People's Museum Melaka
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
People's Museum Melaka in Melaka, Malaysia — the People's Museum (Muzium Rakyat) fills a three-storey former municipal office on Jalan Kota in Melaka's old town with three museums on one ticket: Melaka's development and community story, the Kite Museum and the Beauty Museum. Open Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM; closed Mondays. Admission: RM5 for Malaysian adults; RM10 for foreign adults; RM3 for Malaysian children; RM5 for foreign children (one ticket covers the People's Museum, Kite Museum and Beauty Museum). Allow 1–1.5 hours.
Visitor information last reviewed 22 October 2026. Check the official museum site for current details.
People's Museum Melaka at a glance: hours, tickets and time needed
| Opening hours | Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM |
|---|---|
| Closed | Mondays |
| Last entry | 4:30 PM |
| Admission | RM5 for Malaysian adults; RM10 for foreign adults; RM3 for Malaysian children; RM5 for foreign children (one ticket covers the People's Museum, Kite Museum and Beauty Museum) |
| Booking | Tickets usually available on the day |
| Time needed | 1–1.5 hours |
| Best time to visit | Tuesday to Sunday; as an indoor museum it works well in the heat of the afternoon or during a downpour. |
| Getting there | Walk: On Jalan Kota, about 200 metres from the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum and a short walk from Dutch Square and the Stadthuys |
| Address | Muzium Rakyat, Jalan Kota, Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia |
| Official website | perzim.gov.my |
Checked 2026-10-22 against the official website. Prices and hours change — confirm before you travel.
What is People's Museum Melaka known for?
The People's Museum occupies a three-storey building on Jalan Kota that once housed the administrative offices of the Melaka Tengah Municipal Council (MPMT). Wikipedia notes that the building dates from the 1960s and is believed to stand on the ruins of a Dutch-era structure. PERZIM opened the People's Museum on 15 April 1992, the same day as the History and Ethnography Museum in the Stadthuys, and later added two more museums on the upper floors: the Kite Museum (Muzium Layang-Layang), opened by the Chief Minister in conjunction with a regional seminar on Malay customs, and, in 1996, the Beauty Museum (Muzium Kecantikan).
The People's Museum itself records Melaka's development and the achievements of its people. Wikipedia describes three sections, a Sports Gallery, a Community Gallery and a UNESCO section. PERZIM lists several smaller galleries in the building: galleries devoted to two Melaka public figures, Tan Sri Aziz Tapa and Datuk Wira Borhan Md Yaman, a 3D Gallery and a Eurasian Gallery on the community of that name. The forecourt is part of Taman Bunga Merdeka, a park laid out by the British in 1953 to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, where Wikipedia lists a transport display with an aircraft and a diesel locomotive.
The Kite Museum on the second floor explains how kites have been used for communication, as weapons, in sport and for leisure, how different countries build them and which materials they use. It also includes a gallery on the wau, the traditional Malay kite, and displays on traditional games and top spinning. The Beauty Museum on the top floor looks at how ideas of beauty have changed from ancient to modern times and differ between cultures, with sections on tattooing, lip plates, tooth filing, scarification, head shaping and foot binding.
Like other PERZIM museums, the building opens Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, with last entry at 4:30 PM, and closes on Mondays. A single ticket covers all three museums: RM5 for Malaysian adults and RM10 for foreign adults, with children at RM3 and RM5, half the adult price of PERZIM's larger museums. The museum is on Jalan Kota, roughly 200 metres from the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum and close to Dutch Square, so it fits easily into a day in the old town, including a hot or wet afternoon.
Best for: Families · Budget Travellers · Rainy-day visits
What are the must-see works at People's Museum Melaka?
4 highlights that define the collection: Kite Museum (Muzium Layang-Layang), Beauty Museum (Muzium Kecantikan), Twin Pioneer aircraft 'Lang Rajawali' and more.
Kite Museum (Muzium Layang-Layang)
Kites from Malaysia and other countries
📍 Second floor
Displays on kites as tools of communication, weapons, sport and leisure, with a gallery on the Malay wau and sections on traditional games and top spinning.
Beauty Museum (Muzium Kecantikan)
Beauty practices across cultures · opened 1996
📍 Third floor
A comparative look at beauty ideals from ancient to modern times, from tattooing and tooth filing to lip plates, head shaping and foot binding.
Twin Pioneer aircraft 'Lang Rajawali'
Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer CC Mk 1
📍 Transport display, forecourt
The propeller aircraft that Wikipedia records as the first acquired by the Royal Malayan Air Force, shown with a diesel locomotive built in Japan in 1965.
Eurasian Gallery
Melaka's Eurasian community
One of the smaller galleries PERZIM lists in the building, alongside a 3D Gallery and galleries on Tan Sri Aziz Tapa and Datuk Wira Borhan Md Yaman.
Collections and highlights
- • Melaka's development and community history
- • Sports Gallery
- • Kites and the Malay wau
- • Traditional games and top spinning
- • Beauty practices across cultures
- • Eurasian Gallery and 3D Gallery
- • Transport display with aircraft and locomotive
Tips for visiting People's Museum Melaka
- 1.
Best time to visit
Tuesday to Sunday; as an indoor museum it works well in the heat of the afternoon or during a downpour. Closed Mondays; last entry 4:30 PM.
- 2.
Tickets & booking
Pay at the museum: RM5 Malaysian / RM10 foreign adults, RM3 / RM5 children, covering all three museums. Groups can ask for a guided tour by contacting the museum with the date, time and group size.
- 3.
Accessibility
No accessibility information is published. The three museums are on separate floors of a former office building, so contact PERZIM (+606 333 3333) to ask about lift access before visiting.
- 4.
Photography rules
No photography policy is published online; look for signs on each floor or ask staff, and avoid flash.
How do you get to People's Museum Melaka?
- walk On Jalan Kota, about 200 metres from the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum and a short walk from Dutch Square and the Stadthuys
- taxi Grab or taxi from Melaka Sentral, the city's main bus terminal, to Muzium Rakyat on Jalan Kota
Address: Muzium Rakyat, Jalan Kota, Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia
Sources we checked
Visitor facts and history on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown.
- Harga Tiket — Perbadanan Muzium Melaka (PERZIM), checked 22 October 2026
- Muzium & Galeri — Perbadanan Muzium Melaka (PERZIM), checked 22 October 2026
- Kronologi — Perbadanan Muzium Melaka (PERZIM), checked 22 October 2026
- Soalan Lazim — Perbadanan Muzium Melaka (PERZIM), checked 22 October 2026
- People's Museum — Wikipedia, checked 22 October 2026
- Kite Museum (Malacca) — Wikipedia, checked 22 October 2026
- Beauty Museum — Wikipedia, checked 22 October 2026
- Muzium Rakyat — OpenStreetMap, checked 22 October 2026
People's Museum Melaka: frequently asked questions
How much is the entrance fee for the People's Museum in Melaka?
One PERZIM ticket covers the People's Museum, the Kite Museum and the Beauty Museum in the same building. It costs RM5 for Malaysian adults and RM10 for foreign adults; children pay RM3 if Malaysian and RM5 if not. That is half the adult price of PERZIM's Stadthuys, Maritime Museum and Sultanate Palace tickets, which charge RM10 and RM20.
Where is the People's Museum and how do I get there?
The museum is on Jalan Kota in Bandar Hilir, Melaka's old town, in a three-storey former municipal office whose forecourt forms part of the Taman Bunga Merdeka park. It is roughly 200 metres from the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum and a short walk from Dutch Square and the Stadthuys. From Melaka Sentral, the city's main bus terminal, take a Grab or taxi.
How long should I spend at the People's Museum?
Plan 1–1.5 hours for the highlights of People's Museum Melaka. Add extra time for temporary exhibitions, the shop and the café.
What are the highlights of the People's Museum?
Most visitors come for the two upstairs museums. The Kite Museum covers kites as signals, weapons, sport and play, with a gallery on the Malay wau and displays on traditional games and top spinning. The Beauty Museum compares beauty practices such as tattooing, tooth filing, lip plates and foot binding. Downstairs, look for the Eurasian Gallery, and outside for the transport display.
Can I take photos inside the People's Museum?
PERZIM does not publish a photography policy on its website. Check for signs on each floor or ask staff before photographing exhibits, and avoid flash near textiles and old photographs. The building's forecourt and the Taman Bunga Merdeka park outside are public spaces and can be photographed from the street.
What is the difference between the People's Museum, the Kite Museum and the Beauty Museum?
They are three PERZIM museums stacked in one building on Jalan Kota. The People's Museum, opened on 15 April 1992, is on the first level; the Kite Museum is on the second; and the Beauty Museum, opened in 1996, is on the third. PERZIM sells them on a single ticket, so you can see all three in one visit.
Is People's Museum Melaka open on Mondays?
No — People's Museum Melaka is closed every Monday. It is open Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM. Plan a different museum for that day, and check the official website for holiday changes.
What are People's Museum Melaka's opening hours?
People's Museum Melaka is open Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM, and closed Mondays. Last entry: 4:30 PM. Hours can change for holidays and events, so check the official website before you go.
Is People's Museum Melaka free to visit?
No — standard admission is RM5 for Malaysian adults; RM10 for foreign adults; RM3 for Malaysian children; RM5 for foreign children (one ticket covers the People's Museum, Kite Museum and Beauty Museum).
