Founded in 1922, the Museu Nacional Histórico contains close to 300,000 items, including the largest collection of currency anywhere in Latin America. That's a lot of coins. Developed on the site of the Santiago Fort, once a strategic defensive point for the city, it has recently gone through a major refurbishment and is once again an attraction to be proud of. The permanent exhibition now has three works in lenticular 3D including artist Carlos Vergara's impressive contemporary reinterpretation of the Jesuit missions of San Miguel, as well as an in-depth look at Brazil's changes from Independence from Portugal to the founding of the Republic.