History Museums
Tsim Sha Tsui
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Top History Museums in Hong Kong, China
History Museums in Hong Kong
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21 places sorted by traveller favourites
Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
Speciality Museums • History Museums
Central District
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History Museums
New Territories
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Military Museums • Speciality Museums
A Kung Ngam
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Art Galleries • Art Museums
Sham Shui Po District
Speciality Museums • History Museums
Hong Kong Island
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Eastern District
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Speciality Museums • Children's Museums
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Speciality Museums • History Museums
History Museums
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History Museums
New Territories
Speciality Museums • History Museums
Speciality Museums • Art Museums
History Museums
History Museums
Speciality Museums • Art Museums
History Museums
History Museums
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What travellers are saying
- GH14Tsim Sha Tsui, China12 contributionsI went two times. The first time I spend 7h inside the museum and I didn’t read all the the documents! We’re entering on the down of earth and leave in the after recession of Hong Kong. You must take your all day for appreciate this museum. So much to learn! Every room is a new experience. Every times I have friends or family coming in HK, this is a must go!Written 6 December 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- BradJillHong Kong, China146,662 contributionsThere is presently a very good special exhibition - Tsar of All Russia - Holiness and Splendour of Power that is being held at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin until 29 Aug 2021. The exhibition features 170 sets of exquisite treasures from the Moscow Kremlin Museums that are well organised and displayed in 6 gallery rooms. Museum opening hours are 10am to 6pm (daily) but closed on Tuesdays.
The exhibition requires special ticket (HK$10 per person). Note the permanent exhibitions and other special exhibitions are free to the public to visit. Items include relics, ornamental pieces, original maps of the Kremlin and paintings of the Royal Tsars. They are unique and attractive and well described by English and Cantonese signage and information. There is also free wifi at the museum so you can access a mobile audio guide describing a handful of the exhibition highlights. Allow 30-45 minutes to browse this exhibition.
You can visit the Hong Kong Heritage Museum website to learn about the various permanent and temporary exhibitions before making your way. Note they also have a small eatery called The Alchemist on the ground floor for those who want a drink and/or snack and chance to take a rest in between exhibition visits at the museum.Written 15 August 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - globaltravellerworldGrasse, France405 contributionsA MUST visit when coming to Hong Kong! The unsuspecting name does not reveal the true importance and value of this museum. It describes vividly the more than 300 years of trade between the West and China - especially the European trade with China via Hong Kong. We can learn that there is nothing new to this world - todays trade and relationship issues and mutual benefits for both worlds have not much changed in principle - all that changed is technology and media. We can learn from this museum that trade between the western world and China is mutually beneficial since hundreds of years - so we can truly relax a little bit in our overexcited times and refrain from getting carried away with the different political systems in place. It's does not matter on either side - Let's learn a bit from history and how we are in the end all just humans who want to have a decent good life ! this museum is very educational and teaches is us daily life in the "old times" and you will be surprised how close it is to the "new times" that we live in. Spend 2 hours there BUT GO ON WEEKENDS when volunteers are there to explain you details - otherwise you will not capture the essence of the trade history and how it relates to today's world. THE guides are very knowledgeable and competent and extremely friendly and helpful. A privately run Museum - my respect.
Absolutely worth a visit.Written 12 December 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - Wai2 contributionsThe guided tour by Mr Wong is very impressive and surprisingly good with this unattractive old complex. It can help us to imagine the picture of previous life of the people who lived in Sheung Yiu. The experience is vital to those who would like to know more Hakka Folk and old HK rural life.Written 24 December 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- bmartin992London, United Kingdom17 contributionsA bit off the beaten track but well worth the effort to get there.
The invasion of HK during WW2 was not a high-point in British colonial history, with HK being completely unprepared for the Japanese invasion from the mainland.
Makes this historical event come alive.
And found out that a family friend had actually played a key role in the escape of the one-armed Chinese general!Written 12 November 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - BradJillHong Kong, China146,662 contributionsThe Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Center is located in the middle of Kowloon Park in two of the old Whitfield Barracks which occupied this location in the 20th century prior to the creation of the park. This heritage building is now the location of a pretty good little museum and information centre covering the topic of Hong Kong archeological history. Opening hours are 10am to 6pm daily (closed on Thursdays). Entry is free.
What you will find here are a main gallery describing general archeology and heritage sites around Hong Kong as well as three smaller galleries with a focus on artefacts from the Pre-historic times, Han and Ming Dynasties. There are interesting human remains, pottery, tools and other items of interest from these various time periods as well as helpful information description what you are seeing and where the discoveries were found or unearthed around Hong Kong.
The Discovery Centre now has a small exhibition setup to describe the damage to the old Duddell Street gas lamps that occurred during Super Typhoon Mangkut as well as the restoration efforts that went into restoring this popular historic attraction on Hong Kong Island. There is also a nice outside courtyard area and you'll find maps and brochures related to important heritage and archeology sites and related self-guided tours you can try around Hong Kong.
In the end, while less important than the Hong Kong History Museum in TST East and Hung Hum area, the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre is a great use of the historic Whitfield Barracks and good place to spend a 20-30 minutes if planning to spend time in Kowloon Park.Written 21 September 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - BradJillHong Kong, China146,662 contributionsThe Jao Tsung-I Academy is a hillside compound of heritage buildings along Castle Peak Road in Lai Chi Kok that were revitalised by the HK Institute for Promotion of Chinese Culture (HKIPCC) and named after the late prominent scholar Jao Tsung-I.
The academy was opened to the public in phases between 2012-14 and now features three hillside levels of Grade 3 protected historic buildings that function as a museum with exhibition galleries, activity centre, restaurant, coffee shop and even a hotel. The outdoor grounds are open from 8am to 10pm daily, exhibition halls are open from 10am to 6pm daily. No entry fee required.
The lower level is where you find the Main Gallery which is a testimony to the life and scholarly works of Jao Tsung-I. There is also a Heritage Hall where you can learn about the history of the area and buildings which date back to the late 19th century when a Qing Dynasty Customs house was located here. Later buildings, including those you see today, served as a labourers' quarters, prison, quarantine station, infectious disease hospital and lastly a psychiatric rehab centre which was eventually closed in 2004. There is a statue of Jao Tsung-I and a small but beautiful lotus pond here.
The second level is where you find a series of buildings including another exhibition hall, presently presenting information about Chinese language characters, activity rooms, Hope of Joy restaurant and Coffeeflow. Continuing to the third level, you will find the Heritage Lodge. There are public toilets on each level as well as a series of lifts for those unable to walk up the stairs between levels and guests of the hotel with luggage.Written 11 May 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - kpiddyBrisbane, Australia12,054 contributionsThe Hong Kong House of Stories is located in a single room on the ground floor of the historically significant Blue House, a traditional shophouse dating back to the 1920s and 1950s. The House of Stories is free to enter, and look over some of the artefacts from the renovation of the trio of shophouses known as the Blue House Custer (blue, yellow and green) which are UNESCO heritage listed. Located in Stone Nullah Lane, is open Mon-Sun 10-6, closed Wednesdays and public holidays. Guided one hour tours are offered of the cluster in English on Saturdays at 11am, highlighting the history of the blue house cluster, life of the early residents and future development. Creative artistic souvenirs are available for purchase. A visit here would suit those interested in history and architecture.Written 13 December 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- BradJillHong Kong, China146,662 contributionsThis is restored Hakka village house and declared monument in the Chai Wan area of the Hong Kong Island. Built in the mid-18th century and belonging to the Law Uk family, the property provides glimpse into the architecture and everyday life at what was once a major Hakka settlement. Now the building serves as a minor museum (free entry) for those who visit this area of the city and have interest in local history.
The grounds include the restored house which has five indoor rooms, several including displays of historic furnishing, farm equipment, ceremonial and other items from the past. There are information panels outside the museum in the small courtyard providing some history of the Hakka people, their village lives before and then during the British colonial period, customs and festive ceremonies, building architecture and details about the family who owned this particular house in the past.
There is also an annex property on the museum grounds as well, it is built in the same manner as the historic Law Uk house. It was closed when we passed by recently.
Overall, it is good that the government restores and protects historic properties and puts them to good use like what you will find with the Law Uk Folk Museum in Chai Wan. It makes for a good place to spend 20-30 minutes if you find yourself in the area. However, if you are real history buff, it is better to visit the Hong Kong Museum of History, where you will find similar displays and learning opportunity regarding the Hakka people and other Chinese ethnic groups that have roots here in Hong Kong.Written 11 October 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - Lynns98816707 contributionsThis is a complementary for people who wait for the tram. You can see the history of the peak tram. It only takes 5 minutes to see this.Written 14 March 2016This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- schmidtmgSwitzerland959 contributionsThe News Museum opened in late 2018 and is located in a historically protected building (an old market) in Sheung Wan. The ground floor provides quite a lot of informative interactive displays on the history and the development of news media in Hong Kong.On the first floor there is a video exhibit where you can select short (two to 3 and a half minutes) video clips on important dates and events in Hong Kong history (e.g. 1967 riots, 1997 handover, 2003 SARS epidemic). Entrance is free.Written 13 January 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hong Kong
- These places are best for history museums in Hong Kong:
- Hong Kong Museum of History
- Hong Kong Heritage Museum
- Hong Kong Maritime Museum
- Sheung Yiu Folk Museum
- Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence
- These are the best places for kid-friendly history museums in Hong Kong:
- Sheung Yiu Folk Museum
- Hong Kong Museum of History
- Hong Kong Maritime Museum
- Hong Kong Heritage Museum
- Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre
- These are the best places for couples seeking history museums in Hong Kong:See more history museums for couples in Hong Kong on Tripadvisor
- These are the best places for groups seeking history museums in Hong Kong:See more history museums for groups in Hong Kong on Tripadvisor
- These are the best places for budget-friendly history museums in Hong Kong:
- Sheung Yiu Folk Museum
- Hong Kong Museum of History
- Hong Kong Maritime Museum
- Hong Kong Heritage Museum
- Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence