Welcome to the vibrant city of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, a city that is as alive with activity as it is steeped in Vietnamese history. Known for its centuries-old architecture and a rich culture that beautifully blends Southeast Asian, Chinese, and French influences, Hanoi is a city where the exotic charm of old Asia coexists with the dynamic face of new Asia. It’s a place where every street corner tells a story, every building is a testament to the city’s rich past, and every local you meet has a tale to tell.
In this article, we embark on a captivating journey to explore the top 14 museums that define the cultural landscape of Hanoi. Hanoi’s top 14 museums are more than just buildings; they are living stories of the city’s soul. This guide will aim to be your key to unlocking the treasures within Hanoi’s most captivating museums!
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Hanoi – Where History Breathes And Culture Thrives!
Nestled in the heart of this fascinating city, you’ll find an array of diverse museums that serve as gateways to understanding Vietnamese history and unique culture. These museums are not just buildings filled with artifacts; they are time capsules that hold the key to understanding the country’s past and present.
From ancient artifacts that tell tales of the country’s early inhabitants to modern art that reflects contemporary Vietnamese society, war memorabilia that bears silent testimony to the country’s turbulent past, and ethnographic exhibits that celebrate the country’s cultural diversity, Hanoi’s museums offer a comprehensive glimpse into the narratives that have shaped this land and its people.
To explore more exciting activities and experiences in this capital city, check out our comprehensive guide on the top 30 things to do in Hanoi!
Best Museums Of Hanoi – Time Capsules Of Vietnam’s Past And Present!
As we embark on this journey through time and space to explore some of the best museums in Hanoi, we invite you to join us in uncovering the stories hidden within their walls. Hanoi museums are a treasure trove of stories waiting to be discovered, offering insights that will enrich your experience in this captivating city. Whether you’re a history buff with a passion for delving into the past, an art enthusiast seeking inspiration, or simply curious about Vietnamese culture, there are some museums in Hanoi that are sure to captivate your interest.
13 Best Museums In Hanoi Worth Your Visits!
In our exploration, we will provide an overview of each museum, highlighting what makes it unique. We’ll delve into key exhibits and artifacts that form the heart of their collections and mention any special exhibitions or programs that visitors can expect. We’ll also provide practical information such as addresses, opening hours, and entry fees (where available) for each museum.
So let’s dive in! There’s a world of discovery waiting for us in Hanoi’s museums.
1. Vietnam National Museum Of History
The Vietnam National Museum of History is a treasure trove of Vietnamese history and culture. The museum building, a blend of French colonial and traditional Vietnamese architecture, was originally an archaeological research institution under French colonial rule. It was acquired by the government of North Vietnam in 1958 and its collections were expanded to cover eastern arts and national history.
The museum houses over 200,000 exhibits, covering items from prehistory up to the 1947 revolution and the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The exhibits are arranged chronologically in five major sections. These sections cover periods from the Stone Age (30,000–40,000 years ago) to the Tran dynasty, from the Ho dynasty to the August 1945 Revolution, and artifacts of the Champa stone sculptures.
The museum hosts special exhibitions such as “The Patriotic Emulation – Fostering Talent” and “Bat Trang Ancient Ceramics”.
- Address: 01 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 08:00 – 12:00 | 13:30 – 17:00. Except the first Monday of every month
- Entry Fee: 40000 VND ~ 1.8 USD
2. Hoa Lo Prison – A Unique Museum In Hanoi!
Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the “Hanoi Hilton” and “Maison Centrale”, is a historical site located in the French Quarter of Hanoi. The prison was originally built by French colonists in 1896 to house and torture revolutionary Vietnamese rebels. It was later used to keep US prisoners of war (POW) during the Vietnam War, who referred to it as the “Hanoi Hilton”. The name “Hoa Lo”, commonly translated as “fiery furnace” or even “hell’s hole”, also means “stove”.
The prison museum attempts to recreate the living conditions of the colonial era and the Vietnam War. Many believe that it has been ‘whitewashed’ to appear less brutal than it was. The interrogation room, guillotine, and John McCain’s suit all are on display, a silent reminder of the gruesome past Vietnam has had to witness.
The museum holds permanent exhibitions that introduce visitors to its progress from when the French colonialists built the prison in 1896, until the liberation of the capital in 1954. The exhibitions focus on periods when the French used the Prison to arrest Vietnamese patriotic and revolutionary fighters, and when the Vietnamese government used a part of the Prison to hold American Pilots.
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- Address: 01 Hoa Lo Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 8:00 – 17:00
- Entry Fee: 30,000 VND ~ 1.3 USD
3. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – Best Museums In Hanoi!
The Mausoleum is an important historical attraction of Hanoi, known for honoring the national hero: Ho Chi Minh. The building is where visitors can express their admiration and gratitude towards the common father/uncle of Vietnamese who has led the country to independence and reunification.
The preserved body of Ho Chi Minh is conserved in the cooled, central hall of the mausoleum, which is protected by a military honor guard. The body lies in a glass case with dim lights.
The mausoleum is not only a tourist site but also a place for pilgrimages. Annually, on the occasion of national holidays, a large number of visitors from all over Vietnam visit the mausoleum to pay respect to the president.
- Address: 02 Hung Vuong, Dien Bien, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Tuesday – Thursday: 7:30 – 10:30 | Saturday & Sunday: 7:30 – 11:00
- Entry Fee: Free
4. Ho Chi Minh Museum
Located in the Ho Chi Minh complex, the Ho Chi Minh Museum is an exhibition of artifacts, miniatures, and various gifts gathered nationally and internationally.
The museum has more than 170,000 documents, objects, and films about President Ho Chi Minh and his revolutionary work. They are invaluable assets of the Vietnamese people in educating patriotism, studying, and following Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts and moral qualities.
This is one of the Hanoi museums holding permanent exhibitions that introduce visitors to its progress from when the French colonialists built the prison in 1896 until the liberation of the capital in 1954. The exhibitions focus on periods when the French used the Prison to arrest Vietnamese patriotic and revolutionary fighters, and when the Vietnamese government used a part of the Prison to hold American Pilots.
- Address: 19 Ngoc Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 8:00 – 12:00 & 14:00 – 16:30 PM
- Entry Fee: 40,000 VND ~ 1.7 USD
5. Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Among the best museums in Hanoi, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a prominent museum that showcases the diverse ethnic minorities and their cultures in Vietnam. The museum features extensive exhibits, artifacts, and information on the traditions, customs, and daily lives of the 54 recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam.
The museum displays more than 30,000 objects, photos, and videos that illustrate the life and culture of these ethnic minorities. You can also see their houses, gardens, and other structures in the open-air exhibition area. The museum has collected more than 15,000 artifacts, 2,190 slides, 42,000 photographs, 237 audiotapes, 373 videotapes.
The museum organizes many special art performances such as water puppet shows, cultural activities, or folk festivals on weekends. The theme of water puppetry is related to stories in the daily life and activities of ethnic groups.
- Address: Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 8:30 – 17:30 (except Monday)
- Entry Fee: 40,000 VND ~ 1.7 USD
6. Vietnam Fine Arts Museum Of Hanoi
Officially known as the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts, the museum showcases Vietnam’s fine arts from a range of historical periods. It is the country’s primary art museum.
Vietnam Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi has more than 30 exhibition rooms with plentiful objects: every object is chosen carefully with a unique shape, from splendid patterns on ethnic clothes to the sophisticated bamboo hand-made works, or beautiful “Dong Ho” folk naive paintings, meticulous bronze statues, stone statues, wooden statue, etc., all of them seem to reflect the quintessence of Vietnamese multi-ethnic groups.
The museum displays approximately 2,000 special objects and artworks representing Vietnamese art from prehistoric times to the present day. The Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum preserves around 20,000 objects and artworks of various types and media.
- Address: 66 Pho Cao Ba Quat, Đien Bien Ward, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 08:30 – 17:00
- Entry Fee: 30,000 VND ~ 1.3 USD
7. Hanoi Museum
Among the best museums in Hanoi, Hanoi Museum is a unique architectural museum that showcases artifacts from Hanoi’s 1000-year history and the Vietnamese history, culture, heritage, and architecture. The museum is known for its innovative architecture of an inverted pyramid and a night-light system like a lotus flower.
Among the best museums in Hanoi, this museum houses over 50,000 artifacts in a total area of nearly 54,000 square meters. The first floor exhibits artifacts of copper materials and ceramic materials with the theme of Typical Antiquities of the Museum. There are many exhibits that have been recognized as national treasures such as the Co Loa Bronze Drum, Thanh Mai Bell. The second floor is a specialized display area to introduce various plants and animals such as Ho Tay shrimp specimens, turtle skeletons in Ho Guom, some typical flowers of Hanoi, etc.
This museum has organized exhibitions of many valuable artifacts, documents, and collections to introduce to visitors. The museum consists of 3 main sights with typical activities: The first floor is a place for exhibiting artifacts of copper materials and ceramic materials with the theme of Typical Antiquities of the Museum.
- Address: 3 Pho Đo Đuc Duc, Me Tri, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 08:00 – 11:30
- Entry Fee: Free
8. Vietnam Military History Museum
Among the most impressive museums in Hanoi, Vietnam Military History Museum was established on 17 July 1956 and is located in central Hanoi, opposite Lenin Park and near the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The museum covers an area of 12,800 m² and showcases Vietnam’s military history across various eras.
The museum houses an extensive collection of genuine war relics, photographs, and stories from its long-ranging wars with China, France, and the United States. It includes a display of decommissioned, captured, or destroyed military equipment and vehicles used by the French, Viet Minh, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the United States during the First and Second Indochina Wars. This display, located right next to the Flag Tower of Hanoi, has become known as “The Garden of Toys”.
The museum consists of various buildings where eras of Vietnamese military history are showcased. The exhibits mostly consist of artifacts and it is recommended to inform oneself about the First and Second Indochina Wars to understand the artifacts and the references within the notecards.
- Address: 28A Dien Bien Phu Street, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 08:00 – 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Entry Fee: 40,000 VND ~ 1.7 USD
9. B52 Victory Museum
The B52 Victory Museum is a unique museum dedicated to the famous battle of “Dien Bien Phu in the air”. This battle refers to the defense of the Vietnamese people and army against the US Air Force’s air attacks in December 1972. The museum was officially opened on December 22, 1997, as part of the 25th anniversary of the battle.
The museum displays hundreds of artifacts about the heroic and glorious past of the army and the people of Hanoi during the 12-day battle. The outdoor exhibition area displays weapons that the army and people of Hanoi built and some pieces of American aircraft wrecks. The indoor exhibition area covers two main themes: The spirit of “Determined to brave death for the survival of the Fatherland” of Hanoi’s armed forces throughout Vietnamese history, and details of the battle “Dien Bien Phu in the air”.
The museum comprises one main building with displays on the history of the Vietnamese revolution, the First Indochina War, the Vietnam War, Operations Rolling Thunder, Linebacker and Linebacker II, and the air defense of Hanoi. The outdoor displays include the wreckage of a B-52D or G Stratofortress apparently shot down during Operation Linebacker II.
- Address: 157 Doi Can Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 08:00 – 11:00, 13:30 – 16:30 except on Monday and Friday
- Entry Fee: 30,000 VND ~ 1.3 USD
10. Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism
The Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, is a part of the Dong Mo tourist area in Son Tay, Hanoi. It is a cultural tourism village with diverse mountainous terrain along peaceful valleys and lakes. The village introduces the daily life of 54 ethnic groups across Vietnam and is considered a national center of culture, sports, and tourism activities where the traditional cultural heritage of 54 Vietnamese ethnicities can be kept and exploited.
The area of ethnic villages was built into zones of hamlet structures and reconstructed villages within zoning plans and folk architecture in order to introduce, preserve, and develop the traditional cultural values of 54 Vietnamese ethnic communities. The village consists of four smaller hamlets belonging to different regions where local residents live. The village covers an area of over 1,500 acres and features replicas of traditional houses, communal buildings, and cultural monuments from various ethnic groups.
Visitors can learn about the different customs and beliefs of each group through exhibits, demonstrations, and performances of traditional music, dance, and cuisine. The village also features beautiful natural landscapes, including a lake and a forest, as well as a variety of outdoor activities, such as hiking, boating, and camping.
- Address: Dong Mo, Son Tay, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 08:00 – 11:00 & 13:00 – 16:30 (except Monday)
- Entry Fee: 30,000 VND ~ 1.3 USD
11. Hanoi Police Museum
The Hanoi Police Museum is one of the museums in Hanoi that takes you through the periodical history of Vietnam’s much-praised police force. The museum was officially opened on August 18, 2015, to celebrate the 70th annual traditional day of the police forces.
The museum exhibits fascinating items like uniforms, weapons, motorbikes, station dioramas, and many photographs and documents taking the visitor through a chronological history of the police force. The exhibits are lined with numerous photographs, newspaper cutouts, artifacts, brochures, and everything that tells about the history of Vietnam’s great police force.
- Address: 67 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Tran Hung Dao Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 09:00 – 16:30
- Entry Fee: Free
12. Vietnamese Women’s Museum – Best Museums In Hanoi About Woman
The Vietnamese Women’s Museum, is dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and showcases the historical and cultural heritage of Vietnamese women. The museum was established in 1987 and is run by the Vietnam Women’s Union.
The museum has successfully displayed 25,000 artifacts, photos, and items related to the contemporary life and cultural customs of Vietnamese women. The Vietnam Women’s Museum consists of three permanent exhibitions: Women in Family, Women in History, and Women’s Fashion. These exhibitions feature more than 1000 materials, photographs, and artifacts that describe the roles of Vietnamese women in the nation’s history and contemporary society.
The museum in Hanoi Old Quarter also organizes many special thematic exhibitions with a new approach to social anthropology, reflecting the development and changes of contemporary society through projects targeting many different groups, particularly vulnerable women and disadvantaged children.
- Address: 36 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 08:00 – 17:00
- Entry Fee: 30,000 VND ~ 1.3 USD
13. Vietnamese Air Force Museum
The museum boasts an impressive collection of aircraft, weaponry, and artifacts, showcasing the history of the Vietnamese Air Force and its role in various military conflicts. The exhibits highlight the development of Vietnamese aviation technology from the early days of French colonization to the modern era, including the Vietnam War and subsequent conflicts.
Visitors can get up close and personal with iconic aircraft such as the MiG-21, MiG-23, and MiG-25, as well as the infamous US F-4 Phantom fighter jet. The museum also provides valuable insight into the brave men and women who have served in the Vietnamese Air Force, giving visitors a sense of the human impact of these conflicts. The museum comprises one main building with displays on the history of the VPAF, biographies of VPAF aces, uniforms and flight suits, aircraft weaponry, and engines.
Outside is a static park with aircraft of the VPAF and the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. The museum tells the history of the Vietnam People’s Air Force (VPAF) from its formation in 1954 through to the present day. There is a heavy emphasis on its role in the Second Indochina War and the Cambodian-Vietnamese War.
- Address: 173C Truong Chinh Street, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi
- Opening Hours: Weekdays except Friday Morning: 8:00 to 11:00. Afternoon: 13:00 to 16:00. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays open until 16:30
- Entry Fee: 20,000 VND ~ 0.8 USD
Ready For Your Best Museums In Hanoi?
In the heart of Hanoi, these museums reveal the soul of Vietnam. They aren’t just places of history and art, but windows into the stories and resilience of its people. From the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, each museum we’ve explored offers a chance to understand, appreciate, and connect with the city’s past and present.
As you journey through these museums, you’ll not only learn about Vietnam’s history but also feel the creativity, spirit, and heart of its people. These best museums in Hanoi leave a lasting impression, a deeper connection to the vibrant culture of Vietnam. Hanoi’s dedication to preserving its heritage and sharing it with the world shines through these special places. So, on your next visit, don’t miss the chance to let Vietnam’s stories touch your heart in these remarkable museums.