Overview
It began in 1778 as the collection of the Batavian Society for Arts and Sciences, which makes it one of the oldest museums in Asia. The stone sculpture court is the heart of it: Javanese and Sumatran figures from the temple centuries, standing in daylight rather than cases. A fire in September 2023 damaged part of the old building and closed the museum for a year; it reopened in October 2024 with those galleries restored.
Highlights
Start in the sculpture court, then the treasure room upstairs, which needs a separate ticket and holds the gold. The ethnographic floors are organised by island and are the quickest way to grasp how little Indonesia is one thing. It faces Merdeka Square, so it pairs naturally with Monas in one morning.