The National Museum of Cambodia

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Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia boasts an exotic blend of the old and the new, the past and the present. The National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh offers the tourists with a gateway to explore the bygone days of the region. It is Cambodia’s leading historical and archaeological museum – and this makes it a must inclusion in your itinerary.

The National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh houses the world’s largest collection of Khmer art. The museum was built in 1917–20 by the French colonial authorities in a traditional Khmer style, with French influence. A one in a kind structure that you won’t find a replica of in this world.

Tourist Info:

• The museum is open from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm (Seven days a week)


• The entry fee is $3.00.


• Taking photos in the inner courtyard costs $1.00.


• Taking photos inside the museum is not allowed.


• Tour guides are available in English, French, Japanese, Khmer, and Vietnamese for a fee of $5.00.


• Tourist guide books are available for $3.00.


• The exhibits are labeled in Khmer, English, and French.

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Did you know?

Until recently, the museum was also home to a large colony of Cambodian freetail bats, which lived in the rafters. However, they moved out after renovations to the roof and ceilings in March 2002.

The architectural style of the National Museum has sculptures, which date from both the Angkorean and pre-Angkorean eras. The museum is beautifully housed in a terra-cotta roofed structure of customary Cambodian design that was built between 1917 and 1920.

According to Hab Touch, the director of the museum, the national museum in Phnom Penh is the world’s largest exhibit of ancient Khmer artifacts. There are 12,320 more pieces in the museum basement, waiting to be categorized and exhibited.

The national museum is divided into several categories, which includes stone, bronze, prehistoric items, wood sculptures, ceramics and ethnographic objects from the prehistoric, pre-Angkor, Angkor and post-Angkor periods.

There are many significant examples of Buddhist images found on display. The collection of Buddhist statues from Vat Romlok and Angkor Borei are the most important representations in the history of Khmer Buddhist art.

Theft of the Cambodian Heritage:

According to Heritage Watch, approx. $20 million of the nation’s heritage has been traded since 1988. At least 90% of the material sold on the antiquities market is illegally acquired. Approx $1 million worth of Khmer antiquities is traded through one auction house per year. Heritage Watch has begun a national radio and TV campaign targeting both those who loot and buy these antiquities. Heritage Watch has also published children’s books and a comic book on the heritage theft. They have organized grass-roots training sessions in rural villages and established a national hot-line to report these thefts.

Visiting the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom is an experience that will take you years back in time….

Come and discover the Glorious Past of Cambodia!

Video Section : 

Overview of The National Museum

Interior of The National Museum