Museum Nasional Sejarah Alam Indonesia, Natural history museum in West Java, Indonesia

The Museum Nasional Sejarah Alam Indonesia (MUNASAIN) in Bogor, West Java, occupies the former Herbarium building and displays about 2,000 ethnobotanical artefacts. Exhibits are grouped by plant use and region: lontar palm crafts from East Nusa Tenggara, wooden looms, pandan baskets, rattan and bark-cloth clothing, jamu ingredients, tempeh fermentation, and a replica Timor house.

The idea of an ethnobotany museum was first raised in 1962 by Prof. Sarwono Prawiroharjo, then head of LIPI, and revived in 1973 by Dr. Setijati Sastrapradja, director of the National Biology Institute. The Museum Etnobotani Indonesia was inaugurated on 18 May 1982 by Minister of Research and Technology B. J. Habibie. It later became the Museum Nasional Sejarah Alam Indonesia.

The museum began as the Etnobotani Museum, opened on 18 May 1982 by B. J. Habibie, then Minister of Research and Technology. Its displays show how Indonesian peoples use plants: lontar palm leaves woven into water containers and the sasando harp of Nusa Tenggara Timur, pandan leaves made into baskets and chairs, and bark cloth clothing. A section on jamu and on tempe made with yeast and soybeans shows plant use in food and medicine.

Visitors typically enter through the main entrance and navigate the galleries at their own pace through different sections. Interactive areas and specialized exhibits require a bit more time, so plan accordingly for a comfortable experience.

The museum began as the Etnobotani Museum, inaugurated on 18 May 1982 by B. J. Habibie, then Minister of Research and Technology. Its roughly 2,000 artefacts show how Indonesian peoples use plants: lontar palm leaves woven into water containers and the sasando harp of Nusa Tenggara Timur, bark cloth garments, pandan baskets, rattan and woodwork, jamu ingredients, and tempe made with yeast and soybeans.