Bali Museum

Bali Museum is one of the most famous Bali Places of Interest strategically located in Jalan Major Wisnu in heart of Denpasar City. In the north side of it there are glorious temple of Jagatnatha, meanwhile in front of it (west side) there are the famous Puputan Badung (Badung Courtyard) and the four face statue (Catur Muka Statue). Established in an area of 2,600 m2 which are devided into three yards : outer yard (jaba), middle yard (jaba tengah) and the inside yard (jeroan) is bounded by a wall and a gate.

Inside the yard there are 3 pieces of building which are Tabanan building, Karangasem building and Buleleng building that used to exhibit some antique collections. The museum officially opened for public on 08th December 1932, named the Bali Museum and managed by the Bali Museum Foundation. On 17th August 1945 the Bali Museum was taken over by the Provincial Government of Bali and later on 05th January 1965 it was submitted to the Central Government under Directorate General of Education and Culture Ministry and it was named the Bali Province State Museum.

In 1969 Bali Museum received government assistance from 5 years development project that make the museum area expand to 6,000 m2 and a new building was built named the East Building. Since the Bali Regional Autonomy in 2000 the Bali Province State Museum was handed back to the Bali Provincial Government named UPTD Museum Bali. And since 2008 The UPTD Museum Bali changed its name into UPT Museum Bali. Bali Museum Collection mainly consists of ethnography items religious ceremonies equipment, wali dance and sacred buildings.

The collection arranged according to the concept of Trimandala (Utama Mandala, Mandya Mandala, Nista Mandala). In order to apply the Trimandala concept, those objects that considered sacred for the community are arranged in Tabanan and Karangasem building. Traditional Balinese cloths were exhibited in Buleleng building which is considered the center of Bali Museum and also items that are considered not to sacred or common, such as paintings, statues, handicrafts are also placed there. Meanwhile the collections that related to prehistoric remains such as sarcophagus are arranged in the East building.