[JKT #1] Museum Nasional / Museum Gajah (National Museum of Indonesia) - PART 2

Done exploring the front side of Museum Gajah, it was around 8.30am... (and still) thinking: "The museum's not open yet." But hey, I'll go to the front counter anyway to make sure the museum's gonna be open today (just in case).

So I went to the front counter (which is located behind the elephant statue, inside the original building), and there was a staff standing by there. I asked him "The museum's gonna be open today, right?" and then he grinned and replied proudly "We're already open, Miss."

And cue to a signboard behind him...

The opening hours & entrance fee details of Museum Nasional / Museum Gajah

Not much I could say really, other than "Oooooow." #enlightenedmoment

Turns out the museum opens at 8am. Well, what's better than a bit of positive surprise, right? Hehehe. But still, #willdoresearchmorethoroughlynexttime

So I bought a ticket, worth IDR 5000. It's less than a dollar! Only about USD 50 cent, give or take. Although for foreigners it's IDR 10.000, or around a dollar... Still, very VERY cheap compared to most museum entrance fees in other countries, right? (foreigners who happen to read this post will mostly agree with me, hehe)

Already got the ticket, already got the museum brochure... so the next thing I wanted to know was "Can we take photos inside the museum?"

...and the staff said yes!*

Yeah, now let's go explore the inside of Museum Gajah!

Actually I've been to Museum Gajah before, but it was waaay back when I was a kid, perhaps around 15 years ago. Gedung Arca didn't exist yet, and all that I remember from the original building was that there were a lot (and I really mean a lot) of arca (stone statues/sculptures) in the museum.

But hey, Museum Gajah is not only about arca. They have a bunch of other artifacts and the most comprehensive collection of Indonesian history and heritage - which is why if you want to learn all about Indonesia in one place, this is one of the most important places to visit. They're not called the National Museum for nothing, guys.

So how many areas can we explore inside the museum?

In the original building, we have the whole floor that covers things like:

• Indonesian ethnography (showcasing the diverse and rich heritage of Indonesian ethnic groups like the Javanese, the Bataks, the Balinese, the Asmats, etc).
• Foreign ceramics that were found in Indonesia.
• Countless arca (some original, some replica) in the outdoor area in the middle of the building.

In Gedung Arca, there are 4 floors that we can explore, which cover things like:

• 1st floor: Man & environment (pithecantropus erectus & other cavemen found in Indonesia, etc).
• 2nd floor: Science & technology (prasasti/stone writings, law system, astronomy, etc).
• 3rd floor: Social organization (social life in Indonesia, etc).
• 4th floor: Gold & ceramic collection (from kingdoms in Indonesia, sunken ships, etc).

Basically almost everything about Indonesian history & heritage is covered here, so take your pick and explore this museum away!

-redPacker

*except the 4th floor of Gedung Arca