The 9 Best Museums in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a wonderland for culture-vultures and history-buffs alike thanks to its wonderful great museums catering to every interest and curiosity. In the Heritage Museum, visitors can explore the diverse treasures of Chinese heritage, while in the Space Museum they’ll be dazzled with a state-of-the-art planetarium featuring eye-popping spectacles. Visit the Flagstaff House to learn all about the history of tea in China, or the Hong Kong Railway Museum to marvel at impressive real-life trains.

With such a glorious array of museum offerings, it’s hard to narrow down where to begin. That’s why we created a comprehensive guide with the 9 best museums on Hong Kong island. Of one thing we’re sure: you’ll be spoilt for choice once you arrive!

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The 9 Best Hong Kong Museums

Hong Kong Heritage Museum

Nestled beside the Shing Mun River, the Hong Kong Heritage is a museum of history, art, and culture. The museum features an ample exhibition area of some 7,500 square meters, which encompasses 5 permanent galleries — the Jin Yong Gallery, the Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall, the T.T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art, the Chao Shao-an Gallery, and the Children’s Discovery Gallery. There are also six thematic galleries that host temporary exhibitions showcasing the diverse treasures of Chinese heritage.

While browsing through the museum’s galleries, expect to come across a variety of relics, including Tin Hau’s Palanquin, made in 1906, a woman’s embroidered ceremonial robe, and a gilt-copper statue of the Chinese goddess Guanyin.

Address: 1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin, Hong Kong

Opening Hours: Monday and Wednesday– Friday from 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm (closed on Tuesdays)

Hong Kong Museum of History

The Hong Kong Museum of History preserves Hong Kong’s historical and cultural heritage through a collection of over 140,000 precious objects divided into three major areas of interest: natural history, ethnography, and local history.

Among the museum’s dazzling collection, you’ll find a variety of treasures such as ancient coins, 2,800 rock and mineral specimens, and commercial letters rescued from dustbins, which will take you on a journey back in time. Must-see items in the museum include the timetable of the Kowloon-Canton railway, dating from 1912, an ancient Cantonese opera performer’s dressing table, and beaded bands worn by a woman boat dweller.

Address: 100 Chatham Rd S, Tsim Sha Tsui

Opening Hours: Monday and Wednesday to Friday from 10 am – 6 pm | Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 10 am – 7 pm

Hong Kong Maritime Museum

The Hong Kong Maritime Museum is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in learning about China’s rich maritime history. Gloriously located on Pier 8, in the heart of the Central Harbour Waterfront, this vibrant museum draws a staggering number of 100,000 visitors annually thanks to its precious collection of more than 1,200 objects.

Overlooking the bustling Victoria Harbor, the museum has 13 galleries and endless wonders to discover. Highlights you’ll find during your visit include weapons once used by pirates, a huge cannon that the Qing Dynasty used in coastal defenses, and an extraordinary ink painting scroll that depicts the nine-day Battle of Lantau.

Address: Central Pier No. 8, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 09:30 am – 5:30 pm | Saturday, Sunday, and Public Holidays: 10 am  – 7 pm

Hong Kong Space Museum

Curious explorers seeking to delve deep into the mysteries of the universe can’t pass the chance to visit the Hong Kong Space Museum. Set within a unique egg-shaped dome, this 8000-square-meter museum has two thematic exhibition halls: the Hall of the Cosmos and the Hall of Space Exploration which features around a hundred exhibits of which about 70 percent are of interactive design.

The “Hall of the Cosmos”, on the ground floor, allows visitors to discover the Universe from near to far, as well as participate in unique hands-on activities like creating comets with dry ice, and creating an aurora on an Earth model.

Located on the first floor, the “Hall of Space Exploration” depicts the development of space exploration and space technology. You’ll get the one-of-a-kind chance to enter an upside-down virtual space station to experience the disorientation feeling in the weightless environment and drive yourself by turning a fixed steering wheel to understand the reaction principle in rocket propulsion.

The museum is also home to the “Space Theatre”, a planetarium that features the first OMNIMAX film projector in the eastern hemisphere. Each year, the Museum hosts a Sky Show, which is displayed using the planetarium’s state-of-the-art projection system to create eye-popping spectacles.

Address: 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Opening Hours: Monday, Wednesday to Friday from 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Hong Kong Science Museum

Just a 2-min walk from the Hong Kong Museum of History lies the Hong Kong Science Museum. There, visitors will be happily surprised by the state-of-the-art interactive exhibits that cover diverse areas of science: electricity and magnetism, biodiversity, and earth science, to name a few.

Thrilling experiences provided by the museum include creating your own hills and rivers in a sandbox, closely admiring some beautiful minerals, exploring forests and mangroves, and visualizing the wave pattern of sound inside a long transparent tube.

The centerpiece of the museum? Definitely, the 22-meter-high Energy Machine, which is the largest machine of its kind in the world and occupies four stories of space. This mighty exhibit demonstrates energy conversion through the movement of balls down the towers, producing dramatic sounds and visual effects.

Address: 2 Science Museum Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui East

Opening Hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 am – 7 pm | Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays from 10 am – 9 pm

Hong Kong Railway Museum

Located at the site where the old Tai Po Railway station was built in 1913, this museum provides visitors with the chance to learn bout the development of the railways and MTR in Hong Kong. The museum occupies some 6,500 square meters and includes life-size trains, a traditional steam locomotive, an old 1950s Australia-made diesel-electric engine, and retro passenger coaches.

While most of the museum is outdoors, there’s also an exhibition gallery where artifacts, train models, and historical photos are displayed.

Address: 13 Shung Tak Street, Tai Po Market

Opening Hours: Monday, Wednesday to Sunday & public holidays: 10 am-6 pm | Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve: 10 am-5 pm

Hong Kong Palace Museum

Perched at the western tip of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the Hong Kong Palace Museum plays host to over 900 priceless treasures from the Palace Museum — many of which are on display in Hong Kong for the first time, while others have never been shown to the public before. Spread across 7,800 square meters of exhibition space, the museum’s collection features more than 1,000 precious objects, including gold and silver wares, ceramics, paintings, calligraphy, furniture, and more.

Address: West Kowloon Cultural District, 8 Museum Drive

Opening Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu & Sun 10 am – 6 pm | Fri, Sat & Public Holiday 10 am – 08 pm

Hong Kong Racing Museum

Hong Kong Racing Museum was created to preserve Hong Kong’s rich racing heritage which dates back to the 19th century. The museum is set within the legendary Hong Kong Jockey Club founded in 1884 and one of the oldest institutions on the island. While snooping around the museum, you’ll embark on an interesting journey through more than 150 years of racing history, and learn about Hong Kong’s biggest spectator sport and its significant contribution to the economic and social development of the city.

Address: 2/F, Happy Valley Stand, Happy Valley

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 12 pm to 7 pm

Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

Nestled inside the peaceful and scenic Hong Kong Park, the Flagstaff House was built in the 1840s and originally served as the office and residence of the Commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong. The building, which is the oldest example of Western-style architecture remaining in Hong Kong, is home to the Museum of Tea Ware, where you can learn everything about the Chinese tea-drinking culture.

Aside from an eye-popping collection of Yixing teapots donated by Dr. K.S. Lo (1910-1995), the museum also displays various kinds of tea ware, from the Western Zhou (1027 B.C. – 771 B.C.) to the 20th century, and around 60 Chinese seals generously donated by the K. S. Lo Foundation. This exhibition depicts the history of Lingnan seal carving and the cultural interflow between Hong Kong and Mainland China in the early days.

Address: 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central

Opening Hours: Monday, Wednesday to Sunday: 10 am – 6 pm | Christmas Eve and Lunar New Year’s Eve: 10 am – 5 pm

Closed on Tuesday (except public holidays) and the first two days of the Lunar New Year

FAQ

How many museums are in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is home to 14 museums.

What are the best museums in Hong Kong?

The 9 best museums in Hong Kong are:

What is the #1 museum in the world?

The Louvre Museum, in Paris, is the most visited and most famous museum in the world.

Is Hong Kong Science Museum free?

Entry is free of charge if you visit the Hong Kong Science museum on Wednesdays.

Which government department is responsible for managing museums in Hong Kong?

The major museums in Hong Kong are managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).