Perak Museum
Photo: Taipingite · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Perak Museum in Taiping, Malaysia — the Perak Museum in Taiping, founded in 1883 on the initiative of the British Resident Sir Hugh Low, is Malaysia's oldest museum. Open daily, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Admission: RM2 for Malaysian adults; RM5 for foreign adults. Allow 1–1.5 hours.
Visitor information last reviewed 22 October 2026. Check the official museum site for current details.
Perak Museum at a glance: hours, tickets and time needed
| Opening hours | Daily: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Closed | on the first Monday of each month, the first two days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the first day of Hari Raya Aidiladha |
| Last entry | 4:30 PM |
| Admission | RM2 for Malaysian adults; RM5 for foreign adults |
| Free or reduced entry | Malaysian children 12 and under free · Malaysian secondary students in school uniform free · Foreign children under 6 free; foreign children 6–12 RM2 · Malaysian seniors and OKU RM1 · ICOM members free |
| Booking | Tickets usually available on the day |
| Time needed | 1–1.5 hours |
| Best time to visit | Any day at the 9:00 AM opening, before the heat builds. |
| Getting there | Bus: City buses run from Taiping bus terminal to the museum on Jalan Taming Sari, about 3 km from the town centre |
| Address | Jalan Taming Sari, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia |
| Official website | jmm.gov.my |
Checked 2026-10-22 against the official website. Prices and hours change — confirm before you travel.
What is Perak Museum known for?
The Perak Museum is Malaysia's oldest museum, and the Department of Museums Malaysia (JMM) describes it as one of the earliest in Southeast Asia. It was founded in 1883 on the initiative of Sir Hugh Low, British Resident of Perak, who wanted a centre for collecting and studying the history, culture and natural history of the Malay states. Low appointed Leonard Wray Jr, a botanist and geologist, to gather the first natural history and ethnological specimens and to serve as the first curator. Fund-raising by Low and Sir Frank Swettenham paid for the museum, which began in converted government offices while its own building went up.
The first block, with an office, a library and an exhibition hall, was only finished in 1886 because money ran short. A second hall followed in 1891–1893 and a two-storey wing in 1900–1903. JMM says an architect brought from England combined Moorish touches seen in Indian buildings with neo-classical and Victorian styles, and that from the air the plan forms an 'L', said to honour Leonard Wray. Bricks came from India and from Selama in Perak, crushed shells and egg white went into the lime mortar, and doors, floors and beams are of local cengal, meranti and merbau. The museum library dates from 1886.
Four main galleries hold the collection. Gallery A is used for temporary exhibitions. Gallery B, the natural history gallery, shows about 242 specimens in habitat dioramas and century-old display cases, including skeletons of an elephant, tiger, bear, horse and crocodile and what the museum calls the longest python skeleton in Asia. Gallery C covers Perak's cultural heritage: brass and silverwork, niello (cutam), gold-thread embroidery (tekatan), weaving, Perak Malay dress, traditional games, and Malay, Chinese and Indian weddings and festivals. Gallery D presents Orang Asli blowpipes, traps, masks and woodcarving alongside traditional pottery from across Malaysia, such as labu water jars and terenang.
The museum opens daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with last admission at 4:30 PM. JMM's leaflet says it closes on the first Monday of each month as well as for the first two days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the first day of Hari Raya Aidiladha. Malaysian adults pay RM2 and foreign adults RM5. In the grounds stand an Australian-built F-86 Avon Sabre jet of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, a British horse carriage, a railway coach, a steam boiler, the Long Jaafar cannon and an ancient slab grave. Facilities include a surau, car park, toilets, wheelchairs, a children's corner and a souvenir shop.
Best for: History Enthusiasts · Families · Budget Travellers
How long do you need at Perak Museum?
Allow 1–1.5 hours. A route through the four main galleries and the outdoor exhibits of the Perak Museum. Follow the stops in order:
- 1
Temporary exhibition
📍 Gallery A
See what is on in the special exhibition gallery before starting on the permanent collection.
- 2
Natural history
📍 Gallery B
Look for the elephant, crocodile and python skeletons and the habitat dioramas in their century-old cases.
- 3
Perak culture
📍 Gallery C
Find the niello (cutam) silverware, the tekatan embroidery and the Perak Malay costumes.
- 4
Orang Asli crafts and pottery
📍 Gallery D
Compare the blowpipe-dart containers and masks with the labu water jars and other traditional pottery.
- 5
Outdoor exhibits
📍 Museum grounds
Finish at the F-86 Sabre jet, the railway coach and the Long Jaafar cannon.
What are the must-see works at Perak Museum?
5 highlights that define the collection: Elephant skeleton, Python and crocodile skeletons, Niello (cutam) silverware and more.
Elephant skeleton
Natural history collection · among the museum's earliest specimens
📍 Gallery B (Natural History)
A complete elephant skeleton, one of the animal skeletons the museum counts among its earliest collections, displayed with tiger, bear and horse skeletons and habitat dioramas.
Python and crocodile skeletons
Natural history collection
📍 Gallery B (Natural History)
JMM singles out a crocodile skeleton and a python skeleton it describes as the longest in Asia as the main draws of the natural history gallery.
Niello (cutam) silverware
Gifts from Sir Frank Swettenham and from Siam under King Chulalongkorn
📍 Gallery C (Culture)
Pieces decorated by oxidising silver, copper and lead, which the museum says were personal gifts from Swettenham and from Siam during King Chulalongkorn's reign.
Orang Asli blowpipe-dart containers
Orang Asli craft · collected by curator I.H.N. Evans
📍 Gallery D (Orang Asli and Pottery)
Dart containers (tabung damak) from the early collection of the English curator I.H.N. Evans, shown with blowpipes, traps, masks and woodcarving.
F-86 Avon Sabre jet
Australian-built fighter · Royal Malaysian Air Force
📍 Outdoor exhibition
The jet stands in the grounds with a British horse carriage, a railway coach, a steam boiler, the Long Jaafar cannon and an ancient slab grave.
Collections and highlights
- • Natural history specimens, skeletons and habitat dioramas
- • Perak brass, silver and niello (cutam) metalwork
- • Tekatan embroidery, weaving and Perak Malay dress
- • Traditional games, weddings and festivals
- • Orang Asli crafts of the Proto-Malay, Senoi and Negrito peoples
- • Traditional Malaysian pottery such as labu, geluk and terenang
- • Outdoor exhibits including an F-86 Sabre jet and a railway coach
Tips for visiting Perak Museum
- 1.
Best time to visit
Any day at the 9:00 AM opening, before the heat builds. Avoid the first Monday of each month, when JMM's leaflet says the museum is closed, and the Hari Raya holidays. Last admission is 4:30 PM.
- 2.
Tickets & booking
Buy tickets at the counter on arrival: RM2 Malaysian adults, RM5 foreign adults. No booking is needed; guided tours can be requested by calling 05-807 2057 on weekdays.
- 3.
Accessibility
JMM lists wheelchairs among the museum's facilities. Galleries C and D are in a two-storey wing added in 1900–1903, so call 05-807 2057 to ask about access before visiting.
- 4.
Photography rules
No photography policy is published; follow any signs in the galleries, ask at the counter if unsure and avoid flash near old specimens and textiles.
How do you get to Perak Museum?
- bus City buses run from Taiping bus terminal to the museum on Jalan Taming Sari, about 3 km from the town centre
- taxi Taxi or Grab from Taiping bus station or Kamunting bus terminal
- car Follow the museum signs from the Taiping Utara or Changkat Jering exits of the PLUS expressway; there is a car park
Address: Jalan Taming Sari, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Sources we checked
Visitor facts and history on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown.
- Muzium Perak | Jabatan Muzium Malaysia — Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (Department of Museums Malaysia), checked 22 October 2026
- Perak Museum | Department of Museums Malaysia — Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (Department of Museums Malaysia), checked 22 October 2026
- Muzium Perak / Perak Museum (leaflet) — Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (Department of Museums Malaysia), checked 22 October 2026
- Waktu Operasi Muzium | Jabatan Muzium Malaysia — Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (Department of Museums Malaysia), checked 22 October 2026
- Perak Museum — Wikipedia, checked 22 October 2026
- Muzium Matang / Matang Museum (leaflet) — Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (Department of Museums Malaysia), checked 22 October 2026
Perak Museum: frequently asked questions
How much is the entrance fee for the Perak Museum?
The Department of Museums Malaysia (JMM) charges RM2 for Malaysian adults and children over 12, and RM1 for Malaysian senior citizens and disabled visitors (OKU). Malaysian children aged 12 and under and secondary pupils in school uniform enter free. Foreign adults pay RM5 and foreign children aged 6 to 12 pay RM2; under-6s and ICOM members are free. Tickets are sold at the counter.
Where is the Perak Museum and how do I get there?
The museum is on Jalan Taming Sari in Taiping, near Taiping Jail and about 3 km from the town centre, according to JMM. City buses and taxis run from Taiping bus terminal, and the museum's leaflet also suggests a taxi from Kamunting bus terminal. Drivers can follow museum signs from the Taiping Utara and Changkat Jering exits of the PLUS expressway; there is a car park.
How long should I spend at the Perak Museum?
Plan 1–1.5 hours for the highlights of Perak Museum. Our 5-stop route — Temporary exhibition, Natural history, Perak culture 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 Perak Museum?
In the natural history gallery, look for the elephant skeleton and the crocodile and python skeletons; the museum calls the python the longest in Asia. The culture gallery shows niello (cutam) silverware that the museum says came as gifts from Sir Frank Swettenham and from Siam under King Chulalongkorn. Gallery D holds Orang Asli blowpipe-dart containers collected by the early curator I.H.N. Evans.
Can I take photos inside the Perak Museum?
JMM does not publish a photography policy for the Perak Museum. Check for signs at the entrance and in each gallery, ask at the ticket counter if you are unsure, and avoid flash near the century-old natural history cases, textiles and embroidery. The outdoor exhibits and the white colonial facade can be photographed from the grounds.
Is the Perak Museum open every day?
It opens daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with last admission at 4:30 PM. JMM's leaflet for the museum says it closes on the first Monday of each month, on the first and second days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and on the first day of Hari Raya Aidiladha. The museum's web page lists only the Hari Raya closures, so call 05-807 2057 before a first-Monday visit.
What else is there to see near the Perak Museum?
The museum's leaflet points visitors to Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill), the Taiping Lake Gardens, Taiping Zoo and Night Safari, and the Perak Botanical Gardens. The Matang Museum at Kota Ngah Ibrahim, a free JMM museum in the 19th-century fort of the Larut chief Ngah Ibrahim, is about 10 km away and makes a good pairing on the same day.
Is Perak Museum open on Mondays?
Usually — Perak Museum opens every day, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, but it closes on the first Monday of each month, the first two days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the first day of Hari Raya Aidiladha. Check the official website before a Monday visit.
What are Perak Museum's opening hours?
Perak Museum is open daily, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, and closed on the first Monday of each month, the first two days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the first day of Hari Raya Aidiladha. Last entry: 4:30 PM. Hours can change for holidays and events, so check the official website before you go.
Is Perak Museum free to visit?
Not for everyone. Standard admission: RM2 for Malaysian adults; RM5 for foreign adults. Free or reduced entry: Malaysian children 12 and under free; Malaysian secondary students in school uniform free; Foreign children under 6 free; foreign children 6–12 RM2; Malaysian seniors and OKU RM1; ICOM members free.
