MUSEUMS
Hong Kong has a wide variety of excellent museums illustrating the history, heritage and culture of Hong Kong ranging from large museums with both permanent and temporary exhibitions, interactive and “hands-on” exhibits to small folk museums. Some museums make an admission charge* which compares very favourably to museum admission charges in other major cities, others are free and all museums operated by the government’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) offer free admission on at least one day a week. Most visitors, adults and children alike, will find something of interest in many of these museums. Detailed below are museums listed by geographical location, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories. Select the appropriate link for museum description, photos, location, opening hours, admission fees, directions and websites.
* with effect from 1st August 2016 all LCSD museums except Hong Kong Space Museum and Hong Kong Science Museum and also Hong Kong Palace Museum offer free admission to their permanent exhibitions. Hong Kong Space Museum and Hong Kong Science Museum offer free admission to their permanent exhibitions to full-time Hong Kong students only.
In the Chief Executive's 2022 Policy Address the government indicated plans to increase the number of museums under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to 19 within ten years with proposals for four new museums including an activity centre for promoting Chinese history and culture in Kowloon Park, a heritage conservation and resource centre in Tin Shui Wai and also two museums at the Northern Metropolis and the Kau Yi Chau artificial islands. The 2023 Policy Address announced the government plans to convert and rename the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence into the "Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence" from September 2024 and will "focus on the history of the War of Resistance to cultivate a stronger sense of national esteem and patriotism".
In December 2023 the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau indicated that it was considering relocating Hong Kong Science Museum from its present location in Tsim Sha Tsui to the current site of Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. Collections from the Heritage Museum would moved to other venues throughout the territory. The current site of the Science Museum would be used to build a new museum to showcase China's achievements including national history, foreign invasions and the country’s resistance, the development of the Chinese Communist Party and the founding of China, national security, aerospace technology with Hong Kong-specific themes also expected to be included. However, in March 2024 the government confirmed that the Science Museum will remain at its current site in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Heritage Museum would not be relocated. A new site will be sought for the proposed new museum, possibly on Hong Kong Island in the vicinity of Central Piers and IFC. It is planned to open a branch museum of Hong Kong Museum of Art in Southern District in Wong Chuk Hang near Ocean Park to further develop the area as an arts hub although no timescale was given. Hong Kong Arts Development Council opened new premises in Wong Chuk Hang in July 2023.
In March 2024 a proposal was announced by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to renovate block 58 of the former British Army's Whitfield Barracks at Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui for use as a "Chinese Culture Experience Centre" with exhibition galleries and activity spaces for various activities and workshops on Chinese culture and intangible cultural heritage. The centre is expected to open in 2028. The former Whitfield Barracks is already home to Hong Kong Discovery Centre.
MUSEUMS - HONG KONG ISLAND
Select link above for details of the following museums on Hong Kong Island;
FLAGSTAFF MUSEUM OF TEA WARE
HONG KONG MUSEUM OF THE WAR OF RESISTANCE AND COASTAL DEFENCE (formerly HONG KONG MUSEUM COASTAL DEFENCE museum renamed from 3rd September 2024)
DR SUN YAT-SEN MUSEUM (Closed from 1st May 2024 until second quarter 2025 for upgrading and renovation)
HONG KONG FILM ARCHIVE
FIREBOAT ALEXANDER GRANTHAM EXHIBITION GALLERY
POLICE MUSEUM
HONG KONG MARITIME MUSEUM
LAW UK FOLK MUSEUM
HONG KONG MUSEUM OF MEDICAL SCIENCES
THE HONG KONG RACING MUSEUM
HONG KONG CORRECTIONAL SERVICES MUSEUM
UNIVERSITY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY, THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
OI!
MUSEUMS – KOWLOON
Select the link above for details of the following museums in Kowloon;
M+ MUSEUM HONG KONG PALACE MUSEUM
HONG KONG MUSEUM OF HISTORY
HONG KONG SCIENCE MUSEUM
HONG KONG MUSEUM OF ART
HONG KONG SPACE MUSEUM
LEI CHEUNG UK HAN TOMB MUSEUM
HONG KONG HERITAGE DISCOVERY CENTRE
HONG KONG HOUSING AUTHORITY EXHIBITION CENTRE
SUN MUSEUM
MUSEUMS – NEW TERRITORIES
Select the link above for details of the following museums in the New Territories;
HONG KONG HERITAGE MUSEUM
HONG KONG RAILWAY MUSEUM
SAM TUNG UK MUSEUM
SHEUNG YIU FOLK MUSEUM
PING SHAN TANG CLAN GALLERY CUM HERITAGE TRAIL VISITORS CENTRE
AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME EXHIBITION CENTRE