Wayang Museum

Wayang Museum is a puppet museum in West Jakarta, Indonesia, displaying thousands of figures made from wood, leather, and cloth in glass cases. The rooms extend across multiple floors and group the objects by regional origin and crafting technique.

The museum opened in 1975 inside a former Dutch colonial building that previously served as a church and courthouse. At that time, the collection aimed to protect puppetry, which was being pushed back by modern media.

The term wayang means shadow or performance and refers to a theater art that tells stories of heroes, gods, and wisdom. In the current collection, visitors recognize the importance of this tradition, which continues to be performed at weddings, religious festivals, and village gatherings.

The museum opens from Tuesday to Sunday between 9 AM and 4:30 PM, admission is inexpensive and requires no advance booking. Some labels are only in Indonesian, but the objects themselves tell much through their shapes and colors.

Besides Asian objects, the building displays figures from Europe, including rod puppets and marionettes, allowing a worldwide comparison. The collection also holds several rare shadow figures from past centuries, whose openwork details remain visible even in dim light.

Location: West Jakarta

Location: Jakarta

Inception: 1975

Official opening: August 13, 1975

Address: Jalan Pintu Besar Utara No.27, PinangsiaRT.3/RW.6, Kota Tua, Kec. Taman SariKota Jakarta Barat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 11110, Indonesia

Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-16:30

Phone: 0216929560

Website: http://museumwayang.com

GPS coordinates: -6.13481,106.81251

Latest update: December 20, 2025 13:38