Jakarta is home to historical buildings that contain various information about Indonesian cultures. 

Held from Sept. 7 to 8 at Fatahillah Square in Central Jakarta, an event titled Pagelaran Nilai Tradisi Sejarah Fatahillah (Fatahillah’s Values of Tradition and History Performance) saw five museums introducing their collections to the public. Entrance tickets cost the same at each of these museums: Rp 5,000 (36 US cents) for adults, Rp 3,000 for university students and Rp 2,000 for children. However, one should bear in mind that most museums in Jakarta are closed on Mondays.

The following are five affordable museums in the capital that you can explore according to kompas.com:

Jakarta History Museum

Popularly known as Fatahillah Museum, the Jakarta History Museum provides collections of the capital's long history from the prehistoric to the modern era. Located in West Jakarta, the museum displays different objects originating from the Dutch who had stayed in Batavia, the old name of Jakarta, since the 16^th century, such as furniture, artworks, weapons, ceramics, maps and books.

Textile Museum

The Textile Museum in Palmerah district in Central Jakarta displays different traditional fabrics, including handwoven fabric tenun ikat, ancient batik and songket alongside tools to produce them. The museum’s collections also come from collectors, designers and the public. At the museum, visitors can learn to draw batik patterns and bring home the fabric as a souvenir.

Shadow Puppet Museum

The Shadow Puppet Museum (Museum Wayang) exhibits a plethora of shadow puppets in Indonesia and tools that are used when staging them, such as gamelan and blencong (a traditional lamp used during a shadow puppet performance). Located in West Jakarta within walking distance of Fatahillah Square, the museum also displays dolls from other countries.

Read also: A night at Jakarta’s Maritime Museum

On weekends, the museum holds different types of shadow puppet performances, including leather shadow puppets (wayang kulit) and three-dimensional puppets (wayang golek). Other activities offered by the museum include learning to make puppets from coconut leaves and watching a 3D animated film about puppets.

Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum

Those who are interested in Indonesian arts in certain periods should come to the Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum in West Jakarta, as various paintings, sculptures and ceramics are on display at the venue. The museum also displays both traditional and modern pottery, including from the Majapahit kingdom era. If you happen to visit the museum, take time to join ceramic-making and painting classes.

Joeang 45 Museum

If you would like to find out more about Indonesia’s proclamation of independence and the figures who held important roles during the country’s struggle to attain independence, the Joeang 45 Museum in Menteng district, Central Jakarta, is a solid choice.

Aside from dioramas, photos and sculptures of Indonesian heroes, the museum also showcases presidential cars used by Indonesia’s first President Soekarno and Vice President Mohammad Hatta.

Different facilities are featured in the museum, such as existing and temporary exhibition areas, multimedia corner, a theater that airs historical documentaries and a library. (wir/wng)

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