Fodor's Expert Review Palácio das Artes

Designed by Oscar Niemeyer and built in 1970, the Palace of the Arts is the most important cultural center in Belo Horizonte, comprising three theaters, three art galleries, a movie theater, a bookstore, a coffee shop, and the Centro de Artesanato Mineiro (Mineiro Artisan Center) next door, where contemporary Minas handicrafts—among them wood and soapstone carvings, pottery, and tapestries—are for sale. The main theater, Grande Teatro, stages music concerts, plays, operas, ballets, and other productions by Brazilian and foreign artists.