Jakarta History Museum

The Jakarta History Museum occupies the old Stadhuis, the city hall of Dutch colonial Batavia, completed in 1710. Its whitewashed facade, bell tower and broad cobbled square, Fatahillah Square, remain the centrepiece of Jakarta's Old Town, Kota Tua. On signs and among locals it is usually called Museum Fatahillah.

Inside, the rooms trace the city's story from prehistoric finds and early kingdoms through the era of the Dutch East India Company to independence. Much of the display is heavy carved colonial furniture, maps, paintings and ceramics, set in high-ceilinged halls that are as much a draw as the objects. Beneath the building are the cramped, low-roofed cells where the city government once held prisoners, among them the Javanese prince Diponegoro. A bronze statue of Hermes stands in the rear courtyard. The Si Jagur cannon sits on the square outside.

The museum opened in 1974 and draws close to 800,000 visitors a year. It suits anyone exploring Kota Tua, and a visit fits easily into a couple of hours.