Lao National Museum

Lao National Museum

The Lao National Museum is situated on Samsenthai Road in Vientiane, across from the Laos National Cultural Hall. It is the largest museum in Laos. Its exhibits depict the history of Laos and celebrate the great spirit of the Lao people who struggled hard to free themselves from colonial rule and imperialist aggression, as well as their other admirable traditions.

The building of the Lao National Museum was originally constructed in 1925 as the residence of the French colonial government. In 2007, the U.S. government funded the expansion of the entire museum. The national museum has three floors, covering a total area of approximately 3,000 square meters, including an exhibition space of about 1,000 square meters. Its galleries are divided into smaller themed rooms, each focusing on different subjects that cover Laos’s prehistoric civilization and dinosaur fossils from Savannakhet Province, early civilizations, the Indianized Mon and Khmer kingdoms over a thousand years ago, the Lane Xang culture of the Lao Kingdom (1707–1779), Siamese rule (1779–1893), the First Indochina War (1945–1954), and the period of U.S. invasion (1964–1973).

Currently, the exhibitions at the museum are divided into thematic art exhibitions and permanent displays. Thematic art exhibitions are held once or twice a year, such as the "Luang Prabang Ancient City Modern Photography Exhibition" and the "Traditional Costumes of Laos Ethnic Groups Exhibition" in 2006. The permanent displays mainly feature royal collections, which make up about one-third of the total collection. These exhibitions attract tens of thousands of visitors every year.

Lao National Museum

Must-visit reason: The largest museum in Laos

Continent: Asia【Asia】

Country/Region: Laos [Laos]

Province/State: Vientiane Municipality [Vientiane]

City: Vientiane Municipality [Vientiane]