Indonesia's flagship museum of archaeology and ethnography, reopened after the 2023 fire.
The National Museum holds the deepest collection of Indonesian archaeology and ethnography anywhere in the country: Hindu-Buddhist stone sculpture, Javanese gold, prehistoric finds, ceramics and textiles from across the archipelago. Jakartans call it Museum Gajah, the elephant museum, after the bronze elephant standing in the forecourt, a gift from King Chulalongkorn of Siam.
On 16 September 2023 a fire tore through six rooms at the back of Gedung A, the oldest wing. The museum closed completely for thirteen months and reopened on 15 October 2024 after restoration and a substantial rethink of the displays. Gedung B and Gedung C and their contents were not affected by the fire. The reopening was staged rather than total, so it is worth accepting that some sections may still be closed off when you visit and not treating a full walk-through as guaranteed.
The headline addition is ImersifA, a projection-mapped immersive gallery inside Gedung A that is charged separately and routinely sells out. If you want it, sort the ticket before you turn up.
The single most important practical change: from 1 January 2026 foreign visitors pay IDR 150,000, three times the Indonesian adult rate of IDR 50,000. Holders of a KITAS pay the local rate. Any guide quoting IDR 50,000 for foreigners is working from pre-2026 pricing.
It sits on the west side of Merdeka Square, a walk across the park from Monas, which makes the pair an obvious morning.
Cara ke sana
The museum is on Jalan Merdeka Barat, on the western side of Merdeka Square. TransJakarta buses stop directly outside at the Museum Nasional and Monumen Nasional stops, and the MRT to Bundaran HI leaves a short ride to the west by bus or ride-hailing. The commuter KRL to Juanda or Gambir also works, with a short onward hop. Grab and Gojek drop you at the entrance. On foot it is a few minutes from Monas straight across the square, which is the easiest way to combine the two.
Masa terbaik
Weekday mornings are quietest and coolest, and the museum is closed on Mondays and national holidays. From 1 April 2026 the published hours are Tuesday to Thursday 08:00 to 18:00 and Friday to Sunday 08:00 to 20:00, so the late Friday and weekend evenings are a genuinely pleasant, uncrowded time to go. Worth knowing: the museum runs a free-entry session, ARAMSA, on the second Wednesday of each month from 16:00 to 20:00, which is excellent value and correspondingly busy.
Baik untuk diketahui
Budget properly for the foreign rate of IDR 150,000 from January 2026, and note that ImersifA is a separate IDR 35,000 on top and needs a museum ticket first. ImersifA slots sell out, so book ahead rather than assuming you can walk up. Allow at least ninety minutes for the main halls and longer if you want the immersive gallery as well. The stone sculpture court and the gold room are the two sections most people wish they had left more time for. Because the reopening was phased, ask at the desk which wings are open on the day rather than planning a route in advance, and do not count on a specific guided tour running unless the desk confirms it.
Yes. The fire on 16 September 2023 destroyed six rooms at the rear of Gedung A, and the museum reopened on 15 October 2024 after thirteen months of restoration. Gedung B and Gedung C and their collections were not damaged. The reopening was phased, so some areas may still be closed.
From 1 January 2026 foreign visitors pay IDR 150,000. Indonesian adults pay IDR 50,000, foreign residents holding a KITAS pay IDR 50,000, and Indonesian students pay IDR 30,000. The ImersifA immersive gallery is an extra IDR 35,000 on top of a museum ticket.
From 1 April 2026 the museum opens Tuesday to Thursday 08:00 to 18:00 and Friday to Sunday 08:00 to 20:00. It closes on Mondays and on national holidays. Earlier published hours of 09:00 to 16:00 are out of date.
Yes. The museum runs a free session called ARAMSA on the second Wednesday of each month, from 16:00 to 20:00. Expect it to be busy.
After the bronze elephant statue in the forecourt, presented by King Chulalongkorn of Siam. The nickname is used far more commonly in Jakarta than the official name.
Yes if you want to be sure of it. The immersive gallery has limited capacity and regularly sells out, and it requires a standard museum ticket as well as its own IDR 35,000 charge.
Tambahkannya ke dalam laluan merentasi Indonesia dan kami akan kira masa perjalanan dan kos antara setiap hentian.
Bina perjalanan anda
