Indonesia continually develops its vast tourism potential to attract tourists. In addition to natural beauty, the potential for historical tourism in Indonesia is also very abundant. This is further supported by the numerous museums in Indonesia that house and display various historical artifacts from the past.

For most people, traveling to museums may be boring. Now, many museums have interactive elements so tourists don't get bored quickly. Many museums contain unique things, ranging from dragon statues and angkringan collections to mosquitos. This also becomes an attraction to attract tourists.

If you want to experience the sensation of visiting a museum with unique collections, here are several recommendations for unique museums in Indonesia that you can visit:

Naga Sanga Amurwabhumi Museum

If museums generally display collections of historical objects, this museum in Bali is different. Naga Sanga Amurwabhumi Museum invites Sobat Parekraf to explore legends and folklore from Bali in the form of the mythological dragon animal. Even more interesting is that the dragons in this museum are works of art made of silver and gold.

One of the stunning works of art from this unique museum, located on Jalan Raya Batubulan, Gg Candrametu 1 Batubulan, Gianyar, Bali, is a dragon statue with nine heads carried by 18 people using traditional bamboo. This dragon statue is 20 meters long, 1.35 meters wide, 1.8 meters high, and weighs 720 kg. MURI also crowned it the heaviest and largest 925 sterling silver statue in Indonesia.

Ullen Sentalu Museum

When the previous museum mentioned above displays works of art in the form of silver and gold statues, this unique museum in Yogyakarta also has its characteristics. Located in Pakem District, Sleman, Yogyakarta, the Ullen Sentalu Museum displays the arts, culture, and lives of the nobles of the Mataram Dynasty.

The Ullen Sentalu Museum embodies the concept of European Gothic architecture. Surrounded by mountainous air and lush greenery, it is not surprising that it is anticipated to be one of the most stunning museums in Indonesia. Notable art collections in this museum include Jumenengan paintings, Paes Ageng fashion paintings, and Urang Wetan motif batik.

Angkringan Museum

If you frequently visit "Angkringan" (a pushcart selling various traditional foods and beverages), check out the unique Angkringan Museum. This museum is in Ngerangan Village, Bayat District, Klaten, Central Java. The village is known as a trailblazer of angkringan culinary delights, which have since become popular in various regions of Indonesia, particularly Java.

This museum was established in a resident's house and built independently by the residents of Ngerangan Village. However, it contains a lot of historical evidence of the spread of angkringan and the pioneers who came from that village. Here, you can see the equipment used for selling, from the traditional pole to the cart shape commonly found today.

Photo: Industrial touch in Old City Museum Semarang architecture (Shutterstock/cinnnbycinde)

Kota Lama Museum

When discussing unique museums, the museum on Jalan Cendrawasih No.1a, Purwodinatan, Central Semarang, Semarang City, is worth including. The first unique feature of the museum is its architecture, which prominently features red brick. This, combined with an industrial touch, gives a contemporary feel to a museum rich in historical facts.

Immersive technology can also give a contemporary impression of the Kota Lama Museum (Old City Museum). With this technology, visitors can directly experience past events in Semarang with projections from a large screen, including feeling like riding a dupo tram or ancient steam train that used to operate in Semarang.

Bikon Blewut Museum

Another unique museum in Indonesia is located in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), which is also the largest in NTT. Situated in Takaplager Village, Nita District, Flores, Sikka, NTT, the museum contains a collection of relics from the stone to bronze ages. The items include traditional clothing, fossils, jewelry, musical instruments, porcelain, woven and carved objects, and ancient animal fossils dating back 300 thousand years BC.

In addition, this museum has illustrations of the distribution of ancient humans and photos of the excavation process for the found fossils. The collections at the Bikon Blewut Museum are mostly the results of excavations and discoveries by Father Dr. Theodor Verhoeven SVD, who later founded this museum in 1965.

Mosquito Museum

There is a unique museum in Indonesia called the Mosquito Museum! It is located on Jalan Raya Pangandaran Km 3, Ciamis, Pangandaran, West Java. This museum showcases a collection of 28 mosquito species from 6 different genera, including Anopheles, Aedes aegypti, Culex, and Toxorhynchites, also known as vegetarian mosquitoes.

The Research and Development Center for Animal Source Disease Control (P2B2) Balitbangkes, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, established the museum as an educational tour. Aside from showcasing various mosquito species, the museum also features a cinema building where visitors can watch videos and animated films about mosquitoes, covering their life cycle, habitat, and breeding.

There are many unique museums that you do not know, right?

Cover: Naga Sanga Amurwabhumi Museum in Bali (museumnagasanga.my.canva.site)