Radya Pustaka Museum, History museum in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia
Radya Pustaka Museum occupies the former residence of Dutchman Johannes Busselaar on Jalan Slamet Riyadi. Its front yard holds a bust of 19th-century poet Ranggawarsita, inaugurated by President Sukarno in 1953, with Javanese-script inscriptions. The porch displays 17th- and 18th-century VOC cannons, smaller Kartasura Kraton cannons, and Hindu-Buddhist sculptures found around Surakarta.
Kanjeng Raden Adipati Sosrodiningrat IV founded the museum on 28 October 1890 in Dalem Kepatihan during the reign of Pakubuwono IX. On 1 January 1913 the collection moved to the current building on Jalan Slamet Riyadi, a former residence of Dutchman Johannes Busselaar. Since 11 November 1951 it has been managed by Yayasan Paheman Radya Pustaka.
The museum displays gamelan instruments, wayang puppets, and Hindu-Buddhist stone sculptures that visitors can see firsthand. These objects reveal how deeply rooted traditional practices remain in Javanese identity and daily life.
The museum is located on Slamet Riyadi Street near Sriwedari Park and offers wheelchair access with interpretive signs in multiple languages. Visitors should allow time to explore the different exhibition rooms thoroughly since the collections are spread across several spaces.
The collection includes cannons from the Dutch East India Company dating to the 17th and 18th centuries alongside smaller artillery pieces from local kingdoms. These weapons directly document contact between European powers and Javanese rulers during a transformative period.
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