The museum fills an interesting gap in Brasília.

The city has plenty of excellent museums and cultural attractions, but relatively few places dedicated to interactive science and technology. The ANEEL museum offers something different, particularly for families looking for an educational activity with children, school groups, teachers, or anyone interested in sustainability and renewable energy.

It is also a good reminder that energy efficiency is not simply about switching off the lights when leaving a room. How electricity is generated, transmitted, distributed and consumed has economic and environmental consequences, and the museum tries to explain that bigger picture in an accessible way.

And because this is Brasília, there is another unusual aspect to the project: the museum is located inside the headquarters of a federal regulatory agency. ANEEL described the project as an unprecedented opening of its headquarters to public visitation and dialogue with society.

B4D verdict

The Museu ANEEL de Eficiência Energética is a welcome addition to Brasília's attractions. It is modern, interactive, educational and, best of all, free.

It should be particularly good for families with children and teenagers, but anyone curious about electricity, renewable energy, technology or sustainability should find something interesting here.

For expats with children in Brasília, it is also exactly the sort of place that can easily fly under the radar because it is located inside a government institution rather than in one of the city's established museum areas.

Worth a visit — and you might even leave knowing why your electricity bill looks the way it does.

Museu ANEEL de Eficiência Energética is located at SGAN 603, Asa Norte, Brasília. The museum opened to public visitation on 2 July, and ANEEL says visits can be booked through Neoenergia or arranged at the museum entrance.

ANEEL – official museum information