Museu da República, Rio de Janeiro

President Getulio Vargas commited suicide inside the Palácio do Catete on the 24th August 1954. He had enemies in the armed forces and one of his bodyguards fired shots at a journalist who was unharmed. However, an air force officer guarding him was killed which prompted the armed forces to demand Vargas' resignation. Vargas' reponse was to take his own life and you can see the shirt he was wearing at the time with the bullet hole over his heart and the .32-caliber Colt gun and bullet he used in a display case in the room where it happened. There's also a lot of his photo's, letters and personal effects on display here as well.

Open: Tues-Fri 12-5pm & Sat-Sun 2-6pm.
Admission: R$6 but is free on Wednesday and Sunday.

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You can walk around the wonderful elaborately decorated rooms inside the Palácio do Catete which form the Museu da República. On the ground floor at the back of the palace is the Ministerial Hall that features a large table where cabinet meetings took place. Up the stairs on the first floor is the chapel room which was common during Brazil's colonial times, the Blue Hall which is also known as the French Hall as it contained furniture in Louis XV and Louis XVI styles, the Noble Hall (which is the palace's largest room), the Pompean Hall decorated imitating the wall paintings found in the Roman city that was destroyed by a volcano in 79AD, the Yellow Hall inspired by Venice, the Moorish Hall inspired by Islamic art and a dining hall. More pictures can be found on one of my travelogues.

Open: Tues-Fri 12-5pm & Sat-Sun 2-6pm.
Admission: R$6 but is free on Wednesday and Sunday.

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The Palácio do Catete is a wonderfully restored palace that was built between 1858 and 1866. It was used as the official residence of Brazilian presidents from 1897 to 1960 when the government of Brazil re-located to the new city of Brasilia. It was here that former president Getulio Vargas commited suicide on the 24th August 1954. The Baroque building features bronze condors on the roof, beautiful iron gates and wonderful elaborately decorated rooms which you can walk around as part of the Museu da República.

Open: Tues-Fri 12-5pm & Sat-Sun 2-6pm.
Admission: R$6 but is free on Wednesday and Sunday.

Maybe not a "Must See", but still, it's a nice place to hang out in when you're looking for some refreshment. There's a lot of green in Rio, but not always that much shade.
Also houses the Folkloristic museum.