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National Museum

National Museum

National Museum
4
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
This beautiful sandstone museum was opened in 1920 and showcases many fine examples of Angkor Wat statuary.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • KNBD
    London, United Kingdom205 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    All the statuary you may have missed out at the field sites
    Laid out more or less chronologically, the museum allows a good overview of the development of Khmer styles from Brahiminic through to Buddhist and starting around 300AD to modern. The pre-Angkhorian statuary is particularly fine and it is good to be able to compare similar votive statuary as it evolves through the millennia and into the modern era. My view was that the earliest was best as it is lighter and more fluid and lifelike. There are items here which were taken from the original locations elsewhere, including from Ankhor Wat and they are better examples than those left in-situ at the sites in the field. The architecture of the museum is lovely and stylish but watch out for the staff - they will attempt to keep some of the change for your entry fee.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 2 November 2023
  • Ana-Maria B
    Cluj-Napoca, Romania1,388 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressive artwork
    A beautiful building filled with treasures. The pieces inside are truly impressive, even if you are not an art aficionado. I only wish I had seen Angkor first and get the whole story, as then the statues would have made more sense to me in the grand scheme of things. No photos with the camera allowed inside, but you can use your phone.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 December 2023
  • Quiltingmamma
    Ottawa, Canada13,402 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    go here first if not planning to hire a guide
    Be sure to go here before temples if you don't plan to hire a guide. A little pricey, but it gives a good overview of what you will see. I was able to refresh my memory on Hindu and buddhist statuary, gods and practices. It is well presented without being overwhelming.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 5 February 2024
  • NotMarcoPoloMA
    Boston, Massachusetts99 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Quick Historical Review of Cambodia
    I have to put in a plug for this little museum. The building itself is stunning and to be admired. Inside, you can cover the entire museum in about an hour. My favorite was a sizable room with artifacts from the Angkor temples. Many stunning statues were on display - each more interesting than the next. This is a little museum, but offers a lot of pleasure for a quick visit.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 5 February 2024
  • Nancy K
    Neillsville, Wisconsin37 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Informative & delightful afternoon at the museum.
    Beautiful museum with well organized exhibitions. Options for several languages make the experience meaningful for a variety of visitors. It would be good to visit before seeing Angkor Watt as the exhibits explain various aspects of Khmer history, culture, and religion.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 February 2024
  • TheLush101
    Cardiff, United Kingdom2,512 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good collection
    We visited this mid afternoon when it was slightly quieter. You need to leave any rucksacks / backpacks at the security hut by the main gate. The ticket was relatively cheap and then you head into what looks like a relatively new (or at least renovated) building. We didn't get an audioguide so just wandered around and read the displays which are in English, French and Cambodian. A guide might have helped, but we just wanted to look at things ourselves. We ended up spending just under an hour here.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 31 March 2024
  • Angkor Silver Travel
    Siem Reap, Cambodia33 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    National Museum
    The National Museum of Cambodia, nestled in Phnom Penh, is a treasure trove of Khmer civilization. Its majestic halls harbor millennia-old artifacts, from exquisite sculptures to ancient ceramics, narrating the kingdom's illustrious past. A sanctuary of cultural pride, it invites visitors to delve into Cambodia's rich heritage and marvel at its enduring legacy.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 25 April 2024
  • dianedinky
    Dunfermline, United Kingdom1,347 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Quite a niche art museum rather than history
    This museum is a beautiful building and in stunning surroundings. I possibly took more photos of the outside area than the inside exhibits! For a national museum, it didn't have the historical displays and context that I was expecting. Quite a lot of artwork, sculptures and some royal items like palanquin. Overall more of an interesting visit than a wow one.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 1 May 2024
  • Angkor Silver Travel
    Siem Reap, Cambodia156 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    National Museum
    The National Museum of Cambodia, located in Phnom Penh, is a cultural treasure trove showcasing the country's rich history and artistic heritage. Founded in 1920 during the French colonial period, the museum houses a vast collection of Khmer art, including sculptures, ceramics, bronzes, and ethnographic objects spanning from prehistoric times to the present day. Its centerpiece is the exquisite collection of Angkorian artifacts, including sculptures from the temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. With its elegant Khmer architecture and tranquil gardens, the museum provides visitors with a serene setting to explore Cambodia's past and appreciate its enduring cultural legacy.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 11 May 2024
  • Zhen Juan H
    Cheriton Bishop, United Kingdom5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cambodia's Rich Cultural and Historical Heritage
    Visit the National Museum is a captivating journey into Cambodia's rich cultural and historical heritage. Housed in a striking traditional Khmer Khmer building, the museum boasts an extensive collection of artifacts spanning from the prehistoric ear to the post-Angkorian period. The intricately carved scultures, ancient pottery, and delicate bronzens provide a profound insight into the artistic and religious evolution of the region.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 May 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles4,365 reviews
Excellent
1,184
Very good
1,639
Average
1,104
Poor
336
Terrible
102

Klemen P
Klagenfurt, Austria9 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
The yard inside the museum and the outside of the building is pretty beautiful. Besides that the museum is pretty old and in bad shape. The collection is mostly sandstone statues from the Angkor Wat era. So if you plan on going there, I suggest you skip this museum entirely. The whole setup is pretty bad, no chronological order and almost nothing from recent national history. The tickets are 10$ plus 5$ for the audio guide. The collection is very limited so we spent one hour max in there and didn't find much use from the audio guide. In my opinion it's not worth the time and money.
Written 17 February 2020
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.

Benson C
Singapore669 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
It was underwhelming and expensive. The artifacts inside the museum were mostly from the Angkor era and consisted of statues and pottery that can be seen in Siem Reap

I believe that to tell the entire story of Cambodia, the museum needs to extend this to include the reign of Polpot and after the Angkor kingdom.

The entrance is also 10 USD which is expensive for the quality of artifacts inside.

Give it a miss and lower priority when in Phnom Penh
Written 30 January 2020
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.

RC_luv2trvl
Waxhaw, NC31 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2020 • Solo
Sorry for the somewhat negative review Cambodian government but my experience at this museum was being happier to be inside and out of the rain than what this museum offered. Too many similar like statues carvings etc close together in unappealing large hall rooms made me bored. Without the extra audio option, there weren’t enough associated English descriptions to keep my attention. Though I will say the central square grounds are pleasant. But honestly, I didn’t learn or see much of anything new and would’ve preferred to save the $10 entrance fee.
Written 11 June 2020
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.

Samiya7
Deerfield Beach, FL1,207 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Family
Our tour guide advised us he was not allowed to guide us inside and referred us to museum guide, although we saw a regular tour guide inside. We had to pay a fee for this additional guide and he basically explained the periods of each piece. When I asked questions he would just look at the written explanation. I didn’t see any value in this museum guide. The museum has an open court with 4 wings to view and it’s mostly buddhas and Hindu deities. It was so stifling hot in there and there is no AC and not many fans that it was difficult to take your time reading the placards and enjoying the few pieces that were there. The architecture was beautiful. We thought the $10 entrance fee was pricey. I wouldn’t recommend unless you are really into stone and bronze buddhas and deities.
Written 24 January 2023
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.

Sarah Lewis
Harlow, UK919 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
It’s pointless visiting this museum if you don’t take an audio guide.
Sure lots of exhibits have brief descriptions but you get so much more info with guide, instead of just walking around not knowing what you’re looking at.
Lots of carvings/statues/ Buddha etc, but also some interesting artefacts....sadly some with unknown provenance.
Spend a couple of hours here, they have a small cafe and lovely gardens too.
Written 14 March 2020
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.

htmcrp
Luzon, Philippines100 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Usually I like to visit museums to learn about the history of a country, city and people.
While the National Museum in Phnom Penh is on the list of places to visit and very close to the Royal Palace it is a given to visit.
There are a few written tablets but mostly displays of figurines.
One, I did not rent an audio guide (probably my fault) and second the museum is overshadowed by the prison S21 and the killing fields. Therefore I was not much impresses.
More interesting might be the architecture and the tranquil setting of the place.
Written 11 January 2020
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.

Garry von Billen
Phnom Penh, Cambodia15 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
The building is not wheelchair friendly but other disabled people can negotiate the museum with help.
The place is full of historical Cambodian artifacts taken from all over the country and put on display to give the visitor an insight into the cultural and religious ways of their ancestors.
The place needs some maintenance to be done so the more people visiting can only help to provide the much needed funds to get the general standards to be improved.
Disabled toilets are located near the ticket office at the entrance. Other toilets are within the building.
Allow about an hour or two to see all the exhibits.
Written 4 March 2020
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.

Wanderer
Toulouse, France280 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
A must see if you love Khmer art: the museum hosts pre-angkorian & angkorian sculptures saved from the temples. Master piece is the peaceful sculpture of Jayavarman VII which is reproduced everywhere. People still bring fresh lotus flowers to honor their ancient king.
Written 11 April 2020
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.

sohjimguan
Klang, Malaysia47 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Great museum for those who like the ancient Khmer culture and learn how it all started. The audio tour is helpful but too long if you visit every item on the audio tour 5 hours would not be enough to cover everything. So to save time only see and listen to audio tour for only the items that you are interested in.
Only disappointment was there no more modern history there such as the French colonization or even the brutal Khmer Rouge history. So you have to visit other attractions such as Toul Sleng museum to learn on more recent history of Cambodia.
Written 2 March 2020
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.

helenandpaul13
Worcester, UK1,684 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
I visited here on my first full day in the city. It it situated very near to the Royal Palace gardens, which are just alongside the river. The museum is difficult to find because it is poorly signposted and it took me some time to get my bearings and I inadvertently walked past it twice. However, if you have the palace in front of you with the river behind you, walk to the right and take the first turning on the right. Walk along this rad to the next junction where the museum is on the left.

As a foreigner I had to pay a $10 entrance fee. The museum is full of artefacts from about 10th - 14th century with art, sculpture, carvings and scripture. Some of the exhibits are local while others are from different parts of the country. Some of the objects are stunningly beautiful, especially a large carved wardrobe with was situated just behind a door in a room filled with statues of Buddha, where people have the opportunity to pray and pay their respects. The wardrobe was wonderfully decorated, symmetrical and probably worth a small fortune.

There are signs around the building clearly saying "no photo's" which were being ignored by many visitors, mainly European ones, who had their mobile phones out snapping everything in sight. So disrespectful. I was there for well over two hours. You can get an audio guide, for an additional charge, although I opted not to have one. Some of the objects however are poorly marked with just labels on them indicating where they were found and their possible age, so its probably best to get a guide if possible. However, the objects were marked in English, which was helpful.

There is a small cafe in the middle concourse selling hot and cold drinks as well as souvenirs including scarfs, books and toys for the children.

Overall, I thought the visit was worth it, although I begrudged having to pay the entrance fee as a non-national. However, while I was there working were doing repairs to some parts of the building so scaffolding can be seen.
Written 19 March 2023
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.

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