Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History

The Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History is located at 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, beside the entrance to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden. It occupies a building from the late 1920s that combines French colonial design with East Asian roof elements, and it is Vietnam's oldest museum of its kind in the south. The collection traces the history of the country from prehistoric times to the Nguyen dynasty and gives particular weight to the cultures that shaped southern Vietnam. Galleries hold Dong Son bronze drums, stone tools, Oc Eo artefacts from the Mekong Delta, Cham sandstone sculpture, Khmer statuary, and ceramics recovered from shipwrecks, as well as items from the Nguyen dynasty period. A smaller section displays ethnic minority costumes and everyday objects. Because it is less visited than the War Remnants Museum or the Reunification Palace, the museum is generally quiet, and visitors can look at exhibits at their own pace. Labels are in Vietnamese, English and sometimes French. A traditional water puppet theatre performance, historically held in the grounds, has been a draw, so visitors should check whether shows are currently running. A visit takes one to one and a half hours. The museum closes for lunch, with typical hours of about 8:00-11:30am and 1:00-5:00pm Tuesday to Sunday, so mornings are the best time and visitors should confirm times before going. It is easily combined with a walk around the neighbouring zoo and botanical gardens or with a visit to the nearby Jade Emperor Pagoda.