Museums in Jakarta

Named after the Indonesian national hero Fatahillah, it is a huge plaza that includes three museums namely Jakarta History Museum, Wayang Museum and Fine Art and Ceramics Museum in Kota (Old Town). Taman Fatahillah is reminiscent of the colonial past of the country. During the colonial period, it was known as Batavia City Square, now filled with rich Indonesian culture.

Museum Wayang or Puppet Museum is a highlight display of the Javan Wayang form of puppetry, exhibiting a huge collection of the classic flat wooden puppets. Situated opposite the Fatahillah Sqaure, this unique museum displays puppets portraying characters from across Indonesia, China, Vietnam, India, Cambodia and Europe, housed within its vintage cabinets.

Museum Nasional or the National Museum of Indonesia is one of the premier locations to discover and understand Indonesian culture and history. With a collection that beautifully preserves nearly two hundred years of Indonesian Heritage, it is considered as one of the most comprehensive museums in the Southeast Asian region.

If you want to understand how the Indonesian banking system works, the Museum Bank Indonesia is just the right place. Situated at the Old Town, this colonial style museum contains a large collection of historical currencies of Indonesia along with the rest of the world. The museum is quite comfortable and well arranged especially for children who want to learn about banking.

Textiles have always played an important part in Indonesia's culture. Museum Tekstil or Jakarta Textile Museum is a 19th century museum, showcasing exquisite artistic skills that go into the making of Indonesian textiles by the usage of efficient technology that was ahead of its time. Visitors can make their own beautiful batik designs and learn about how fabric is made.

Museum Bahari, also known as the Maritime Museum, traces the maritime history of the various regions of Indonesia. It was established the rule of the Dutch East Indian Company. The buildings of the museum date back to 17th century, displaying beautiful colonial architecture.

The Kite Museum of Jakarta was opened in 2003 to impart kite education to the citizens. Particularly fun for children, this museum helps organizing many exciting kite festivals and workshops where people design their own kites. Along with many interesting kite displays, watching movies based on their history is a must for the visitors.

Satria Mandala Museum is a military museum of the Armed Forces of Indonesia displaying a huge collection of military weapons, tanks, and other artefacts. The name comes from Sanskrit and means a sacred place for the knights. It spreads over 14 acres across three buildings and open ground, and its notable exhibits include Soviet weapons used during Operation Trikora and a handwritten draft of the Proclamation of Independence by President Sukarno.

Museum Sejarah Jakarta is the largest museum in Old Jakarta Town. It is filled with more than 23,000 artefacts from the Dutch civilization and various Indonesian kingdoms can be seen here, a proud display of the heritage of the region. Its 37 ornate rooms are sure to give you vintage vibes.

Museum Seni Rupah Dan Keramik or Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramic is a resplendent display of the traditional art and ceramics of Indonesia. It is located in a beautiful Dutch building known as the Court of Justice in olden times. It is conveniently located near famous museuems like the Jakarta History Museum and Wayang Museum.

There is no better way to learn about the nuances of colonial economics than at Museum Bank Mandiri. Visitors get to witness a collection of colonial banking activities, vintage cash counters and everything else related to the economy of colonial era. It is situated at the banking district of Old Jakarta Town.

Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi or Formulation of Proclamation Text Museum is the place where the Proclamation of Independence was formed in 1984. This is where the Japanese Navy Commander and supporter of Indonesia freedom Tadashi Maeda worked on the final draft of the proclamation. Today it has wax sculptures of historically important people.

Art:1 is a fairly new museum located in Kemayoran in Jakarta and it stores a collection of artefacts dedicated to Indonesia's arts and culture. The complex of the museum is divided into two buildings. One building is Art:1 New Museum housing modern collections and the second building is Artspace:1, dedicated to the contemporary arts.

The Museum MACAN or the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara is an art museum of Jakarta. It houses a large collection of modern and contemporary art from Indonesia as well as from around the world. Famous for its active exhibitions, its chief highlight is the materpieces of Yayoi Kusama, a pioneer in the world of contemporary art.

Museum Di Tengah Kebun is a private museum with an impressive collection of relics and antiques by Syahrial Djalil, an Indonesian entrepreneur and founder of the museum. He built the museum entirely through his own money that houses archaeological statues, ceramics, paintings and many more Indonesian artefacts.

Located at Ancol Dreamland, the Alive Museum stores wax sculptures of many notable personalities from Hollywood to Korean pop singers. Along with the sculptures, there are also movie posters signed by the celebrities and cast. Opened in 2015 on the third floor of the Ancol Beach City mall, it is built around 3D wall art that you are meant to step into and photograph rather than look at from a distance.

Museum of Sumpah Pemuda or the Museum of Youth Pledges is a historic museum located in Central Jakarta. It was built to commemorate the Independence of Indonesia, specifically the history of the 1928 Youth Pledge and the national youth movement. The building was originally a students' dormitory, and it was here that the pemuda began the movement that led to independence from the Dutch. Photographs and statues make up most of the collection.

Museum Polri or the Police Museum was built to honour the police force of Indonesia. It is filled with the history of the Indonesian police force, detailing several past events related to national security. The collection runs to guns, archives, statues of well-known officers and the changing uniform through the decades, and the guides on hand are what make the displays worth stopping over.

The largest national museum in South East Asia, Monumen Nasional or National Monument of Indonesia is massive tower located at the center of Merdeka Square. It will take you through the evolution of Indonesia's culture since its pre-historic times, with many artefacts from each era.