National Museum, Phnom Penh

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The national Museum of Arts is housed in an impressive building and displays sculptures, statues and artifacts from Cambodia's past. Has a central garden which is picturesque. Guides can be hired at the entrance.

Once I stepped into this museum, it really reminds me of the national museum in Jakarta including the artifacts and set-up. Entrance fees of USD3 gives you access to years and years of Khmer history, culture and art. I was particularly amazed by the amount of statues that they are able to find and preserve until this present day. Be prepared to spend at least 2 hours in this place even if you are not a history buff.

Open everyday from 8.00am till 5.00p.m.

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Housed in an airy, traditional style building finished in 1920, is the archaeological collection of the National Museum. The collection features Khmer artifacts including large statues of deities, pre-Angkorian pottery and Brahmanist stone phalluses called lingas.

The museum looks old and not well looked after, the inside garden is nice, but the exhibits aren't well exposed. I was a bit disappointed.

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When you should like to learn more about the history of Cambodia and the Kmer people, than a visit to the National Museum is extremely interesting. You will discover, that the Kmer Kingdom covered in the 12 and 13 century a great part of Vietnam and the actual Thailand.
Moreover you can admire splendid old Kmer stonecarvings, reminding you on Angkor Wat.
The interior court is beautifull arranged with trees, fountains and flowers.

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if you have time and haven't been to Angkor Wat, you may pay this museum a visit. it located at the north of Royal Palace. it house the world's finest collection of Khmer sculpture.

Admission fee: USD3
Opening hour: 8am - 5pm
**Photography is prohibited

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Plenty of Sculptures from the Angkor period. This museum has been brought back to life after the Khmer Rouge pretty much destroyed it. The building itself is worth looking at (no Grey buildings here). There is a lot of information about what happened to Cambodia's artifacts and the people who helped to get them back to the museum. There are also paintings from Cambodia's most famous artist and information on his life. Another victim of the Khmer Rouge. 3 Dollars entry and at least 5 opportunities to make a donation.

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The National Museum provides a good introduction to the Angkor Wat in Siem Reap as there were lots of sculptures which belong to Pre-Angkor and Angkor periods. Sculptures of Naga (serpent), Shiva, Apsaras (celestial beings) and other Hindu gods can be seen.

Entrance Fee - $ 3
Open 8 am- 5 pm
Camera and videos are allowed inside if you pay a certain amount. You can take a picture of the outer and inner courtyard without paying a fee.

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The National Museum is a wonderfully relaxing place, somehow secluded from the rush of modern-day Phnom Penh. However, the collection is really just that: a collection of Khmer art down the centuries in rather dusty cabinets and almost no explanations or displays save for the rather uninformative labels. There are several guidebooks to the museum on sale at the front desk, but even these are dry and require a lot of pre-existing knoweldge of South East Asian, Buddhist, Hindu and Khmer art.
There is a huge amount to see in each of the galleries surrounding the garden courtyard, and It is all massed together, so it's all rather intimidating and heavy going.

Despite this, the National Museum is very well worth-while and gives an overview of Khmer art - especially with regards to stone sculpture.

Entrance is US$3 with an additional US$1 for takng photographs (although in the cortyard only) and it is also worth contributing a few dollars to the collection box of HeritageWatch, the important Cambodian Cultural Heritage NGO.