Aceh Tsunami Museum
Banda Aceh · Indonesia · Founded 2009
Photo: Rachmat04 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Aceh Tsunami Museum in Banda Aceh, Indonesia — the Aceh Tsunami Museum in Banda Aceh is a memorial and disaster-education centre for the earthquake and tsunami of 26 December 2004, designed by the architect Ridwan Kamil and inaugurated in 2009. Open Saturday to Thursday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM; closed Fridays. Admission: Rp5,000 for adults and university students; Rp3,000 for children and school students; Rp20,000 for foreign visitors. Allow 1.5 hours.
Visitor information last reviewed 22 October 2026. Check the official museum site for current details.
Aceh Tsunami Museum at a glance: hours, tickets and time needed
| Opening hours | Saturday to Thursday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Closed | Fridays |
| Admission | Rp5,000 for adults and university students; Rp3,000 for children and school students; Rp20,000 for foreign visitors |
| Free or reduced entry | Children and school students: Rp3,000 |
| Booking | Tickets usually available on the day |
| Time needed | 1.5 hours |
| Best time to visit | Arrive at 9:00 AM on any day except Friday, when the museum is closed. |
| Getting there | Walk: About 11 minutes on foot from the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, beside Blang Padang field and the Kerkhof Peutjut cemetery |
| Address | Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda No. 3, Gampong Sukaramai, Baiturrahman, Banda Aceh 23116, Aceh, Indonesia |
| Official website | museumtsunami.acehprov.go.id |
Checked 2026-10-22 against the official website. Prices and hours change — confirm before you travel.
What is Aceh Tsunami Museum known for?
At 7:58 AM on 26 December 2004 a magnitude 9.3 earthquake set off tsunamis across the Indian Ocean. Aceh was the worst-hit region, and around 170,000 people died there. The Aceh Tsunami Museum was created as a memorial to the victims, a centre for disaster education and an emergency shelter. Its design, by the Bandung architect Ridwan Kamil, won an international competition held in 2007. The BRR NAD-Nias reconstruction agency paid for the building and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for planning and the collection. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated it in February 2009, and it opened to the public on 8 May 2011.
Kamil's concept, 'Rumoh Aceh as Escape Hill', combines the raised traditional Acehnese house with a man-made refuge. The four-storey building covers about 2,500 square metres; its curved walls carry geometric reliefs and images of Saman dancers, its roof takes the shape of a wave, and the rooftop is an open evacuation area. Visitors enter through a narrow, dim corridor between high walls of running water, filled with the roar of water and the call to prayer. It leads to the Well of Prayer — the chamber the museum calls The Light of God — a tall circular space whose walls carry the names of victims.
Beyond the memorial sequence, the ground floor displays objects recovered after the tsunami, including a helicopter, the front of a bus and an Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) truck. The second floor has an audio-visual room, a Japan Corner, a miniature Rumah Aceh, displays on the countries that helped Aceh and debris such as motorbikes, clocks and bicycles, while earlier displays have shown the PLTD Apung power ship that the wave carried inland to Punge Blang Cut. The third floor holds temporary exhibitions, a room on the Helsinki peace agreement, a replica of Ek Leuntie cave, the Smong Box seminar room and a library.
The museum opens Saturday to Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and closes on Fridays. Tickets cost Rp5,000 for adults, Rp3,000 for children and school students and Rp20,000 for foreign visitors, sold at the counter. School holidays bring big crowds: 52,397 people visited between 20 June and 5 July 2026, with a peak of 5,198 on 5 July. Temporary shows change through the year; 'The Wave', photographs of the disaster by Frans Dellian, opened in October 2026. Facilities include a lift, wheelchairs, a prayer room, a café and a souvenir shop, and Museum Aceh is a short walk away.
Best for: History Enthusiasts · First-timers · Architecture Enthusiasts
How long do you need at Aceh Tsunami Museum?
Allow 1.5 hours. The museum's four floors in order, from the memorial sequence on the ground floor to the rooftop evacuation area. Follow the stops in order:
- 1
Tsunami corridor and Memorial Hall
📍 Ground floor
Walk the dim corridor between the walls of water slowly; it is meant to recall the confusion of 26 December 2004.
- 2
Well of Prayer, corridor of confusion and Peace Bridge
📍 Ground floor
Look up inside the Well of Prayer, where the names of victims rise up the circular walls.
- 3
Relics, recovery and the Japan Corner
📍 Ground and second floors
See the helicopter and vehicles recovered after the tsunami, then the debris and the displays on the countries that helped Aceh.
- 4
Helsinki peace room and Ek Leuntie cave
📍 Third floor
Check the temporary exhibition here, then visit the peace room and the cave replica.
- 5
Rooftop evacuation area
📍 Fourth floor (roof)
Finish on the roof designed as a refuge if another tsunami strikes; there is also a rooftop café.
What are the must-see works at Aceh Tsunami Museum?
5 highlights that define the collection: Tsunami corridor (Lorong Tsunami), Well of Prayer (Sumur Doa) — The Light of God, Relics of the 2004 tsunami and more.
Tsunami corridor (Lorong Tsunami)
Ridwan Kamil · architecture, 2007–2009
📍 Ground floor
The narrow, dim entrance passage between high walls of running water, with the sound of rushing water and the call to prayer, designed to evoke the panic of the tsunami.
Well of Prayer (Sumur Doa) — The Light of God
Memorial chamber · names of the 2004 victims
📍 Ground floor
A tall circular chamber whose walls carry the names of people killed by the tsunami in Aceh — the emotional centre of the museum.
Relics of the 2004 tsunami
Objects recovered after 26 December 2004
📍 Ground floor
A helicopter, the front of a bus and an Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) truck, shown alongside debris such as motorbikes, clocks and bicycles on the floor above.
Helsinki peace room (Ruang Perdamaian MoU Helsinki)
Aceh's peace agreement · historical display
📍 Third floor
A room devoted to the Helsinki memorandum of understanding, linking the story of the disaster with Aceh's path to peace.
Window to the Past — Ek Leuntie cave replica
Replica · cave site in Aceh
📍 Third floor
A walk-in replica of Ek Leuntie cave presented as a 'window to the past' (Jendela Masa Lalu) on the third floor.
Collections and highlights
- • Objects recovered after the 2004 tsunami, including a helicopter and vehicles
- • Tsunami debris: motorbikes, clocks and bicycles
- • Memorial spaces with the names of victims
- • Earthquake and tsunami education and audio-visual displays
- • Japan Corner and displays on countries that helped Aceh
- • Helsinki peace agreement room
- • Temporary photography exhibitions
- • Library and Smong Box seminar room
Tips for visiting Aceh Tsunami Museum
- 1.
Best time to visit
Arrive at 9:00 AM on any day except Friday, when the museum is closed. School holidays and long weekends bring several thousand visitors a day, and hours are shorter during Ramadan, with closures over Eid al-Fitr.
- 2.
Tickets & booking
Buy tickets at the counter on arrival: Rp5,000 adults and university students, Rp3,000 children and school students, Rp20,000 foreign visitors. No advance booking is published for individual visitors.
- 3.
Accessibility
The museum lists a lift and wheelchairs among its facilities, with public toilets and a prayer room. The entrance corridor is dark, narrow and loud with running water, which some visitors may find distressing.
- 4.
Photography rules
No photography policy is published online; ask staff on arrival, avoid flash and be respectful in the memorial spaces where victims' names are displayed.
How do you get to Aceh Tsunami Museum?
- walk About 11 minutes on foot from the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, beside Blang Padang field and the Kerkhof Peutjut cemetery
- walk Museum Aceh on Jalan Sultan Mahmudsyah is less than 1 km to the east, so the two museums combine easily
- taxi Taxi or ride-hailing car to Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda No. 3, Banda Aceh
Address: Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda No. 3, Gampong Sukaramai, Baiturrahman, Banda Aceh 23116, Aceh, Indonesia
Sources we checked
Visitor facts and history on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown.
- Sejarah Museum Tsunami Aceh — UPTD Museum Tsunami Aceh (Aceh Culture and Tourism Office), checked 22 October 2026
- Museum Tsunami — site footer (HTM, address, telephone) — UPTD Museum Tsunami Aceh, checked 22 October 2026
- Fasilitas Museum Tsunami Aceh — UPTD Museum Tsunami Aceh, checked 22 October 2026
- Tetap Layani Edukasi, Museum Tsunami Aceh Sesuaikan Waktu Kunjung Selama Ramadan (18 February 2026) — UPTD Museum Tsunami Aceh, checked 22 October 2026
- Libur Idulfitri 1447 H, Museum Tsunami Aceh Tutup Sementara 18–22 Maret 2026 — UPTD Museum Tsunami Aceh, checked 22 October 2026
- Tembus 5.198 Orang Sehari, Puncak Kunjungan Museum Tsunami Aceh Terjadi Awal Juli (10 July 2026) — UPTD Museum Tsunami Aceh, checked 22 October 2026
- Rawat Memori Tsunami 2004, Museum Tsunami Aceh Luncurkan Pameran Foto Tematik (11 October 2026) — UPTD Museum Tsunami Aceh, checked 22 October 2026
- Tingkatkan Kesiapsiagaan Bencana, Ratusan Siswa SMK di Aceh Ikuti Pelatihan CPR dan Evakuasi di Museum (23 July 2026) — UPTD Museum Tsunami Aceh, checked 22 October 2026
- UPTD Museum Tsunami — national museum registry profile — Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, checked 22 October 2026
- Museum Tsunami Aceh — Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia (Wonderful Indonesia), checked 22 October 2026
- The Aceh Tsunami Museum — Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia (Wonderful Indonesia), checked 22 October 2026
- Museum Tsunami Aceh — Wikipedia (Bahasa Indonesia), checked 22 October 2026
- Museum Tsunami Aceh dikunjungi 23.394 wisatawan selama libur Lebaran (7 April 2025) — ANTARA, checked 22 October 2026
- Data Museum — registry listing (Museum Aceh and UPTD Museum Tsunami map points) — Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, checked 22 October 2026
Aceh Tsunami Museum: frequently asked questions
How much is the entrance fee for the Aceh Tsunami Museum?
Tickets cost Rp5,000 for adults and university students, Rp3,000 for children and school students, and Rp20,000 for foreign visitors. They are sold at the ticket counter on site during opening hours, and the museum says the fees go to the Aceh government's regional revenue. There is no online booking for individual visitors, so simply buy your ticket on arrival.
Is the Aceh Tsunami Museum open on Fridays?
No. The museum opens Saturday to Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and is closed every Friday. Hours change during Ramadan — in 2026 it opened 9:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:30–2:45 PM — and it closes for several days over Eid al-Fitr (18–22 March in 2026), so check the museum's website or social media before visiting around Islamic holidays.
Where is the Aceh Tsunami Museum and how do I get there?
The museum is on Jalan Sultan Iskandar Muda in central Banda Aceh, beside Blang Padang field and next to the Kerkhof Peutjut Dutch cemetery. The museum puts it about an 11-minute walk from the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, and Museum Aceh is less than a kilometre to the east, so the two are easy to combine. Taxis and ride-hailing cars can drop you at the entrance.
How long should I spend at the Aceh Tsunami Museum?
Plan 1.5 hours for the highlights of Aceh Tsunami Museum. Our 5-stop route — Tsunami corridor and Memorial Hall, Well of Prayer, corridor of confusion and Peace Bridge, Relics, recovery and the Japan Corner and more — is designed to fit that time. Add extra time for temporary exhibitions, the shop and the café.
What are the highlights of the Aceh Tsunami Museum?
Most visitors remember the entrance corridor between high walls of running water and the Well of Prayer, the tall circular chamber the museum calls The Light of God, whose walls carry the names of victims. Other highlights are the helicopter, bus and Indonesian Red Cross truck recovered after the tsunami, a room on the Helsinki peace agreement and a replica of Ek Leuntie cave.
Can I take photos inside the Aceh Tsunami Museum?
The museum does not publish a photography policy online, so ask staff at the entrance about any restricted rooms. Keep your flash off near photographs and documents, and be discreet in the memorial spaces — above all the Well of Prayer, where the names of the 2004 victims are displayed and other visitors may be quietly reflecting or praying.
Why is the museum building designed as an escape hill?
Ridwan Kamil's competition-winning concept, 'Rumoh Aceh as Escape Hill', combines the raised traditional Acehnese house with a man-made refuge. The building was designed as a vertical evacuation site: its roof is an open area where people can shelter if another tsunami strikes Banda Aceh. The museum still runs disaster-preparedness training for students alongside its memorial role.
What are Aceh Tsunami Museum's opening hours?
Aceh Tsunami Museum is open Saturday to Thursday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, and closed Fridays. Hours can change for holidays and events, so check the official website before you go.
Is Aceh Tsunami Museum free to visit?
Not for everyone. Standard admission: Rp5,000 for adults and university students; Rp3,000 for children and school students; Rp20,000 for foreign visitors. Free or reduced entry: Children and school students: Rp3,000.
