Bali Museum
Closed for renovation
Closed to visitors from 10 August 2026 until the end of November 2026 while the palm-fibre (ijuk) roofs of the Buleleng, Tabanan and Karangasem buildings are replaced; the library, administration and research services remain open.
Photo: PHGCOM · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Bali Museum in Denpasar, Indonesia is currently closed: Closed to visitors from 10 August 2026 until the end of November 2026 while the palm-fibre (ijuk) roofs of the Buleleng, Tabanan and Karangasem buildings are replaced; the library, administration and research services remain open. World Museum Guide keeps its highlights and history here and will update visitor details when it reopens.
Visitor information last reviewed 22 October 2026. Check the official museum site for current details.
Is Bali Museum open?
| Status | Closed to visitors from 10 August 2026 until the end of November 2026 while the palm-fibre (ijuk) roofs of the Buleleng, Tabanan and Karangasem buildings are replaced; the library, administration and research services remain open. |
|---|---|
| Address | Jl. Mayor Wisnu No. 1, Dangin Puri, Denpasar Timur, Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia |
| Official website | instagram.com |
Checked 2026-10-22 against the official website. Prices and hours change — confirm before you travel.
What is Bali Museum known for?
Museum Bali is the oldest museum on the island. It began with the concern of W. F. J. Kroon, the Dutch assistant resident for South Bali, that Balinese antiquities were being shipped to the Netherlands after the puputan wars, and construction was set in motion in 1910. Kroon brought in the German architect Curt Grundler and two Balinese master builders (undagi), I Gusti Ketut Rai and I Gusti Ketut Gede Kandel, with backing from the rulers of Karangasem, Buleleng, Tabanan, Bangli, Negara and Badung. The museum opened to the public on 8 December 1932, and since regional autonomy in 2000 it has been run by the Bali provincial government through its culture office.
The complex deliberately mixes Bali's two great building types. Temple (pura) elements include roofs thatched with ijuk palm fibre and a bale kulkul drum tower; palace (puri) elements include a bale bengong pavilion and a bathing garden. The collection is arranged according to the Tri Mandala concept, and the pavilions are named after the kingdoms whose rulers helped pay for them: two-storey Gedung Timur, then Gedung Buleleng, Gedung Karangasem and Gedung Tabanan, the last two holding objects regarded as sacred. The museum stands on the east side of Puputan Badung square, near the site of the Denpasar royal palace destroyed during the Dutch intervention of 1906.
The museum holds 16,891 objects, including 7,801 coins, notes, tokens and medals, 2,765 works of fine art and 321 manuscripts, acquired from sources such as Dutch auction houses, the estate of the painter Walter Spies and excavations; displays follow a theme that changes every two years. The ground floor of Gedung Timur covers prehistory, with a replica Homo sapiens burial and stone sarcophagus from Gilimanuk, while the upper floor shows objects used in the five yadnya rituals, from priests' bells to a bade cremation tower. Gedung Buleleng traces money from barter to Chinese kepeng coins, Gedung Karangasem is devoted to the cili fertility figure, and Gedung Tabanan shows keris.
Museum Bali is currently being re-roofed: it closed to visitors on 10 August 2026 and is due to reopen at the end of November 2026, with only its library and research services open in the meantime. In normal operation it opens daily from 8 AM to 4:30 PM and closes on national public holidays; tickets cost Rp30,000 for domestic adults and Rp100,000 for foreign visitors. QR codes beside many objects link to short videos, and large groups are asked to book through the museum's Instagram account, @sahabatmuseumbali. The museum recorded 29,461 visitors in 2025, about a third of them students.
Best for: History Enthusiasts · First-timers · Architecture Enthusiasts
What are the must-see works at Bali Museum?
5 highlights that define the collection: Gilimanuk burial (replica), Bade (cremation tower), Cili fertility figures and more.
Gilimanuk burial (replica)
Prehistoric Bali · Gilimanuk site, Jembrana
📍 Gedung Timur, ground floor
A replica Homo sapiens skeleton with grave goods and a stone sarcophagus from the Gilimanuk site; the originals are kept at the Museum Manusia Purba Gilimanuk in western Bali.
Bade (cremation tower)
Balinese · ritual object
📍 Gedung Timur, upper floor
A tiered tower used to carry the body in a ngaben cremation, shown with priests' bells (genta) and other objects used in the five yadnya ceremonies.
Cili fertility figures
Balinese · ritual art
📍 Gedung Karangasem
A whole building is given over to the cili, the stylised image linked to the rice goddess Dewi Sri and regarded as a symbol of fertility and prosperity.
Kepeng and ritual coins
Chinese and Balinese coinage
📍 Gedung Buleleng
Holed Chinese-style kepeng coins and ritual money such as pis tapisan, pis jan and pis penyeneng, displayed in a history of exchange that begins with shells and barter.
Keris collection
Balinese · various periods
📍 Gedung Tabanan
Ceremonial daggers associated with royal heirlooms, including keris acquired from a Dutch auction house, displayed in the last room on the visitor route.
Collections and highlights
- • Prehistoric finds and replicas
- • Ritual objects of the five yadnya ceremonies
- • Kepeng and other coins, notes and medals
- • Cili and Dewi Sri imagery
- • Keris and sacred heirlooms
- • Traditional textiles, paintings and carvings
- • Lontar and other manuscripts
- • Colonial-era objects
Sources we checked
Visitor facts and history on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown.
- Museum Bali: Etalase Kebudayaan Pulau Dewata (9 August 2026) — detikBali, checked 22 October 2026
- Museum Bali Akan Tutup hingga November karena Direnovasi (6 August 2026) — detikBali, checked 22 October 2026
- Museum Bali, Destinasi Wisata Edukatif di Denpasar dan Program Bioskop Keliling (14 December 2025) — detikBali, checked 22 October 2026
- Aneka Cara Museum Menarik Generasi Muda (9 August 2026) — detikBali, checked 22 October 2026
- Mengenal Bali dari Museum Tertua — Dinas Pariwisata Kota Denpasar (Denpasar City Tourism Office), checked 22 October 2026
- Museum Bali — Wonderful Indonesia (Ministry of Tourism), checked 22 October 2026
- UPTD Museum Bali — Wonderful Indonesia (Ministry of Tourism), checked 22 October 2026
- Bali Museum — Wikipedia, checked 22 October 2026
Bali Museum: frequently asked questions
Is Bali Museum open now?
Not for visits. Museum Bali closed to visitors on 10 August 2026 while new palm-fibre roofs are fitted to the Buleleng, Tabanan and Karangasem buildings, a Rp5 billion project due to finish at the end of November 2026. The library, administration and research services stay open. Check the museum's Instagram account, @sahabatmuseumbali, for the confirmed reopening date before you travel.
How much is the entrance fee for Bali Museum?
Domestic adult visitors pay Rp30,000 and foreign visitors Rp100,000, according to the museum's figures reported in August 2026. University students pay Rp10,000, and school pupils and children Rp5,000. Small groups buy tickets at the entrance, while large groups are asked to book ahead through the museum's Instagram account. Older guides quoting Rp25,000 or less are out of date.
Where is Bali Museum and how do I get there?
The museum is at Jalan Mayor Wisnu No. 1 in Dangin Puri, central Denpasar, on the east side of Puputan Badung square and right beside Pura Jagatnatha temple. Most visitors arrive by Grab, Gojek or taxi; once you are at the square it is a short walk. The Bajra Sandhi Monument in Renon is roughly 2.5 km to the south-east.
How long should I spend at Bali Museum?
Allow 1 to 1.5 hours to walk through all four buildings: the two floors of Gedung Timur, then Gedung Buleleng, Gedung Karangasem and finally Gedung Tabanan, the last exhibition room. Add time if you scan the QR codes placed beside objects, which open short videos about their history, or if you hire a guide at the entrance.
What are the highlights of Bali Museum?
Look for the replica Gilimanuk burial with its stone sarcophagus in the prehistory gallery, the bade cremation tower among the ritual objects upstairs in Gedung Timur, the story of Chinese kepeng coins in Gedung Buleleng, the cili fertility figures in Gedung Karangasem and the keris collection in Gedung Tabanan. The pavilions themselves, combining temple and palace architecture, are a highlight too.
Can I take photos inside Bali Museum?
The museum publishes no rules on casual photography, and some objects are displayed in the open rather than behind glass, so be careful not to touch them. Pre-wedding and other photo sessions are charged separately — the national tourism portal lists Rp500,000 for a pre-wedding shoot — so ask at the ticket desk before using a tripod or staging a shoot.
Can I combine Bali Museum with other sights in Denpasar?
Yes. The museum stands on Puputan Badung square, scene of the 1906 puputan against the Dutch, next to Pura Jagatnatha, so the three are easily seen together on foot. Denpasar's tourism office includes the museum in its city tour, and the Bajra Sandhi Monument, whose dioramas continue the story of Balinese resistance, is a short ride away in Renon.
