Malaysia National Museum, Kuala Lumpur

A sultan's throne on display in the National Museum A sultan's throne on display in the National Museum

The National Museum is Malaysia's showcase of the rich history and traditions of the country. The museum's main exhibition hall underwent a massive renovation in 2008 and now sports some state of the art galleries that are sure to engage visitors of all ages. You won't find any dusty display cases here.

The grand hall of the National Museum The grand hall of the National Museum

The main building is divided into four galleries. On the first floor, Gallery A covers the pre-history and early man stages, while Gallery B displays artifacts from the rich history of the Malay Kingdoms. On the second floor Gallery C covers the colonial era and Gallery D displays memorabilia from the struggle for independence.

The colonial era gallery of the National Museum The colonial era gallery of the National Museum

Outside the main building, there are several other exhibits, of cars, boats, trains and Malay houses.

A traditional Malay house in the grounds of the National Museum A traditional Malay house in the grounds of the National Museum

Admission to the museum is 5.00 Ringgit (1.02 USD) for adults. Free guided tours by museum volunteers are available in English Monday to Thursday and Saturday at 10:00 am.

Getting to the National Museum can be done by taxi or the Hop-On Hop-Off tourist bus. The museum is close to the Sentral transportation hub, on the edge of the Lake Gardens area, but there's a busy freeway between Sentral and the museum, so walking there is not really an option.