Inhotim is also the only place in Latin America where you can see the Amorphophallus titanum — better known as the corpse flower — the largest flower on Earth.

Instituto Inhotim is, by almost every metric, unlike any other institution in the world. It is simultaneously a contemporary art museum and a certified botanical garden — and it excels at both.

Located in Brumadinho, in the state of Minas Gerais, it sits roughly 60 kilometers from Belo Horizonte and is classified as a Private Reserve of Natural Patrimony (RPPN) by the Brazilian government.

The visiting area alone spans nearly 97 hectares of landscaped gardens, lakes, forest fragments, and open-air installations. The institution is currently one of the largest outdoor art museums in the world and holds the largest collection of contemporary art in Latin America, with more than 500 works by over 100 Brazilian and international artists across 24 permanent galleries and pavilions.

The botanical garden hosts over 4,300 rare species from across the world, including more than a thousand varieties of palm trees alone. Inhotim is also the only place in Latin America where you can see the Amorphophallus titanum — better known as the corpse flower — the largest flower on Earth.

Inhotim began in the 1980s, when Brazilian businessman Bernardo de Mello Paz began acquiring land in the hills of Minas Gerais, eventually working with the legendary landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx to design the grounds. The artistic direction came shortly after, when Brazilian artist Tunga persuaded Paz to shift from modernist collecting toward contemporary art — and to give invited artists the space and resources to create works on an extraordinary scale.

In 2002, the Instituto Cultural Inhotim was formally established as a nonprofit institution dedicated to the conservation, exhibition, and production of contemporary art, alongside social and educational programs. In 2004, it was recognized as a foundation by the Brazilian Ministry of Culture. It opened its gates to the general public in 2006.

Today, Inhotim is governed by a 30-member board of trustees from the Brazilian and international art worlds, and its collection continues to grow through new commissions and acquisitions.

What sets Inhotim's collection apart is not just its scope — it's the relationship between the art and its setting. Each of the 24 pavilions was designed specifically for the work it houses, often becoming inseparable from the artwork itself. Architecturally, they range from minimalist concrete structures to glass volumes that dissolve into the surrounding jungle.

Among the most celebrated works:

Four galleries are dedicated to temporary exhibitions, while 20 present permanent, solo artist displays — a format unusual in the museum world, which ensures every artist's work is encountered on its own terms, not in competition.

A visit to Inhotim requires time — and rewards it generously. Most visitors need at least two full days to do it justice. Here is the practical information you actually need.

The botanical garden is not a backdrop — it is a collection in its own right. Inhotim holds the largest number of unique species of any botanical garden in Brazil, including plants imported from Asia, Africa, and across the Americas. Seven thematic garden areas organize the collection, two of them dedicated exclusively to orchids.

Free guided tours of the Educational Plant Nursery run on select days at 10 am, limited to 25 people. Registration is required at the reception desk upon arrival — worth doing first thing in the morning.