Museums are one of the best ways to spend a hot summer day in Hong Kong. This is because the summers here are tremendously humid and hot. Indoor activities such as museums are a perfect place to hang out to avoid the hottest part of the day from noon to 4 pm. Here’s a list of my favourite museums to visit when I am bored.
1. Hong Kong Space Museum
Being a space enthusiast, the Space Museum has always been one of my favourite childhood (and even adulthood) hangouts. Established on 8th October 1980, the Space Museum has a spectacular dome-shaped “Space theatre” that features educational space and nature documentaries. This planetarium theatre has an OMNIMAX projection system allowing you a unique surround viewing experience truly unique viewing experience in Asia. The museum also has a permanent space exhibition called the “Hall of Cosmos” featuring interactive elements that are fun for both children and adults.
If you want to book tickets for the Space theatre shows you will need to visit the Urbtix website. Tickets are usually sold out in advance but the trick to securing your ticket is to visit the site at 10 am when new tickets are released. You will be able to buy tickets for 5 days after that day. Booking normal seat tickets cost me HKD80 which included 2 seats and a service charge. Be sure to click the pickup at kiosk option as it’s free and you can print your tickets right at the Space Museum.
| Museum | Hong Kong Space Museum |
| Address | 10 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui |
| Opening Hours | Mon, Wed-Fri 1:00pm – 9:00pm Sat – Sun 10:00am – 9:00pm Tue Closed |
| Exhibition Entrance | HKD10 for Adults, HKD5 for Concession, HKD7 for Groups and Free for Students Free Admission on Wednesdays |
| Space Theatre Ticket | (Adult) HKD24 for Front Stalls and HKD32 Normal seats (Concessionary) HKD12 for Front Stalls and HKD16 for Normal seats |
2. Hong Kong Science Museum
The Science Museum is one of Hong Kong’s must-visit museums. Established in 1991, the museum’s mission is “We spark curiosity and ignite inquisitive minds”. Most of the exhibits are interactive so it is especially enjoyable for students, but I also enjoy hanging out there as an adult. The exhibits feature everything from illusion galleries to interactive sound and motion exhibits. The museum’s most striking exhibit is the 22-meter-high energy machine that is one of the largest in the world. I won’t spoil too much but I urge you to visit the museum and explore it yourself. Apart from the regular installations, there are interesting exhibitions every month. One of the latest ones is the interesting “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Big Eight – Dinosaur Revelation” which displays 8 of the most iconic dinosaur fossils from the Tyrannosaurus to the triceratops. Be sure to visit the exhibition before the 16th of November 2022.
| Museum | Hong Kong Science Museum |
| Address | 2 Science Museum Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong |
| Opening Hours | Mon – Wed and Fri 10:00am – 7:00pm (Box office closes at 6:00pm) Sat, Sun and public holidays 10:00am – 9:00pm (Box Office closes at 8:00pm) Tue Closed |
| Admission | Free of charge during Big 8 Dinosaurs Exhibition |
3. Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA)
Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) was established in 1962. This museum is just a 3-minute walk from the Space Museum. The first and oldest art museum in Hong Kong, the HKMoA houses a remarkable 18,800 pieces of art and heritage. In 2018, The Art Museum went through an architectural transformation to preserve its presence in the Hong Kong skyline with a modern twist. I always see myself going back here to enjoy a peaceful day enjoying art. Though there are permanent exhibition galleries, the museum is always featuring limited-time exhibitions. One recent exhibit is “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Road to the Baroque Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum”. This exhibit brings together classical Italian art pieces from the 17th-century Baroque period. These beautiful pieces will forever be timeless with their immense attention to detail and the contrast between the light and dark within each piece. If you have a couple of hours to spend I’d definitely ask you to go to the Art Museum and spend it there.
| Museum | Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) |
| Address | 10 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui |
| Opening Hours | Mon – Wed & Fri 10:00am – 6pm Sat & Sun 10:00am – 7:00pm Tue Closed |
| Admission | Free of Charge for regular exhibits HKD10 for Adults for Special Exhibition |
4. M+
The M+ is one of the newest museums in Hong Kong. Located in the West Kowloon Cultural District, this museum was established in November 2021. In my opinion, the M+ has a collection of modern art and design pieces, many of which were produced by Hong Kong’s very own artists. A lot of the artwork portrays the essence of life in this city. There are also more political artworks in the museum donated from personal collections.
| Museum | M+ |
| Address | 38 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong |
| Opening Hours | Tue – Thu Sat-Sun & Public Holidays 10:00am – 6:00pm Fri 10:00am-10:00pm Mon Closed |
| Admission | Free of Charge |
5. Hong Kong Museum of History
The Hong Kong Museum of History is one of the oldest museums in Hong Kong. Established in 1975, the museum aims to display Hong Kong and South China’s history to the world. The pieces reflect the unique stories of Hong Kong citizens from back when it was a quaint port city. Apart from this, the history hosts a comprehensive collection of pieces such as Eastern Han Dynasty pottery that dates to AD 25-AD220. If you go to the science museum, be sure to pop in next door to visit the Hong Kong Museum of History.
| Museum | Hong Kong Museum of History |
| Address | 100 Chatham Rd S, Tsim Sha Tsui |
| Opening Hours | Mon – Wed & Fri 10:00am – 6pm Sat & Sun 10:00am – 7:00pm Special days 10:00am -5:00pm Thu Closed |
| Admission | Free of charge for most exhibits |
6. Hong Kong Heritage Museum
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum opened its doors in December 2000. Similar to the Museum of History, the Heritage Museum aims to show people the cultural heritage of Hong Kong and China. The most prominent exhibits are the Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall, Jin Yong Gallery, and the T.T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art. This museum is a perfect place for families to go with small children as there are quite a few interactive pieces to engage children. My favourite was the train engine room.
| Museum | Hong Kong Heritage Museum |
| Address | 1 Man Lam Rd, Sha Tin |
| Opening Hours | Mon – Wed & Fri 10:00am – 6pm Sat & Sun 10:00am – 7:00pm Special days 10:00am -5:00pm Tue Closed |
| Admission | Free of charge for most exhibits |
7. Hong Kong Railway Museum
The Hong Kong Railway Museum was established in Dec 1985 by the leisure and cultural service department. Located just off Tai Po market, the actual railway station was built back in 1913. If you have some free time when you are in the Tai Po market area, you should go check out this pocket of history. The railway museum displays narrow gauge steam locomotives, original coaches, and diesel-electric engines. There are also some historical pieces in the old ticket office that just brings you back in time.
| Museum | Hong Kong Railway Museum |
| Address | 13 Shung Tak Street, Tai Po Market, Tai Po, Hong Kong |
| Opening Hours | Mon, Wed – Sun & Public Holidays 10:00am – 6:00pm Tue Closed |
| Admission | Free of Charge |
8. Hong Kong Palace Museum
The Hong Kong Palace Museum is the newest museum in Hong Kong that has opened in July 2022. The museum displays art pieces from Beijing’s palace museum. This newest museum is located in the West Kowloon Cultural District just next to M+ so if you like, you can visit both museums on the same day!
| Museum | Hong Kong Palace Museum |
| Address | West Kowloon Cultural District, 8 Museum Drive, Kowloon |
| Opening Hours | Mon, Wed, Thu & Sun 10:00am – 6:00pm Fri – Sat & Public Holidays 10:00am – 8:00pm Tue Closed |
| Admission | HKD50 for Adults HKD25 for Concession |
Conclusion
Museums are a great activity to enjoy in those hot summer months in Hong Kong when the temperatures are rising, and the air is humid. I’ve always enjoyed a relaxing day at the museum whether it be to spark my curiosity about science or be inspired by the art of simply going back in time. Let me know in the comments below which is your favourite museum in Hong Kong or even the rest of the world!
