Kretek Museum, Local museum in Kudus, Indonesia
The Kretek Museum stands on a two-hectare site in Kudus, with two separate buildings in front modelled on Kudus traditional houses and its characteristic surau. Inside, the halls hold equipment for making clove cigarettes and a collection of statues carved by artist-educators from Kudus district. Displays trace production from manual rolling to modern machinery and include photographs of the pioneers of the kretek business.
The museum was built by the Kudus Cigarette Entrepreneurs Association (PPRK) starting in 1985 and was inaugurated on 3 October 1986 by Central Java Governor Soepardjo Rustam. The idea came from the governor himself during a visit to Kudus, where he saw how the kretek industry drove the local economy. It was founded to show how rapidly kretek production grew in Java, especially in Kudus.
Clove cigarettes became woven into Indonesian daily life and social customs over generations. The displays show how this industry shaped family work and community connections across the regions.
Visit during daytime hours as the museum works best in natural light to see the tools and details clearly. The space is compact, so wear comfortable shoes since you will walk through multiple workshop areas.
The museum's grounds cover two hectares and include two separate buildings in front: one in the style of a traditional Kudus house and one a Kudus-style surau. The collection also holds statues made by Kudus artists who worked as educators.
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