City: Hanoi
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The 10 Best History Museums in Hanoi, Vietnam
The charming Vietnamese capital has aged well, preserving the Old Quarter, monuments and colonial architecture, while making room for modern developments alongside. Hanoi may have shrugged off several former names, including Thang Long, or "ascending dragon," but it hasn't forgotten its past, as sites such as Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and Hoa Lo Prison attest. Lakes, parks, shady boulevards and more than 600 temples and pagodas add to the appeal of this city, which is easily explored by taxi.
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1. Nguyen Van Huyen Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 10 reviews
The Museum exhibits the life and academic career of Professor Nguyen Van Huyen, Minister of Education of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
2. Museum of Anthropology
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4 reviews
3. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,576 reviews
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a unit under Vietnam Academy of Scocial Sciences. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is both a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam. The mission of the Museum is scientific research, collection, documentation, conservation, exhibition and preserving the cultural and historic patrimony of the nation's different ethnic groups. The museum also serves to guide research, conservation, and technology that are specific to the work of an ethnographic museum.
Reviewed By srablair - Lytham St Anne's, United Kingdom
We visited here as part of our highlights of Indochina tour. This is a great museum with brilliant outdoor exhibits showing examples of the houses used by each of the ethnic groups that came together to form modern Vietnam. We spent a good few hours here as the indoor exhibits are also excellent with translations in English. There is also a good cafe in the grounds serving hot meals as well as tea coffee cakes etc. This was a good visit and would recomend it to anyone wanting to know more about the people of Vietnam and their origins.
4. Hanoi Old Quarter Culture Exchange Center
5. Ancient House
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 505 reviews
This house in the Old Quarter was restored in 1999, as an example of an ancient Hanoian home. It represents the architecture of the Old Quarter, and is decorated to reflect ancient houses of Hanoi.
Reviewed By _S4925PI
This's a reconstruction of the way the home was before it had been bombed in the American War. A very great spot to go around. They provide you an English brochure on entering. We went with a tour guide, therefore a great deal was discussed to us.Nice slice of the old city that has been restored. Particularly appreciated the kitchen area. I've sent an e-mail to trip advisor to inform them that this's an appeal without an area to stay. In case this assessment is informative, please tick below. Having said that, admission is not really expensive. In case you are enthusiastic about this particular component of Vietnamese history or merely just older architecture, it is well worth a visit. I rather enjoyed it.
6. Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 25 reviews
Reviewed By tumbleweeds023 - Hanoi, Vietnam
A seldom visited museum on the southern outskirts of Hanoi that is surprisingly informative and well-curated. Staff is helpful and speaks English. Almost all signage and information is in both Vietnamese and English. I had thought that the Ho Chi Minh Trail was a single road/path that was used to ferry supplies to the troops fighting in the American War. I didn't know that it actually consisted of 20,000 kilometers of roads, an oil pipeline, electricity and supply depots. It starts out with a movie (also in either Vietnamese or English), then two floors of exhibits and an interesting outdoor area with exhibits, too. Well worth the (<$1) price of admission. No need to take a taxi to get here - if you're staying in the Old Quarter, the #1, #2 and #9 buses all leave from Hoan Kiem Lake and take you to within 600 meters of the museum entrance. If you want to understand Vietnam, what makes it tick, and the determination of her people, this is a good place to start. As others have mentioned, we had the place to ourselves. It's worth five stars.
7. Vietnam Military History Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By JasonC259 - Auckland Central, New Zealand
Really worth a visit, if you want to understand the history of the Vietnam people. It’s not really interactive, but is very insightful if you take the time to read all the exhibitions.
8. Ho Chi Minh Museum
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 1,222 reviews
Wellcome to Ho Chi Minh Museum! President Ho Chi Minh - Vietnamese hero of national liberation and great man of culture. After he passed away on September 2nd 1969, in compliance with the Vietnamese people’s aspiration, the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Politburo decided to build the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. After 20 years of preparing and building, the Ho Chi Minh Museum was inaugurated on September 2nd 1990, on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the President. Ho Chi Minh Museum has more than 170,000 decuments, objects and films about President Ho Chi Minh’s life and revolutionary work. They are invaluable assets of the Vietnamese people in educating patriotism, studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought and moral quallties; and encouraging the Vietnamese generations to succeed failthfully and excellently his great revolutionary work.
Reviewed By florenciao212
My boyfriend and I came from Argentina to Vietnam for the first time. We got to the museum where they introduced us Yang, an enthusiastic and highly educated young woman who was our guide throughout the museum. Yang was very knowledgeable and led us all the way by answering kindly to all of our questions, in her excellent English... And for free. She made the visit so very interesting for us and we were captivated by the way she passionately and professionally kept us entertained and fascinated about Uncle Ho's life and Vietnamese people's history. The museum has a whole artistic simbology that we would have totally missed out if it wasn't for Yang. We definitely recommend anyone to Visit the museum and if you are lucky enough, to have her as your guide and company.
9. Vietnam National Museum of History
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 545 reviews
History buffs will appreciate the expansive collections on hand in this educational museum.
Reviewed By andychitakh
For the history/culture buff, this is one museum that you absolutely must visit. Beautifully organized, comprehensive in its coverage of Vietnamese history from prehistoric times through dynastic periods to the colonial era and post-colonial times, this museum has it all. This was one of the highlights of our visit and we spent at least a couple of hours here, taking our time as there was so much of interest to see and appreciate. If you are even remotely interested in history and culture, you cannot afford to miss this. For culture vultures like us, it was a dream come true. We would like to express our appreciation for the curators and museum docents as well as the creators of the various intricate diorama. They have done an amazing job, and we say this from the perspective of a couple who have visited many museums and art galleries all over the world. Do pace yourselves if time is an issue, for there are more treasures (literally) upstairs and you really do not want to have to rush through a visit. If we ever go back to Hanoi, this will be one place that we will definitely re-visit. And don't miss the giant bonsai-like plants in the back garden--they have to be seen to be believed!
10. Museum of the Revolution
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 149 reviews
Reviewed By Historybuffusa
If you're visiting Vietnam and not learning their history, you're missing out. Especially if you're an American you really have to visit the military museums and those locations relating to the American War. The Museum of the Revolution is a compulsory stop for anyone seeking a better understanding of the transition of Vietnam from an oppressed Colonial fiefdom to the thriving independent nation it has become. Learn about Chinese, French and American occupations and see fascinating mementoes from ancient to modern--including a guillotine left behind by the departing French. The museum is beautifully curated, immaculately clean, has accessible restrooms and is located near many other historic sites and great places to eat. Any scooter driver in Hanoi can take you there for a couple bucks. I've visited it a couple times--and will return whenever I'm in town.
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