//
Passagem de Mariana, (on the road to Mariana).
Parque Estadual do Itacolomi
Shared by the municipalities of Ouro Preto and Mariana is a park which contains very diverse flora and fauna with many hiking opportunities. The centerpiece of the park, Itacolomi Peak, is a pair of rocks, one huge and one much smaller, which can be seen from hilltops around town. Itacolomi means "the Rock and the Boy" in Tupi. For experienced hikers, it is possible to take a difficult 12-km trek through the park to visit the village of Lavras Novas and its nearby waterfalls. Visitors to the park must be accompanied by a guide, which can be arranged in advance by telephone.
The definitive center of the town. On the north side of the square is the Escolas de Minas (School of Mines), with a museum of mineralogy. On the south side is the Museu da Inconfidência.
Opera House
The oldest functioning theater in South America opened in 1770 and still has occasional evening concerts.
Tax Collection House
Once a home of the regional tax collector, this colonial baroque structure served as a jail for revolutionaries in the late 18th century.
This museum is dedicated to the memory of the Inconfidência Mineira, an unsuccessful 1789 revolt against Portuguese rule which was inspired by the American Revolution. The building, one of the best extant specimens of colonial baroque architecture, houses the remains of some of the revolutionaries, a library, archives, and works by artists of the period, including works by Aleijadinho and Manuel da Costa Ataíde.
Museu de Ciência e Técnica da Escola de Minas
This mineralogy museum has a quite varied collection of minerals from quartz to diamond to uranium, including many rare specimens. Children have free admission.