Museum Bahari, Jakarta | Entry Fees, Timings, Things to Do

Museum Bahari, Jakarta Overview

Located near the Sunda Kelapa Harbour, Museum Bahari exhibits the history and the importance of sea trade via the harbour that helped build Jakarta's economy. The displays mostly consist of maritime objects with detailed information about them. Access is allowed only into the well-maintained parts of the museum, but while one is exploring the attraction, they would also come across the areas which were extensively used during the bygone times. A visit to Museum Bahari is recommended to everyone visiting the harbour.

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. It houses an interesting collection of boats and canoes with wax sculptures of many maritime explorers like Vasco de Gama, Cheng Ho, James Cook, etc.

Things to Do

Museum Bahari houses an extensive collection of objects that represent the maritime history and development in Indonesia. These include models of ships, boats, cannons, tools, the oceanography of the coastal areas of Indonesia, etc

The models of the ships one can see here on display include Pinisi/ Phinisi, Borobudur, Gelati and Lancang ships.
The museum also has exhibits on modern shipping. Here visitors can check out some navy maps, navigational tools, pictures taken during voyages and information regarding them.
There are other relevant attractions located at walkable distances from museum Bahari. Visitors can explore the Sunda Kelapa Harbour or visit the Jakarta History Museum or the Wayang Museum.

History

Museum Bahari occupies three of the four building units of the 17th-century warehouses installed by the Dutch East India Company. These warehouses were used to store spices and food items that were later shipped to Europe and Asia. The warehouses underwent repairs and renovations over the century. In the late-17th and 18th century, more space was acquired to expand the warehouses and several features like the bastions, the watchtower, etc. were added to the complex.

During World War II, precisely during the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese army used the same warehouses for storage. After independence, Indonesia took control of several such buildings and monuments. Thus, the warehouse units were transformed into Museum Bahari in 1977.