Museum of Vietnamese History in Ho Chi Minh City
 The courtyard of the Vietnamese History Museum. |
The Vietnamese History Museum is housed in a building sited in the large park and zoo located at the end of Le Duan Street. The galleries are all on a single floor, although the levels change some between one hall and another through the circular plan.
Each gallery focuses on a different era of Vietnamese history, starting with the stone age and proceeding up through the French colonial period as you move clockwise through the building. Of particular interest are some sandstone sculptures from the seventh and eighth centuries, Roman coins from the second century and a collection of cannons from Hue in the nineteenth century.
The museum of hosts special exhibits. Through most of 2006, the rotunda hosts a collection of wooden imperial furniture. There's also a small water puppet theater that puts on short shows, but nothing like the national water puppets theater in Hanoi.
Museum of Vietnamese History Hours & Admission Fees
The Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00 to 11:00 and 13:30 to 16:30. Admission is 15,000 Dong (0.75 USD). You can enter the museum from either the zoo or directly from Nguyen Binh Khiem Street.