7 Museums in Ho Chi Minh city You Should Visit
Visiting museums is a great opportunity for you to learn and discover the history, culture, and society of the local area. Ho Chi Minh City is the economic and tourism center of Vietnam and is home to many museums on various topics, such as war, history, fine arts, and traditional ao dai costumes. Below is a list of the best museums in Ho Chi Minh City that we would like to introduce for your visit.
Read more: Ho Chi Minh City Tour
War Remnants Museum
Address: 28 Vo Van Tan, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
The War Remnants Museum is a museum for peace and one of the famous historical and cultural destinations in Ho Chi Minh City. Established in 1975, the museum originated from an exhibition showcasing the American and French war crimes, with the purpose of preserving the memories of the wars and honoring the sacrifices of soldiers and civilians during those conflicts.
Read more: Phu Quoc, Vietnam: Places to Visit & Things to Know
The museum houses many exhibition rooms with over 15,000 artifacts, documents, and images depicting the evidence of the crimes and consequences of the wars that the invading forces inflicted upon Vietnam. It serves as a means of educating the public, especially the younger generation, about the spirit of struggle for the independence and freedom of the homeland, as well as promoting the consciousness of peace and the spirit of solidarity and friendship worldwide.
Read more: 12 Best Places to Visit in Vietnam
The architecture of the museum is inspired by military sites during the war, with stone walls, concrete floors, metal roofs, and small windows, creating a distinct and captivating space. Additionally, the museum uses sound and light effects to create impressive experiences for tourists, helping them to deeply understand the emotions of the Vietnamese people during the war.
Throughout its 48 years of establishment and development (1975 – 2023), the War Remnants Museum has welcomed over 23 million visitors from both domestic and international origins.
Ho Chi Minh City History Museum
Address: 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Operating Hours: The museum is open for visitors on all days of the week from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, except Mondays, with a lunch break from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
The Ho Chi Minh City History Museum is an architectural complex consisting of two buildings: the front building (built in 1927) and the rear building (built in 1970). Currently, the museum houses over 40,000 artifacts with diverse and precious collections originating from various countries and ethnic groups, featuring a wide range of materials and types. The collections introduce the history and culture of Vietnam from ancient times to 1945, as well as unique cultural aspects of provinces in the South and some countries in the Asian region.
Read more: Saigon – Half Day To Cu Chi Tunnels
Through the exhibition rooms, visitors can explore the history of Vietnamese feudal dynasties, the wars in Vietnam, the resistance against the French and the Americans, the August Revolution, the first National Assembly, the October Revolution in Russia, the process of renewal and integration of the country in recent years, and more.
Website: http://www.baotanglichsutphcm.com.vn
Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum
Address: 97A Pho Duc Chinh, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum covers an area of over 3,000 square meters and was established in 1987. It was built in the architectural style of late 19th century to early 20th century French architecture, with a harmonious combination of Eastern architectural elements in its exterior decoration, tiled roofs, ceramic columns, and ceramic decorations on the roof. The museum exhibits and preserves numerous artworks from Vietnamese and international painters, sculptors, and photographers, introducing a diverse collection of artistic works to the public.
Read more: Saigon – Mekong delta – Vinh Long – Cai Be
Currently, the museum houses more than 22,000 artifacts categorized into various collections, and it includes several exhibition rooms, such as the Vietnamese fine arts exhibition room, international art exhibition room, photography exhibition room, and art magazine exhibition room. The displayed artworks here range from medieval to modern times, encompassing diverse genres, styles, and materials.
Website: http://baotangmythuattphcm.com.vn
Museum of Southern Women
Address: 200-202 Vo Thi Sau Street, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
The Museum of Southern Women, established in 1985, focuses on introducing and preserving the cultural heritage of women in the Southern region of Vietnam, while also providing the public with information about the lives and cultures of women in this area.
The Museum of Southern Women has various collections, including clothing, jewelry, ceramics, bronze items, books, and photographs belonging to heroic Vietnamese mothers, female artists, writers, poets, journalists, and many other individuals who have made significant contributions to the culture and development of the Southern region.
Website: https://baotangphunu.com
Ho Chi Minh City Museum
Address: 65 Ly Tu Trong, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ho Chi Minh City Museum is an architectural work designed by French architect Alfred Foulhoux, built in 1885 and completed in 1890, covering an area of nearly 2 hectares. Initially, it was used to exhibit domestic products; however, after its completion, the museum changed ownership, purposes, and names multiple times. Subsequently, the building remained without a specific use until August 12, 1978, when the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee repurposed it as the Ho Chi Minh City Revolutionary Museum. On December 13, 1999, it was renamed as it is known today.
Read more: Saigon – Cu Chi Tunnels – Cao Dai Temple
The Ho Chi Minh City Museum mainly focuses on exhibiting and preserving historical, cultural, and artistic relics of the city. The museum possesses approximately 300,000 documents, artifacts, images, and materials.
Its collections cover various themes such as the city’s developmental history, ethnic cultures, architecture, and contemporary arts. Additionally, the museum hosts exhibitions and educational activities to help visitors gain a deeper understanding of the history and culture of Ho Chi Minh City.
Website: https://hcmc-museum.edu.vn
Ho Chi Minh Museum – Ho Chi Minh City Branch
Address: 1 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Ward 12, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ho Chi Minh Museum’s main location is at 19 Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh, Hanoi, while the Ho Chi Minh Museum branch in Ho Chi Minh City is a branch within the system of Ho Chi Minh’s museums and memorials throughout Vietnam. It showcases and introduces the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh, the distinctive features of Vietnamese culture, and important historical events of the country.
The museum has an exhibition area of over 4,000 square meters, comprising various exhibition sections. The exhibited artifacts here hold high historical, cultural, and artistic value, including paintings, sculptures, antiques, and documents related to President Ho Chi Minh.
Read more: Top 8 Floating Markets in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
One of the special exhibition areas of the museum is the room representing Ho Chi Minh’s workplace, fully equipped with objects and documents that record the days he lived and worked there. Additionally, the museum includes other areas such as the historical documents exhibition room, art exhibition room, and a large garden.
Website: http://www.baotanghochiminh-nr.vn
Ao Dai Museum
Address: 206/19/30 Long Thuan, Long Phuoc Ward, District 9, Thu Duc City.
The Ao Dai Museum is one of the two privately-owned museums in Ho Chi Minh City. It is a place where over 300 Ao Dai (traditional Vietnamese dresses) are displayed and preserved, while also introducing the history, tradition, and cultural values of the Vietnamese Ao Dai.
Established in 2014 by fashion designer Si Hoang, who is known as one of the most renowned Ao Dai designers in Vietnam, the museum features a spacious and cozy exhibition space adorned with unique and elegant works of art.
In addition to showcasing a diverse collection of Ao Dai in various styles and materials, the museum also organizes Ao Dai fashion shows, painting exhibitions, and presentations to introduce Vietnamese Ao Dai to visitors and culture enthusiasts.
Moreover, the designs strongly reflect the essence of the Vietnamese countryside with traditional rows of houses and serene colors reminiscent of nostalgia, making visitors feel like they are returning to a peaceful rural setting. Besides, the museum also provides services such as tailor-made Ao Dai, fashion and style consultations related to the Ao Dai.
Website: https://baotangaodai.com.vn
Conclusion
The museum is one of the places you should visit when you come to Ho Chi Minh City, each museum has a different theme and carries a different mission, but they all share a common purpose: to preserve and convey the historical and cultural values of the local heritage. With the list of 7 museums in Ho Chi Minh City that we have just mentioned, you will be able to experience and explore almost the entire history, culture, and people of Ho Chi Minh City throughout its formation and development up to the present day.
