The National Museum is located at Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat No.12, Jakarta Pusat, Jakarta, Indonesia. In 1862, the National Museum was built by the Dutch government, under the leadership of Governor-General JCM Radermacher. In 1868, the National Museum was inaugurated and opened to the public.
As an institution, the museum has been born in 1778, when the formation of associations Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen (BG) by the Dutch government, which is an independent institution, founded for the purpose of promoting research in arts and sciences, especially in the areas of science biology, physics, archeology, literature, ethnology and history, and publishing research results. This institution has a motto “Ten Nutte van het Algemeen” (For the General Public Interest). In response to the formation of this association, then in 1862 this museum was built.
In 1871, King Chulalongkorn from Thailand when visiting the museum to give the gift of a bronze elephant statue to the National Museum and placed in the front yard of the museum, from since then, the National Museum known as the Museum Gajah (Elephant Museum). This museum is sometimes also called Gedung Arca (Statue Building), because in the building saved many statues from different periods.
In 1923, the association Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen granted the title Koninklijk, for his services in the field of scientific and government projects so that his name be Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen.
On January 26, 1950, the Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen changed its name in the Indonesian language to be "Lembaga Kebudayaan Indonesia". This change was made to adjust to the conditions at that time and also to adjust to his new motto, which is “promoting the cultural sciences is worthwhile to increase knowledge about Indonesia islands and surrounding countries”. Then, because of the importance of this museum for the Nation and the State of Indonesia, on September 17, 1962, the management of this museum by Lembaga Kebudayaan Indonesia, submitted to the Government of Indonesia, which later became the Central Museum. In 1979, the Central Museum enhanced its status as the National Museum, according to the Decree of Ministry of Education and Culture.
The National Museum has the most comprehensive collections in Indonesia, in 2006 the collection has more than 140,000 pieces, which consists of 7 kinds of collections, namely the prehistoric, archaeological, ceramics, numismatic-heraldry, history, ethnography and geography.
The National Museum has a large collection of ancient artifacts from all over the archipelago, among others, which include collection is ancient statues, inscriptions, others ancient objects and craft items.
Source of collections were from archaeological excavations, grants from collectors and purchases. In this museum, a collection of ceramics and ethnographic collections are the largest and most comprehensive in the world. This museum is the first and largest museum in Southeast Asia.
Visiting
National Museum opened to visitors:
From 08.00 AM - 04.00 PM on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
From 08.00 AM - 05.00 PM on Saturday and Sunday.
The National Museum is closed to the public every Monday and the Great Day of National / Religious. Especially for Khasanah Emas Room, closed one hour before the museum closing time.
