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National Museum

Jl Merdeka Barat 12 | New Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia
021 381 2346
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As featured in 3 days in Jakarta
Ranked #11 of 53 attractions in Jakarta
Type: Museums
Fee: Yes
Recommended length of visit: 2-3 hours
Owner description: In 1778, the Batavia Society for Arts and Science established what would become, after many expansions and name changes, the world-famous National... more » Owner description: In 1778, the Batavia Society for Arts and Science established what would become, after many expansions and name changes, the world-famous National Museum. « less
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143 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    37
    61
    37
    5
    3
Date Rating
UK
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 May 2013 NEW

The old part of the museum consists of several exhibition halls dedicated to the history, ethnography and textiles of Indonesia; a more modern wing houses exhibits on trade, economy, minerals and other aspects of life in Indonesia. There is a small shop selling bottled drinks, packaged snacks, some booklets published by the Heritage Society, and some souvenirs aimed at the... More

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See 3 more reviews by Michaela N for Jakarta
Manila
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2013

Part of the museum was under renovation and we arrived there an hour before the closing hours. It was a very informative take on the history of Jakarta and I love museums so much that I would have enjoyed this if only I had enough time. The only downside from this was the security because there were a bunch of... More

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See 2 more reviews by axianbeauty for Jakarta
Saint-Benoit, France
Top Contributor
52 reviews 52 reviews
14 attraction reviews
Reviews in 28 cities Reviews in 28 cities
30 helpful votes 30 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 May 2013

An interesting museum, filled with articrafts from all over Indonesia, some of them very unique (batiks, wooden sculptures, stone sculptures, and even -maybe temporarily- a music instruments display and an anklung to try it's a kind of bamboo instrument whihs has to be shaken... very interesting sound, you may buy a miniature one at Sarinah's dept store,3 blocks south on... More

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See 3 more reviews by gmgolf for Jakarta
netherlands
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 April 2013

we were a bit disapointed. the museum is located on a very nice square in a colonial building. Inside you will find relatively little information about the history of jakarta. if you enjoy antique furniture you will appreciate this museum

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Parramatta, Australia
Top Contributor
287 reviews 287 reviews
145 attraction reviews
Reviews in 154 cities Reviews in 154 cities
887 helpful votes 887 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 April 2013

Before Islam came to Java & made religion a snooze-fest, the Indonesians were hiding in the deep jungles doing all sorts of crazy things like worshipping large phalluses, eating their enemies & robbing Chinese ships of their gold & women. Other more focused Indos built some of the greatest temples of our time, while some fought epic wars that ended... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 2
See 8 more reviews by The_Pale_Ridah for Jakarta
Jakarta
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 April 2013

Some of the best objects of antiquity from around the archipelago have been dragged here to languish in obscurity, especially stone carvings / monuments from various far flung places. Worth a look if you're planning to go, or have previously been to visit the locations they've been lifted from - but don't expect this museum to provide much context or... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 5 more reviews by Ikonoklas for Jakarta
Jakarta, Indonesia
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 April 2013

It's a nice place to check out. Lots of historical artifacts, gold, sculptures, etc. Also a lot of information on the different ethnic groups of Indonesia and their local traditions and outfits. Extremely cheap as well. Only thing lacking is some sort of narrative that binds it all together. It seems a bit peace meal.

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See 16 more reviews by Max M for Jakarta
Rome, Italy
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 March 2013

The National Museum is one of the best attractions: there is a good collection of statues on the ground floor, traditional items and jewelry on the upper floors, whilst the new pavillon, comprised of 4 floors, shows a little history of the country through religion, social life, law, environment ect. Entrance costs 10,000 Rps.

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See 2 more reviews by Mario R for Jakarta
Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 March 2013

Love it! There's a lot of things to be explored, well, I'm a full of curiosity girl and discover a lot of things is fun. That's what I did here.

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 2 more reviews by fransiskadeyani for Jakarta
philadelphia
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 March 2013

this museum (I hope, I'm correct) had fabulous displays of wedding costumes from the different areas in Indonesia. Well worth a visit to see these outfits!!

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See 4 more reviews by phillydiver for Jakarta

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