Neonia is always new and fascinating city, inspired by curiosities from a less-known Porto, and capable of transporting visitors into the realm of the fantastical.
Set within an immersive 1500 sqm space, divided across 19 rooms with names like “Streets of Porto”, “NeoMetro do Porto”, “Bolhão Market”, “Café Imperial”, “Crystal Palace Gardens”, “Douro River”, “S. João Festivities”, “Freixo Power Station” or “A (S. João) Midsummer Night’s Dream”, at Neonia visitors travel between past and future in a journey with its own rhythm, exploring and uncovering a city that blends reality and fantasy.
Bathed in neon tones and cyberpunk energy, a walk through this “permanently temporary exhibition” is a sensory adventure and a challenge for the mind.
MISSION & VALUES
An alternative Porto in the heart of the real one
At the origin of Neonia lies the desire to create a truly unique experience for those visiting Porto. We designed this space to create lasting memories for our “temporary residents”, while hoping that each one also leaves their own mark on Neonia. Just like Porto, Neonia has a very distinctive identity: shaped by its imaginative architecture and by the experience of those who “live” it.
We set out to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, where visitors can enjoy a journey through past, present, and future — all within the parallel reality of a peculiar city.
We believe that it is the blending of different backgrounds and perspectives that gives meaning to everything we build. That’s why we invited a variety of local and international artists to contribute authentic creations, designed to surprise and delight visitors from age 0 to 100.
Above all, we value the power of the experience and the satisfaction of those who visit us. That’s why we’re committed to exceeding expectations — room by room, neon by neon.
FOUNDERS
At Neonia, we celebrate the union of unlikely worlds: science, technology, art, history, and… many others we haven’t fully explored yet, but that we feel pulsing beneath the surface. That spirit of discovery is at the heart of what inspired our founders: with backgrounds in science and engineering, experience in research, teaching, and management, and a combined age of over a century and a half… they came together at the most unexpected moment, for the most random reason!
Vera Mata is a born entrepreneur, with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto. She co-founded I-SENSIS (a company dedicated to the development of perfumes) and created Ownya, a brand specialising in scented and fragranced products.
Aquiles Barros, also a Chemical Engineer, has been both an athlete and a volleyball coach, as well as a Chemistry professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto. He co-founded Castelbel (a leading Portuguese exporter of scented gifts for body and home) and Castêlo da Maia Gym Club, one of the country’s top volleyball teams.
Marta Araújo, who holds a PhD in Quantum Chemistry from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, was CEO of Castelbel and Managing Director of Saint-Gobain Sekurit Service Portugal, owner of the Glassdrive brand (specialised in automotive glass repair and replacement).
Aquiles and Marta were professor and student of Analytical Chemistry at the Faculty of Sciences in 2003. Two years later, Aquiles met Vera at RTP television show 4 x Science, in an episode dedicated to perfumes and soaps.
It was only in 2021 — purely by chance — that their paths finally crossed.
When the three met and decided to join forces to create Neonia, it was as if a spark had ignited in a creativity lab running at full capacity!
That spark found the perfect outlet for expression, and today it fuels something truly exceptional — something the founders are proud to share with tourists, visitors, and locals alike.
Neonia is a promise of relaxed and playful learning about the city of Porto, enriching the knowledge and experience of everyone who passes through the Invicta.
WHY AN “ANTIMUSEUM”?
Because we’re an unconventional, atypical museum, designed for all age groups.
From large-scale murals and sculptures to a laser Portuguese guitar, vintage bumper car, arcade games, and even a slide, we’ve got attractions for everyone. Here, not everyone likes everything, but there’s always something special for each visitor!
At Neonia, you can play, learn more about local history and culture, take amazing photos and videos, or simply relax in an environment designed to offer calming and enjoyable sensory experiences.
