Middle East
Saudi Arabia
Riyadh Province
Riyadh
Things to Do in Riyadh
National Museum
See all things to do

National Museum

See all things to do
See all things to do
National Museum
4.5
700 reviews
#5 of 94 things to do in Riyadh
Speciality Museums
Read more
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday
1:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Write a review
About
The history of Islam is the major focus of this museum, which consists of 10 galleries, courtyards and a section that houses fancy cars and other belongings of the founding king of Saudi Arabia.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience National Museum and nearby attractions

The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
165 within 3 miles
Beit Omar
1
0.3 miArabic
Fly Cafe
7
0.3 miCafe
Cusina
11
0.4 miFilipino • Asian
Mohammed saif uddin
1
0.5 miIndian
Al Nakheel
6
0.7 mi$$ - $$$
Eleven A
3
0.7 mi
Scaramouche lounge
5
0.8 mi$$$$ • Italian • French • International
Lunchbox Restaurant
16
0.7 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Halal
El Tajen El Masry
1.1 miFast Food • Mediterranean • Barbecue • Grill
Paragon
67
1.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Indian • Asian • Vegetarian Friendly
See all
Attractions
34 within 6 miles
Murabba Palace
2
0.1 miHistory Museums
King Abdulaziz Historical Center
144
0.2 miSpeciality Museums
حديقة الوطن
1
0.2 miAmusement & Theme Parks • Water Parks
King Abdullah Park
305
2.1 miParks
Al Rajhi Grand Mosque
322
Religious Sites
Al Faisaliyah Centre
661
Architectural Buildings • Observation Decks & Towers
Salam Park
163
1.9 miParks
Kingdom Centre Tower
1,878
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings
Al Masmak Palace Museum
8
1.2 miHistory Museums
Riyadh Avenue Mall
3
1.1 miShopping Malls
See all
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
700 reviews
Excellent
359
Very good
278
Average
49
Poor
9
Terrible
5
Masood K
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania1,441 contributions
Clean & Crisp
Feb 2022
I say clean, because it is very well kept museum and crisp, because they have marked the floor with arrows, so a visitor knows how to move around in the museum and see everything, without missing out on any thing.

It really educates the visitor with regard to Arabian History and Islamic history, with some original artifacts, that takes you back in time.

Once should visit this museum to get an insight into the Arabian culture, clothing, lifestyle, etc.

One of the interesting aspect is indulging visitors into trying their hands on water colour painting, by giving an empty paper cup to paint with paints provided by the museum. An excellent Idea.

Keep it Up
Written March 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Samim Khan
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia10 contributions
Incredible Plave To Know Tradition & Culture
May 2019
The Museum displays the yesterday of Saudi Arabia.
The Architecture, The Villages, The Locals life before industrialization.
It also informs about the material (Composites) found in Saudi Arabia.
We visited around evening time and it is open until late evening not like other Museums closing early.
Here you can watch small clips of the country's history.
Written April 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Irshad Ismail
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia60 contributions
National Museum is a Wonderful Experience
Sep 2021
During my 3 decades of living in Riyadh, this is my second trip to the national museum of Riyadh. Though my first visit was around 15 years ago, now things have improved very much. The reception was courteous and guided through the pace with a booklet. Entrance is free. Nice, clean and specious. A large meteorite found in the empty quarter of the Saudi Arabian desert is displayed at the entrance.
Museum exhibits everything from culture, art and from Stone Age to replicas of the buildings, artifacts of all kinds. Can explore Arabian prehistory in all levels from pre-Islamic era. A good 3-4 hours is sufficient. Open on Fridays from 4 to 11 P.M. Other days check before you arrive. Being weekend only a handful of people so you take your own time to go through and read each artifact. Islamic culture is displayed on the second floor. Outside the fortress is also worth exploring. Plenty of parking and space for the children. Overall a very good environment. Everyone must visit at least once if you are in town.
Written September 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sarah W
United Kingdom5 contributions
Lovely little museum
Feb 2022 • Family
Free museum. We had a few issues finding the entrance (it's off the park with water running through it, not at the front of the building).

The good stuff - inside is a lovely little museum with welcoming staff. Well laid out with downstairs being the land and human development of the Arabian peninsula over millennia. I loved this area. Upstairs covers Islam, Saudi and the Saud family. Most information was in Arabic and English.

Could be improved - Sadly no cafe for lunch (maybe due to Covid). I would have enjoyed seeing some Arabian artworks, more physical exhibits in each area, and a deeper dive into some areas (eg meanings of stone carvings).
Written February 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Bob A
Stockport, UK429 contributions
Interesting Museum. Super quiet and enjoyable
Jan 2020
I visited here alone whilst I was visiting the city.

Arriving middle afternoon, the place was deserted. I bought an entrance ticket at the desk and left my bag with the concierge, then began my visit.

There is a path you can follow on the floor to take you through a series of galleries in this modern building. They cover everything from the flora and fauna of the region through to the history of man through a series of both exhibitions and inter active installations. I thought it ewas quite good and as the place is so devoid of visitors I got to see everything at my own pace. Much of the text is in both English and Arabic.

Later in the museum there are some cultural exhibits before a final piece about Islam.

I found the whole place really interesting and well worth visiting and I would highly recommend it. It's split over two levels with stairs and lifts to help you get around.

Don't expect much from the staff, there are hardly any there. There are clean toilets and vending machines for some snacks and drinks.

Combine a visit here with a visit to the gardens outside and the park at the back.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Natali Kupetska
Ottawa, Canada130 contributions
I loved the place
Jan 2020 • Solo
I love museums like it. Where you can listen to story, watching some historical episodes. The museum is huge and very knowledgeable for tourists who doesn’t know a lot of KSA it’s a good place to start discovering it. Historical district around is so ethnic and beautiful, hanging around can take a half of the day. But it’s definitely worthy.
Written April 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Alan Joyce
12 contributions
Full of History
Nov 2021
I visited this the last time I was in Riyadh. It is a brilliant museum charting the history of the country and also how it developed its oil production. The museum is large and spacious with lots of attractions and things to see. Its very clean and elegant. You can definitely spend 2-3 hours there.
Written October 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
WMBandit
Shanghai, China2,026 contributions
Good attraction
Jan 2020
Good attraction to learn about the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Spacious, informative and close to Masmak Fortress, the National Museum is divided into many halls in chronological order which gives visitors a walk through history from ancient times to now. Friednly staff and nice layout. Information pamphlet would be great for the future.
Written February 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Bashar Salman
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia47 contributions
Saudi Arabia History
Jan 2020
Entrance fee is only 10 riyals. Receptionist was gracious and welcoming, lots of interesting stuff about Saudi Arabia history and The museum is well organize and easy to go around.
Beautiful park inside and huge place to walk around and relax.
Written January 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
raj b
Bharuch, India160 contributions
National Museum
Oct 2019
Beautifully set exhibition with lots of information. Many interesting things to see -- in fact one should bring more time than I did to visit this museum. It was a pity that most of the videos were in Arabic only. We were part of a conference, so a meal was arranged after the visit: really good local food!
Written February 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 539
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing

National Museum (Riyadh) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about National Museum
National Museum is open:
  • Mon - Wed 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
  • Thu - Thu 9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
  • Fri - Fri 1:00 PM - 11:00 PM
  • Sat - Sat 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking National Museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 9 National Museum tours on Tripadvisor