T

ombstones, many in the form of large rectangle engraved stones and some decorated with classic statues, are arranged neatly under big trees inside the Taman Prasasti Museum on Jl. Tanah Abang I in Gambir, Central Jakarta.

Here in this museum cum Dutch cemetery, visitors will not find any fenced-off areas that prohibit them from getting close to the graves. Instead, they can freely observe, touch and take pictures of the old graves and statues.

Although the museum, the only outdoor one in Jakarta, offers an experience like no other, it has attracted less visitors than the other 11 museums operated by the city’s Tourism and Culture Agency.

Throughout September, according to data from the agency, only 804 people visited the museum, compared to 52,342
people who visited the Jakarta History Museum (Museum Sejarah Jakarta) in Kota Tua, West Java.

The agency also recorded that from January to September this year, a total of 6,385 people visited the museum in contrast to the Jakarta History Museum that welcomed 546,461 people during the same period.

Taman Prasasti Museum’s head of task force unit, Andri Laksana, said most people would visit the museum depending on weather conditions. If it is raining or sizzling hot, no visitors will come.

The stigma of being a spooky old cemetery also made some people reluctant to visit the museum.

“One day, a family was about to visit the museum. However, when they arrived at the entrance the mother realized that the museum was actually an old cemetery. She then insisted on going home without even looking at the collections,” Andri told The Jakarta Post recently.

He said the museum management could not do much to promote the museum except emphasize its calm and peaceful atmosphere.

“Where else can you find an outdoor and shady museum like this in the center of Jakarta? I guarantee people will not feel the eerie atmosphere once they enter and look around,” he added.

Fanny Cahyani, 25, said she visited the museum with her friends two months ago because they wanted to experience the fresh and calm atmosphere the museum has to offer.

“It was not as spooky as I imagined it would be,” said Fanny who lives in Karawaci, Tangerang, Banten.

Previously, Jakarta’s Tourism Agency head, Tinia Budiati, has called for a boost in the number of public events at tourist sites and museums in an effort to meet its Rp 26 billion (US$1.9 million) target revenue, according to beritajakarta.com.

She believed more events would increase the number of visitors to help the agency achieve its target revenue.

However, the agency’s destination and marketing unit head, Hari Wibowo, said it was hard to decide on the right event to be held at Taman Prasasti Museum, which is known by many as a graveyard.

“We want something that is sustainable, so people will keep coming to the museum regardless if there’s an event or not,” he said, adding that the agency had not earmarked an event for Taman Prasasti Museum yet.

He also added that the budget for events was reduced by up to 70 percent over the past two years. As a result, the agency cannot conduct many events to promote the museums in Jakarta this year.

Wahyu Satrio Utomo, 24, a resident of Bekasi, West Java, who visited Taman Prasasti Museum in June, said besides events, the agency could also promote the museum through social media.

“I am sure social media influencers can help to attract more people because it is a good place to take photos,” he said. (ecn)