Hong Kong Museums

(Hong Kong, China)

Hong Kong is quite literally crammed with museums, with venues covering a wide range of subject matter and appealing to all tastes and interests. For history buffs, a visit to the Hong Kong Museum of History is essential and will easily fill a spare afternoon.

For families, the Space Museum is perhaps the most suitable venue, with its space theatre and interesting hands-on exhibits. Meanwhile the Sam Tung Uk Museum presents a rural village of days past in detail, complete with period houses.

Hong Kong Museum of History

Address: 100 Chatham Road South, Hong Kong, China, CN
Tel: +852 2724 9042
The newest and arguably the best in Hong Kong's museum venues is home to an extensive collection of artefacts detailing the history of the territory from as far back as 4,000 BC up until modern times. The highlight of the Museum of History is the 'Hong Kong Story', an exhibition spread across eight galleries, and covering topics such as the natural environment and the city during prehistoric times. The recreation of a late 19th century downtown street is especially interesting.
Open hours: Monday, Wednesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 18:00; Sunday - 10:00 to 19:00
Admission: charge

Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum

Address: 41 Tonkin Street, Hong Kong, China, CN
Tel: +852 2386 2863
A tomb believed to date back to the early Han Dynasty is housed inside the fascinating Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum, which is located in the Sham Shui Po district of the Kowloon Peninsula. The tomb is hailed as the territory's oldest historical monument, with historians speculating that construction took place between 25 and 220 AD. It is thought that the tomb was constructed to house the remains of an imperial Chinese official.
Open hours: Monday to Wednesday - 10:00 to 18:00, Friday and Saturday - 13:00 to 18:00
Admission: free

Hong Kong Space Museum

Address: 10 Salisbury Road, Hong Kong, China, CN
Tel: +852 2721 0226
This family-friendly museum focuses on the whole spectrum of space-related subject matter, offering an 'edutaining' experience through both still and moving exhibits. The 'Space Theatre' shows films on relevant space themes (and other topics also), with screenings throughout the day. The main exhibition on the ground floor is in the Hall of Space Science, while on the first floor, the Hall of Astronomy is the chief exhibition space.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 13:00 to 21:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 21:00
Admission: charge

Police Museum

Address: 27 Coombe Road, Hong Kong, China, CN
Tel: +852 2849 7019
Housed in a building occupying the site of the former Wanchai Gap Police Station, a wide range of objects relating to Hong Kong's officers of the law are on display at the unique Police Museum. Among the items available for viewing are uniforms dating right back to the mid-19th century and various vehicles that have served in the preservation of law and order on Hong Kong's streets. Especially notable are the exhibits offering an insight into the culture of the Chinese Mafia known as the Triads.
Open hours: Wednesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 17:00, Tuesday - 14:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Sam Tung Uk Museum

Address: 2 Kwu Uk Lane, Hong Kong, China, CN
Tel: +852 2411 2001
Great effort was put into making this 200-year-old rural village appear as it would have done in its original day, with the completion of restoration and repairs leading to its opening as a museum in 1987. Highlights of the Sam Tung Uk village include four period houses, complete with genuine period furnishings and agricultural equipment. An engaging exhibition entitled 'The Way We Were' gives visitors the chance to experience something of traditional village life.
Open hours: Wednesday to Monday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: free