Museum of Vietnamese History
Museum of Vietnamese History
4
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
This collection of historical treasures and artifacts is one of the few Vietnamese museums with helpful English explanations.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience Museum of Vietnamese History and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
4,949 within 3 miles
Attractions
275 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Mark GMaidstone, United Kingdom22 contributionsSuperb - best hour I spent while in SaigonSuperb. I didn't expect very much and could not have been more pleasantly surprised. An excellent size - not too big and not too small. Excellent English descriptions with many having QR codes for more info. A wonderful range of exhibits on Vietnamese history and culture which is very much focused on quality rather than quantity. Really conveys what a melting pot of cultures and conflict this region had been for over a thousand years. I spent about an hour here and it is probably the best hour I spent in Saigon. Highly recommended. P.S. I didn't manage to see the puppet show but currently out it's in at 10:30am and 2:30pm.Visited February 2023Traveled soloWritten February 27, 2023
- Renan204 contributionsThey made history easyAt last, a museum that displays everything chronologically. Bless them. It makes it very easy to go through the country history (it stops before modern era). There's a lot to read if you wish and a lot of descriptions and depictions about where the local tribes were located, and who fought who, when. However you can easily go through the museum and look at some nice artefacts.Visited April 2023Written April 12, 2023
- TaylaBrisbane, Australia26 contributionsVery interesting museum!Absolutely stunning museum. Such vast information on the history of vietnam dating back centuries. Not many places we went had as much detail/ artefacts and it was so interesting and great to see. The garden courtyard area was absolutely beautiful. They also do water puppet shows there, although we didn’t do this it looked great. Definitely recommendVisited July 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten July 17, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
934 reviews
Excellent
245
Very good
406
Average
233
Poor
37
Terrible
13
Theodore T
17 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
We arrived at the museum at 10am and was promptly ushered to the water puppet show which starts at 1030am. The entire puppet show was in Vietnamese apart from the intro so we could not understand the conversations that was ongoing. The biggest shock was that after the show at 1130am, we were promptly ushered out of the museum as they close at 1130am and reopens at 130am. So we paid for the museum and additional for the water puppet show but did not get to really see the exhibits nor understand what was going on during the show! So caveat emptor.
Written June 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tayla
Brisbane, Australia26 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Absolutely stunning museum. Such vast information on the history of vietnam dating back centuries. Not many places we went had as much detail/ artefacts and it was so interesting and great to see. The garden courtyard area was absolutely beautiful. They also do water puppet shows there, although we didn’t do this it looked great. Definitely recommend
Written July 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Romantic plac
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia20 contributions
Jan 2020
Comprehensively covers early Palaeolithic period onwards. Maybe better than Hanoi but I can’t say as they had there early period sections closed when I was there.
Actually reopens at 1:00pm now, contrary to what it says on Google. The girl at the zoo/gardens booth even thought it was 1:30.
Actually reopens at 1:00pm now, contrary to what it says on Google. The girl at the zoo/gardens booth even thought it was 1:30.
Written January 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Renan
204 contributions
Apr 2023
At last, a museum that displays everything chronologically. Bless them.
It makes it very easy to go through the country history (it stops before modern era). There's a lot to read if you wish and a lot of descriptions and depictions about where the local tribes were located, and who fought who, when.
However you can easily go through the museum and look at some nice artefacts.
It makes it very easy to go through the country history (it stops before modern era). There's a lot to read if you wish and a lot of descriptions and depictions about where the local tribes were located, and who fought who, when.
However you can easily go through the museum and look at some nice artefacts.
Written April 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jane E
Tadoussac, Canada21 contributions
Jan 2020
We visited this lovely museum which happens to be right beside the zoo. It covers Vietnam ancient history and you discover the place of many different sects of the Vietnamese. Lovely collections of antiquities
Written January 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emilie G
Montrouge, France1,605 contributions
Dec 2019
Good museum, quiet. Best to plan up to two hours to see it all. They are explanations in English. We fell like it gave us a fairly good overview of the history of Vietnam. Some parts could probably have been more detailed. Cheap entrance ticket.
Written January 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Giuseppe E
17 contributions
Oct 2021
A nice place to visit to learn about the history of Vietnam. Mostly the reason, effects and turnouts of the war. Use of biological weapons and its after effects. Great place to spend couple of hours
Written December 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina64,824 contributions
Nov 2018 • Friends
The museum houses a very good and interesting collection of relics, statues, and other historical artifacts. Much of the information is on the cultural background and history of Vietnam, its people, its wars, and dynasties. The collections are well organized, with most of the signage/descriptions available in English.
We got there about 11:15 am and were told that we would have to come back, as they are closed from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Fortunately, the museum is located adjacent to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, so we toured the zoo before coming back to see the museum.
We got there about 11:15 am and were told that we would have to come back, as they are closed from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Fortunately, the museum is located adjacent to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, so we toured the zoo before coming back to see the museum.
Written December 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vincent M
New Orleans, LA2,213 contributions
Oct 2014
I love history museums, so my rating of them tends to be higher than the average TA rating. Like many other museums in Vietnam, this one closes in midday, so I arrived promptly at 1330 and stayed until closing time. The museum has a wide range of remarkable collections, some of them quite unique. It does not have what I would call celebrity exhibits, by which I mean, items that are likely to amaze and delight the casual visitor: no T. rex skeletons or Hope diamonds. The closest it comes to one is the 150-year-old mummy of Tran Thi Hieu. While there were plenty of school children there when I visited, I suspect the average youngster would find the collections drier than the mummy. Me, I found plenty of exciting and interesting things here, including:
An extensive collection of Vietnamese Neolithic artifacts, so arranged that you can clearly trace the technical improvements in tool-making skills.
A very solid collection of Bronze Age items including a remarkable dagger and a set of ceremonial drums (see photo).
A series of exhibits with maps, and small dioramas, showing the many major glorious victories that the Vietnamese had over various and sundry evil invaders. There are political messages both in what is said and what is left unsaid in some cases. But it is a historic fact that Vietnam is the only country that the Mongols invaded three times, only to be defeated each time (not mentioned in the exhibits: Vietnamese jungle was horrific terrain for Mongolian cavalry tactics.). See photo of Ly Thuang Kiet's defeat of a Sung Dynasty invasion.
The collection of Cham sculptures here is rivaled only by that of the Da Nang Museum and the Cham bronzes here are the best collection in the world (see the photo of the bronze bodhisattva Quan The Am).
The collection of Oc Eo artifacts may also be the best in the world. Like the Champa kingdom, the Oc Eo culture is based on the Hindu religion and the statues of Vishnu and necklaces are particularly noteworthy.
The collection of Vietnamese ceramics is excellent, and clearly shows that Vietnamese ceramics were often translations of Chinese styles.
Because Vietnam was a trading entrepôt with resident trading communities from other countries, a large amount of luxury goods from other Asian countries wound up here, and one room displays such goods. They include four fine examples of Sung celadon (though they are not identified as either Sung or celadon, and a much later Manchu Sung-imitation vase is made the centerpiece of the case; see photo.)
In addition to the Cham and Oc Eo rooms, the museum has an extensive collection of artifacts from ethnic minorities, better I think than the similar ethnic minority exhibit in the Tokyo National Museum. Notably some of the cultural objects from the Malayo-Polynesian minorities clearly show their close relationship with the cultures of New Guinea and the Pacific Islands.
Vuong Hong Sen was a prominent 20th century collector of antiquities and pieces from his collection are shown in another of the museum's rooms. Vuong Hong Sen was a connaisseur whose collection extended beyond Vietnamese works: note the Picasso-esque low bowl painted by Jean Cocteau (yes, the film director; see photo).
Altogether a remarkable museum and an afternoon well spent. I highly recommend this, but with the caveat that while some history museums (for example the Amsterdam Maritime Museum) are great fun for the whole family, this museum isn't one of them. If you come with both an interest in, and fair knowledge of, history, you'll love it.
An extensive collection of Vietnamese Neolithic artifacts, so arranged that you can clearly trace the technical improvements in tool-making skills.
A very solid collection of Bronze Age items including a remarkable dagger and a set of ceremonial drums (see photo).
A series of exhibits with maps, and small dioramas, showing the many major glorious victories that the Vietnamese had over various and sundry evil invaders. There are political messages both in what is said and what is left unsaid in some cases. But it is a historic fact that Vietnam is the only country that the Mongols invaded three times, only to be defeated each time (not mentioned in the exhibits: Vietnamese jungle was horrific terrain for Mongolian cavalry tactics.). See photo of Ly Thuang Kiet's defeat of a Sung Dynasty invasion.
The collection of Cham sculptures here is rivaled only by that of the Da Nang Museum and the Cham bronzes here are the best collection in the world (see the photo of the bronze bodhisattva Quan The Am).
The collection of Oc Eo artifacts may also be the best in the world. Like the Champa kingdom, the Oc Eo culture is based on the Hindu religion and the statues of Vishnu and necklaces are particularly noteworthy.
The collection of Vietnamese ceramics is excellent, and clearly shows that Vietnamese ceramics were often translations of Chinese styles.
Because Vietnam was a trading entrepôt with resident trading communities from other countries, a large amount of luxury goods from other Asian countries wound up here, and one room displays such goods. They include four fine examples of Sung celadon (though they are not identified as either Sung or celadon, and a much later Manchu Sung-imitation vase is made the centerpiece of the case; see photo.)
In addition to the Cham and Oc Eo rooms, the museum has an extensive collection of artifacts from ethnic minorities, better I think than the similar ethnic minority exhibit in the Tokyo National Museum. Notably some of the cultural objects from the Malayo-Polynesian minorities clearly show their close relationship with the cultures of New Guinea and the Pacific Islands.
Vuong Hong Sen was a prominent 20th century collector of antiquities and pieces from his collection are shown in another of the museum's rooms. Vuong Hong Sen was a connaisseur whose collection extended beyond Vietnamese works: note the Picasso-esque low bowl painted by Jean Cocteau (yes, the film director; see photo).
Altogether a remarkable museum and an afternoon well spent. I highly recommend this, but with the caveat that while some history museums (for example the Amsterdam Maritime Museum) are great fun for the whole family, this museum isn't one of them. If you come with both an interest in, and fair knowledge of, history, you'll love it.
Written October 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
globeseeker007
globeseeker0073,295 contributions
This museum is located next to the zoo and close to the central area of the city. It has a lot of items from Vietnamese history and covers some of Vietnam's ethnic groups. There is something for everyone here. There are plenty of old vases and other ancient pieces of pottery as well as swords and old French rifles. In one room is located a huge statue of Buddah. Outside, in the courtyard, are no less than a dozen old cannon of various sizes. The largest are really, what I call, monster cannon. There is also a water puppet show but one has to pay extra in order to see this. Both the museum and show are worth the money and the time to see.
Written January 28, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hayley E
London, UK9 contributions
Hi,
I'm wanting to take my mum to Vietnam (and Cambodia) in November 2021 (Covid allowing) but I'm worried that I have too many museums on the itinerary that will all be very similar: I have the War Remnants Museum and the Museum of Vietnamese History in HCMC, and the Presidential Palace and Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi.
Are these museums super similar? And do they mainly focus on the Vietnam War or do they include Vietnamese history and culture both before and after? I don't like how Vietnam is mainly acknowledged for the Vietnam War :/
Thankssssss
Dhafne G
11 contributions
Cuanto cuesta la entrada al museo?
Cremeparmantier
Milan, Italy215 contributions
30.000 dong
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingMuseum of Vietnamese History - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Museum of Vietnamese History
- Hotels near Museum of Vietnamese History:
- (0.06 mi) Luxy Park Hotel and Apartments - Notre Dame
- (0.11 mi) 4 Roses Hotel
- (0.08 mi) AYA Homestay
- (0.18 mi) Somerset Ho Chi Minh City
- (0.12 mi) Bare Gallery Boutique Stays
- Restaurants near Museum of Vietnamese History:
- (0.01 mi) Urban Bbq
- (0.03 mi) Banh Nam
- (0.05 mi) Ocean Palace
- (0.08 mi) Tavola Original Italian Restaurant
- (0.10 mi) Kolkatta Indian Restaurant
Museum of Vietnamese History Information
Excellent Reviews | 245 |
|---|---|
Very Good Reviews | 406 |
Museum of Vietnamese History Photos | 701 |