Central Jakarta
September 5, 2016

Formally opened in 1868, the National Museum is an edifice where Indonesia’s long history and cultural heritage dwell. Having at least 109,342 artifacts dating from the prehistoric days up to today, the museum covers an impressive exhibit of the country’s archaeology, ethnography, geography among others.

Among the museum’s priceless collections are stones and statues discovered on areas in the entire archipelago that date back from the first century AD, and woven textiles and batik clothes made by the early Indonesians from different islands. On the top level lies a showcase of gold and silver ornaments, and other kinds of jewelry owned and worn by Indonesia’s rajahs and sultans.

The National Museum was once known as Gedung Gajah (The House of Elephant), named after the bronze elephant statue donated by King Chulalongkorn of Thailand in 1871. It was also called the Gedung Arca (The House of Statues) because of the large figures housed inside the museum. It was only in 1979 when it was bestowed its official name, the Museum Nasional or the National Museum.

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