Maritime Museum
Maritime Museum
3.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
These former Dutch East Indies warehouses contain objects related to seafaring and the spice trade.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
154 reviews
Excellent
21
Very good
59
Average
57
Poor
9
Terrible
8
Ashley K
Lapu Lapu, Philippines1,186 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
I was really looking forward to seeing the Maritime Museum, and when i got to the watch House tower, I was beginning to think that I had seen it ! But i was wrong, further down the road, there is the Fort / Warehouse and this is where the museum really starts.
But back to the Watch Tower, I got into the building and climbed up the stairs, onto the roof and then looked down at the views and could immediately understand that this was for the direction and warning of traffic coming along the canals, as well as an early warning to the inhabitants that an impending raid by Pirates or the British was imminent !
Being a yachtie, I understood what i was looking at, and yet is was a shame, that there were no tags / labels to say what they were. the rooms were dusty and dirty and the Bannisters needed wiping because they were covered with oil / Grease !
Down on the ground level, i went down the road and then went into the Fort / Warehouse, here lay the real treasures. Lots of boats, boat equipment and lots of notice boards which describe the maritime scene in Nusantara / indonesia for the last 1,500 years and more !
I have posted photos they speak better than my words.
But back to the Watch Tower, I got into the building and climbed up the stairs, onto the roof and then looked down at the views and could immediately understand that this was for the direction and warning of traffic coming along the canals, as well as an early warning to the inhabitants that an impending raid by Pirates or the British was imminent !
Being a yachtie, I understood what i was looking at, and yet is was a shame, that there were no tags / labels to say what they were. the rooms were dusty and dirty and the Bannisters needed wiping because they were covered with oil / Grease !
Down on the ground level, i went down the road and then went into the Fort / Warehouse, here lay the real treasures. Lots of boats, boat equipment and lots of notice boards which describe the maritime scene in Nusantara / indonesia for the last 1,500 years and more !
I have posted photos they speak better than my words.
Written October 21, 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.
James M
Ann Arbor, MI75 contributions
Nov 2018 • Solo
There are a lot of boats, both traditional and otherwise, on display here, but there are also broader displays. Don't miss the second floor, with dioramas showing the various cultures that have come to and influenced the culture of the archipelago—really gives a feel for the long and diverse history. The place is rebuilding after a fire, and some of the displays are still not complete, but check out the other buildings for some interesting repositories of stuff, including a collection of turtle shells. Not a fancy museum, and mostly not air-conditioned; you'll probably have the place to yourself. But very cool, especially if you like boats. Most text panels have English translations.
Written November 7, 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.
duncanmacster
Melbourne, Australia104 contributions
Jun 2015
The museum (entry IDR5,000 per person) is located in old spice warehouses dating back to the early 1700's, within walking distance of the harbour at Sunda Kelapa. The various warehouses are themed relative to boats, explorers, commerce etc. Again it is not really pitched at the Western tourist, so unless you can understand Bahasa one is at something of a disadvantage. One way around this is to have an English speaking (or other language guide) which are found casually on the streets, it seems.
The buildings alone are attractive and considering when they were constructed, suitably impressive.
The museum is in the vicinity of the local market. I would suggest that one avoids buying anything to eat there, but in the other stalls and shops some interesting curios are worth looking at, and taking home if you think you can get them past quarantine.
A worthwhile couple of hours.
The buildings alone are attractive and considering when they were constructed, suitably impressive.
The museum is in the vicinity of the local market. I would suggest that one avoids buying anything to eat there, but in the other stalls and shops some interesting curios are worth looking at, and taking home if you think you can get them past quarantine.
A worthwhile couple of hours.
Written July 4, 2015
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.
SV B
6 contributions
Feb 2022 • Couples
Really great experience visiting the Bahari Museum! There are 2 maritime museums in Jakarta — Museum Bahari & Museum Maritim. Do make sure to visit the Bahari Museum! It’s located in a historical place — where the Dutch East Indies company (VOC) used to operate. The museum is VERY big. There is a tower overlooking the Sunda Kelapa port (a very important port during the spice trade) and the main building.
The main building had many exhibits. There was a wax figure room of all the famous travelers that visited Indonesia, traditional boats, diorama etc. The explanation was well narrated and informative with English translations as well! It really helped us understand the history of Jakarta and Indonesia better.
Honestly speaking, the museum is not the most well maintained. However, given the low entrance fee and the lack of tourists and locals that go to historical museums in Jakarta, it’s understandable. You can really see that the museum is trying to revamp itself and, with the extremely cheap entrance fee, it’s definitely a MUST go when visiting Jakarta!
Recommend for people traveling with kids!
The main building had many exhibits. There was a wax figure room of all the famous travelers that visited Indonesia, traditional boats, diorama etc. The explanation was well narrated and informative with English translations as well! It really helped us understand the history of Jakarta and Indonesia better.
Honestly speaking, the museum is not the most well maintained. However, given the low entrance fee and the lack of tourists and locals that go to historical museums in Jakarta, it’s understandable. You can really see that the museum is trying to revamp itself and, with the extremely cheap entrance fee, it’s definitely a MUST go when visiting Jakarta!
Recommend for people traveling with kids!
Written February 16, 2022
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.
Maeve Peake
1 contribution
Jul 2019 • Couples
Skip this place. Firstly, there are better museums throughout Jakarta dealing with this subject. Secondly, beware of scammers who operate here. When we visited, an older man approached us as we arrived at the watchtower. He said he worked at the museum, and had done since 1987. He walked us to the museum entrance although we could easily find our way. When we bought our tickets, the older man appeared to be tolerated by the staff, although he wasn’t dressed in the same staff uniform (rather, he wore a distinctive bright orange shirt). He gave a cursory tour of the venue, rushing us through. He said nothing that wasn’t readily available on the museum boards. He bragged about being mentioned in Lonely Planet, yet an online search later showed he wasn’t mentioned in Lonely Planet. We refused his repeated efforts to go on a harbour tour. As we said our goodbyes outside the museum, I gave a tip to express our gratitude for his time. He stated the tip wasn’t enough, handing the note back. His warm manner was replaced with disgust. He told us the amount we should be paying. The awkward moment ended when we handed him a 100,000 rupiah note. This was far in excess of the entry fee, and much more than any other service provider we have yet encountered during our stay. It felt awful, we felt duped and taken advantage of — for the first time in this city.
Written July 20, 2019
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.
Idam007
Jakarta, Indonesia223 contributions
Aug 2014 • Business
The museum itself is nice and clean, I'm quite happy that our government keeps our historic buildings well. I like the diorama and read the explanations for each parts of the museum. Very good and very important for students to visit this museum.
Written June 27, 2015
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.
JJJamieson
Singapore, Singapore18 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
The building is wonderful, but the exhibits are poor to average. As a previous reviewer commented, Jakarta seems to be taking it's museums seriously but they are very much still in the early days of developing them. This is a truly wonderful location for a maritime museum as it's in an old VOC spice warehouse. The displays of boats are fine but need more information posted. The displays of mannequins is bizarre to see, it adds very little and the museum would be better without them.
If there was more on the history of the VOC it would have been much more appropriate and interesting, given the amazing location. As it is there's a lot of work needed.
We tried to visit the cafe but the staff ignored us for a few minutes as they were playing with a karaoke machine at the back of the room, after waiting for a while we left, I don't think they even noticed we were ever there.
The entry fee is quite cheap, 10,000 rupiah. It was worth this just to walk around the old warehouse. It's difficult to find though so a taxi or tuk tuk is recommended, make sure you write down the address.
If there was more on the history of the VOC it would have been much more appropriate and interesting, given the amazing location. As it is there's a lot of work needed.
We tried to visit the cafe but the staff ignored us for a few minutes as they were playing with a karaoke machine at the back of the room, after waiting for a while we left, I don't think they even noticed we were ever there.
The entry fee is quite cheap, 10,000 rupiah. It was worth this just to walk around the old warehouse. It's difficult to find though so a taxi or tuk tuk is recommended, make sure you write down the address.
Written March 27, 2015
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.
Melinda S
Istanbul, Türkiye86 contributions
Aug 2019 • Solo
This museum is left over of the Dutch colony, was build around 1652 - 1771. The Dutch east india company was using this for the warehouse all spices then delivery outside jakarta. The museum itself established about 1977. The architecture is still good condition, but on 2018 there is big fire and make almost destroyed the building, but they are fixing and rebuild again. Inside we can see the history about sailing boat from all around Indonesia, the famous one called „“pinisi boat“. Not only boat we can learn , but also all history about all sailors who ever came or just know about indonesia, such as marcopolo, Cheng ho, cornelis de houtman, and many more. Entrance ticket is 5k IDR, there are 2 part, first is tower which is the front part of the museum but the ticket is one for all museum. The location is near to old town jakarta, you can walk or by bus too if you want.
PS: Specially for foreigners, if they are offer you a guide tour, it is not really necessary i think, there are explanations inside. And be careful for the scammers.
PS: Specially for foreigners, if they are offer you a guide tour, it is not really necessary i think, there are explanations inside. And be careful for the scammers.
Written August 19, 2019
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.
Myo M
Coquitlam, Canada27,709 contributions
Sep 2017 • Solo
After going through the first floor with miniature ship models, "be sure" to go up to the second floor where you'll see just "plenty of" these life-sized wax figures of the famous maritime explorers & worldwide travelers such as Vasco de Gama, Marco Polo, James Cook, the Chinese admiral Cheng Ho, etc. (also in one room is the display in a small "fort-like" setting of the "national hero" Fatahillah who defeated the Portuguese in the 1500's and whose victory the city of Jakarta is named after); and the layout of the museum (on both floors) is just one room after another on like a "straight-line path" so you won't miss out any room, but yes you'll miss "a whole lot" if you don't go up to the second floor.
And after leaving, be sure to stop by the small tower (which is pretty much right beside this museum building) with a good view of the old port nearby (with a long row of wooden ships) from the top floor and some displays of navigational instruments & such at the bottom (not sure if it was like a "lighthouse" back then); you'll actually pass by it just before getting to this museum but you need the museum ticket to enter the grounds of that tower.
I would suggest a "full day" at the Old Town area starting with Museum Bank Indonesia (in a beautiful heritage building with displays of "old monies" & some wax figures like the ones at this museum as mentioned above but with the "banking theme") which is just across the street from Kota Bus Station (great for "souvenir shopping" below on like the basement level of the station); then head to Fatahillah Square (cross back the street after coming out of Museum Bank & just a short walk to the left to get to the south end of the Square) with the History Museum, Wayang Museum, shops & restaurants; then from the north side of the Square to this museum & the old port Pelabuhan Sunda Kelapa is a walk of 20 to 30 minutes (just about 20 minutes actually from the Square to the old port, and about another 10 minutes from the old port to this museum).
And after leaving, be sure to stop by the small tower (which is pretty much right beside this museum building) with a good view of the old port nearby (with a long row of wooden ships) from the top floor and some displays of navigational instruments & such at the bottom (not sure if it was like a "lighthouse" back then); you'll actually pass by it just before getting to this museum but you need the museum ticket to enter the grounds of that tower.
I would suggest a "full day" at the Old Town area starting with Museum Bank Indonesia (in a beautiful heritage building with displays of "old monies" & some wax figures like the ones at this museum as mentioned above but with the "banking theme") which is just across the street from Kota Bus Station (great for "souvenir shopping" below on like the basement level of the station); then head to Fatahillah Square (cross back the street after coming out of Museum Bank & just a short walk to the left to get to the south end of the Square) with the History Museum, Wayang Museum, shops & restaurants; then from the north side of the Square to this museum & the old port Pelabuhan Sunda Kelapa is a walk of 20 to 30 minutes (just about 20 minutes actually from the Square to the old port, and about another 10 minutes from the old port to this museum).
Written April 17, 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.
Afif Amrulloh
Jakarta, Indonesia73 contributions
Jan 2018 • Friends
A nice historic building, the collection is amazing and well maintained,m. You will see that Batavia is one of the most Harbour since years ago. This place is actually a hall to collect ‘rempah’ before being shipped.
If you are in this area dont forget to visit Menara Syahbandar, Galangan VOC and also Sunda Kelapa Harbour, all is close each other . It will be a worth visit, learn how Batavia (the old Jakarta) is one of the biggest harbour in Asia since 5 century. Many cool place to shoot a photo if you are interest in photography.
If you are in this area dont forget to visit Menara Syahbandar, Galangan VOC and also Sunda Kelapa Harbour, all is close each other . It will be a worth visit, learn how Batavia (the old Jakarta) is one of the biggest harbour in Asia since 5 century. Many cool place to shoot a photo if you are interest in photography.
Written February 5, 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.
Hello,
How much damage was done to the exhibits in the jan 2018 fire.
How much of the museum and exhibits has been restored. I would like to see the museum regardless, but would just like to know what to expect
Thank you
hrh
Written December 23, 2019
Untuk foto2 (kamera besar)memakai fasilitas sekitar museum, apakah memakai surat ijin? Thanks
Written November 7, 2019
Reny Oktavianti
Bekasi, Indonesia
How do I get there using public transportation? What price for entrance? Thanks
Written December 25, 2018
More info (in Indonesian): Google the words cara mencapai museum bahari
Written December 25, 2018
I don’t have the email but i do have the phone number
(021)6693406
Written December 22, 2017
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