Museum sights in Malaysia
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Geological Museum
Rock enthusiasts might enjoy a visit to the Geological Museum, 3km east of town, although you'll need to phone ahead to arrange a visit. Hundreds of mineral samples and fossils are on display, including all the tin ore you could wish for. Take a Tanjung Rambutan bus from the city bus station, get off at the crossing of Jln Sultan Azlan Shah, then walk southeast for 10 minutes.
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A
Labuan Museum
The Labuan Museum takes a glossy, if slightly superficial, look at the island’s history and culture. The most interesting displays are those on the different ethnic groups here, including a diorama of a traditional Chinese tea ceremony (the participants, however, look strangely Western). There’s also an excellent diorama of a water village.
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Limbang Regional Museum
The small but informative Limbang Regional Museum is upstairs in another of Charles Brooke’s forts, built in 1897. The collection is well presented and features exhibits on archaeology, culture and crafts of the region. To get here, follow the riverbank upstream (south) past the police station and look for the replica totem pole.
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B
Kampung Kraftangan
Kampung Kraftangan, a touristy affair opposite Istana Batu, has a one-room museum with displays of woodcarving, batik-making and other crafts. The complex includes souvenir shops and (why not?) a good-value lunchtime buffet. Batik classes also take place here.
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C
Muzium Islam
Muzium Islam occupies an old villa once known as Serambi Mekah (Verandah to Mecca) – a reference to its days as Kelantan’s first school of Islamic instruction. Nowadays it displays a small collection of photographs and artefacts relating to the history of Islam in the state.
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D
Muzium Telekom
A few blocks north of the Numismatic Museum, in a striking colonial building housing the Telekom Malaysia office, the reasonably diverting Muzium Telekom has exhibits on the history of telecommunications in Malaysia, with an English or Bahasa commentary on old-fashioned phone handsets.
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E
Sarawak Museum
Established in 1891 the Sarawak Museum has a fascinating collection of cultural artefacts and is a must-visit for anyone who wants to learn more about the region’s indigenous peoples and natural environment. It consists of two wings connected by an ornate footbridge.
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F
Cheah Kongsi
Cheah Kongsi is home to the oldest Straits Chinese clan association in Penang. It's a down-home sort of place, simple but welcoming, with some displays of old newspaper clippings and photos and a re-creation of a Nonya kitchen c 1910-50. It certainly retains its community feel.
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G
Sabah Museum
The Sabah Museum is centred on a modern four-storey structure inspired by the longhouses of the Rungus and Murut tribes. It’s slightly south of the city centre, on the hilly corner of Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman and Jln Penampang.
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H
Muzium Negeri Kelantan
Muzium Negeri Kelantan, next to the tourist information centre, is the official state museum. The exhibits on Kelantan’s history and culture are interesting, but the accompanying signage is poor.
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I
Muzium Rakyat
The Muzium Rakyat covers everything from gasing uri (top-spinning) to mutilation for beauty. It is worth visiting if you have time on your hands.
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J
Philately Museum
The philately museum is on the same level as the main entrance of Pos Malaysia.
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K
Petrosains
All the family will enjoy the interactive science discovery centre Petrosains.
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L
Museum of Islamic Civilisation
The Museum of Islamic Civilisation is devoted to Muslim culture and history.
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M
Islamic Museum
The Islamic Museum is worth visiting if you have time on your hands.
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N
Penang Islamic Museum
The Penang Islamic Museum is housed in a restored villa that was once the residence of Syed Alatas, a powerful Acehnese merchant of Arab descent, and later a recycling depot (really) of the Indian Chettiar community. Today it holds a wordy exhibition on the history of Islam in Malaysia and Penang, along with some 19th-century furniture. The main event is an upstairs life-sized diorama of a dock scene that depicts a maritime-oriented haj (pilgrimage to Mecca).
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O
Royal Abu Bakar Museum
Continuing westward along the esplanade of Jalan Ibrahim, you’ll find one of JB’s main attractions, the Royal Abu Bakar Museum. The former Istana Besar (main palace) of the Johor royal family, it was built in Victorian style on a small hill overlooking the Johor Strait by the Anglophile sultan Abu Bakar in 1866. The palace is now a museum chock-full of the sultan’s possessions, furniture and hunting trophies. There are some superb pieces, making it worth a visit for those interested in perusing royal bric-a-brac. Even if you aren’t going into the museum, the magnificent surrounding grounds (admission free) are a lovely place for a stroll.
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