Established in 1975, the Théo Brandão Museum of Anthropology and Folklore has been housed since 1977 in the Palacete dos Machados, a nineteenth-century building designed in the Eclectic style. Its collection comprises artifacts representative of Northeastern Brazilian culture and popular art in a variety of media. The museum was named in honor of the professor, physician, and folklorist Theotônio Brandão Vilela. The building underwent restoration works between 2000 and 2002, based on a project developed by Josemary Ferrare and Adriana Guimarães Duarte.