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Museums in Oman

Being the capital of the nation, Muscat is an abode abundant in the resplendent and colourful history of the Sultanate, bringing to light the stories of its ancient beginnings and colonial overthrows in the form of captivating museums that are a must-see for tourists to learn more about the country, its social and political background, and cultural traditions.

Bait Al Zubair Museum

The house is owned by Al Zubair bin Ali, who built it in 1914 as a residence for him. In 16/12/1995 the house was rebuilt in the same original style in order to be an Omani heritage museum. Bait Al Zubair is a private museum that opened its beautifully carved wooden doors to the public, dicated to showcasing important ethnographic artefacts that reflect the highly specialized skills and rich cultural heritage of Oman’s society, Bait Al Zubair also displays outstanding private collections of the Al Zubair family, inclusive of information about the Al Busaidi dynasty, with magnificent examples of khanjars (Omani dagger), traditional swords and firearms, ancient jewellery, and male and female attire.
Tel.: (00968) 22084700

Timings : Saturday – Thursday | 09.00AM – 05.00PM
  • Location : Al Saidiya Street, Old Muscat
  • Governorate: Muscat

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum was opened on 30 December 1985; it’s located in the Ministries district in Al Khuwair area. The museum shows the diversity of the Omani environment features through exhibits of topography, geology, plants, insects, wild animals and marine creatures. Although the museum has small space but it has a lot of facts that can’t be find in the books. The Museum consists of stuffed animals that are rarely found in the wild as types and species living in Oman land, and skeletons of marine creatures, birds and reptiles lived in Omani environment and died naturally.
Tel.: (00968) 24641374

Timings : Sunday – Thursday | 8:00 am – 1:30 / Saturday |9:00 am – 1:00 pm (The museum is closed on Fridays & official holidays)
  • Location : Ministries district, Al Khuwair
  • Governorate: Muscat

Sultan Armed Forces Museum

The museum was opened in 1988 in the bait Al Falaj historical Fort which was built in 1845, after its restoration and renovation and by the Royal order it was converted to Sultan Armed Forces Museum. Containing excellent displays of Omani weaponry and military hardware, the Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum also has a comprehensive depiction of the country’s warfare history, from the medieval ages to the modern era.
Tel.: (00968) 24312655

Timings : Sunday – Thursday | 08.00AM – 01.30PM / Saturday |10.00 am to 5.00 pm (Friday: closed)
  • Location : Bait Al Falaj area, Darsait district, Wilayat Muttrah
  • Governorate: Muscat

Bait Al Barandah

Also known as the House of Naseeb, a merchant who built the residence in the late 19th century, Al Barandah is the local pronunciation of the English word ‘veranda’. The museum was named after the balcony that extends along the length of the façade on the first floor. Recounting the history of Muscat since its geological formation to the present day, Bait Al Barandah uses interactive technology that displays pictures of tectonic plate movement over the past 750 million years until today. The museum also includes documentation of the nation’s history since its inception to the present day.

Timings : Saturday – Thursday, 09.00AM – 01.00PM/04.00PM – 08.00PM
  • Location : Muttrah Corniche, Muttrah
  • Governorate: Muscat

The Children’s Museum

It was opened in 14/11/1990 during the Sultanate’s celebration of the 20th National Day. It contains two separate domes: the big dome (science dome) contains the museum’s objects like scientific devices and exhibits, illustrative drawings and signboards, and the small dome (administration) contains the administrative offices and other facilities. Spread across 10,000 square feet, the Children’s Museum is a favourite amongst children of all ages, and simplifies the wonders and mysteries of science in a playful environment that is engaging as it is fun, even for adults!
Tel.: (00968) 24 605368

Timings : Saturday – Wednesday | 08.30AM – 01.30PM / Thursday | 09.00AM – 01.00PM
  • Location : Shatti Al Qurum, Muscat
  • Governorate: Muscat

The Museum of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture

This museum was opened in 1979 and was previously was called the Sayyid Nader bin Faisal Museum. It moved to Ruwi in 1988 and was renamed the National Museum and, in 2007, the name was changed again to the Museum of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture. The museum exhibits popular Omani cultural artefacts such as swords, traditional ships and silverware. It is located next to the Abdul Ridha Sultan Mosque and the Islamic Library in Ruwi.

Timings : Saturday – Wednesday, 08.00AM – 01.30PM
  • Location : Ruwi
  • Governorate: Muscat

The Omani French Museum

The museum was opened on 29/1/1992, to highlight the historical relations between Oman and France. The building which was known as (Bait Fransa) was selected to be the location of the museum because of its historical and symbolism value as a residence of the French Consulate between 1896 and 1920, which was a grant from the Sultan Faisal bin Turki to the first Consul of France in Muscat in 1896.
Tel.: (00968 24736613)

Timings : #Currently closed for maintenance. (please check before visiting)
  • Location : Muscat City behind Al Alam Palace
  • Governorate: Muscat

Omani Heritage Village

Nestled in the premises of Shangri La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, this heritage village is a popular tourist attraction. The village is a reincarnation of a bygone era that establishes the same mystical and authentic atmosphere of a souq, giving visitors a firsthand experience of some the Sultanate of Oman’s traditional arts and crafts.

Timings : Call ahead at 24776666
  • Location : Qantab, Shangri La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa
  • Governorate: Muscat
Tips:

Watch the artisans at work over handcrafted silver ware, pottery and weaving. Find the most enticing trinkets and souvenirs that will make ideal gifts to take back home.

The National Museum

A recent addition to Oman Cultural institutions, The National Museum was opened in July, 2016. As a national institution with global outreach, the museum is dedicated to ensuring that Oman’s cultural heritage is understood and appreciated not only within the Sultanate, but also internationally.
The museum is located in the heart of Muscat. There are 14 permanent galleries – The Land and the People Gallery, Maritime History Gallery, Arms and Armour Gallery, Aflaj Gallery, Currency Gallery, Prehistory and Ancient History Galleries, Splendours of Islam Gallery, Oman and the World Gallery, Intangible Heritage Gallery and Renaissance Gallery, among others.
Tel.: (00968) 22081500

Timings : Saturday – Thursday | 10:00 am – 05:00 pm / Friday | 02:00 - 06:00 PM (# last entry is 1 hour before closing time)
  • Location : Old Muscat, Al Saidiya St
  • Governorate: Muscat

Land of Frankincense Museum

One of the most prominent cultural and heritage tourist destination in the Sultanate of Oman in general and in the Dhofar Governorate in particular, The Land of Frankincense is located in Al Baleed Archaeological Park, one of the World Heritage sites (UNESCO) in Oman. The Museum offers panoramic access to the history of Oman and its different regions through the ages and the cultural and archaeological evidence of the Omani heritage displayed in the History Hall. The contents of the Maritime Hall show the vocabulary of the marine environment, mastery in shipbuilding, the skill of sailing operations, maritime trade and important historical joints about Oman’s relationship with the sea. The museum provides visitors and researchers with an opportunity to learn about Oman through its long history and maritime heritage
Tel.: (00968) 23388344, 23388388, 23388304

Timings : Sunday – Thursday | 9:00 am – 7:00 pm / Friday and Saturday | 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
  • Location : Al-Baleed Archeological Park, Salalah
  • Governorate: Dhofar

Fatah Al-Khair Centre

The Center was opened on 1st November 2021, it’s located in Wilayat of Sur. The Center exhibits the collection of Al-Arouba Sports Club showcasing the social and seafaring legacy of Sur as manifested in rich selection of artifacts collected and donated by the people of Sur, offering compelling stories about the maritime history of the city of Sur and its people. The Center includes 5 maritime and heritage halls, and display of the famous Fatah Al-Khair ship and seven other traditional boats.
Tel.:(00968) 25742032

Timings : Sunday – Thursday | 8:00 am – 1:30 pm / Friday - Saturday | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
  • Location : Wilayat of Sur
  • Governorate: South Al Sharqiyah

Muscat Gate Museum

The museum was built in 1995 and was opened in 2001. Its located in the entrance of Muscat city between the old Muttrah neighborhood and the old city of Muscat, there is a large archway that houses the Muscat Gate. The small museum displays photographs and information on the history of this once-walled city, whose gates were once locked before sundown every night—supposedly as a safety precaution. Great place to learn the histories before visiting the old city.

Timings :
  • Location : Al Saidiya Street
  • Governorate: Muscat

Place and People Museum

This museum is concerned by introducing the Omani heritage, culture and traditions, which tells the story of the Omani people who witnessed the transition to the Renaissance Era (1950–1975 CE). The museum has three sections: The Old House, Clothes Museum and Modern Art Museum.
Tel.: (00968) 24711640

Timings : Saturday to Sunday | 9:00 am – 05:00 pm
  • Location : Corniche of Muttrah
  • Governorate: Muscat

Tawasul Alajial Museum

It was established by Salim Al Amari in honor of his late mother to showcase her biography in collecting and preserving artifacts. She was famous for her distinctive crafting skills in silverware and rare types of gold and jewelries. Also the museum exhibits other heritage and handicrafts collection such us: pottery, swords, fishing and agriculture tools, etc.
Tel.:(00968) 99784835

Timings : Sunday –Thursday | 9.00 am – 1.00 pm (Group visits can be arranged on request.)
  • Location : Taqa
  • Governorate: Dhofar

Bait Al-Ghasham Museum

It is an old house, which is one of the most important monuments in the Wilayat of Wadi Al-Ma’awel. It was owned by Sayyid Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Nasser Al Ghasham Al Busaidi, then owned by Sayyid Ahmed bin Hilal bin Ali Al Busaidi, and recently owned and restored by Al Ghasham Institution. The museum has many distinctive and beautiful rooms, al subah and al sablah, fortified rooms and observation towers, large courtyard, a well and storage areas.
Tel.: (00968) 26781333

Timings : Sunday – Thursday | 9.00 am -4.00 pm / Friday | 9.00 am -12 noon
  • Location : Wilayat of Wadi Al-Ma’awel
  • Governorate: South Al Batinah

Bait Al Darwaza

The museum is named after the Darwaza, which is an arch attached upper the main gate. The museum is an old heritage house that contain all aspects of old houses, it has a ground and a rooftop yards, a well and kitchen. The house was a residential and military facility, and it was designed to allow residents and their troops to defend the house from unexpected attacks.
Tel.:(00968) 9135 5818

Timings : Saturday – Friday | 8.00 am -10 .00 pm
  • Location : Al manzafa village in the Wilayat of Ibra
  • Governorate: North Al-Sharqiya

Bidiyah Museum

This museum specializes in exhibiting the Omani heritage that features a collection of weaponry, coins, paintings, artifacts, pottery, stamps and other related items that recount the history of the Wilayat of Bidiyah in particular and the Sultanate in general.
Tel.: (00968) 99350757

Timings :
  • Location : Wilayat of Bidiyah
  • Governorate: South Sharqiyah

AL Hamra Currency Museum

The museum is a heritage old house that documents the history of money in the world and displays the various versions of notes and coins used in Oman since 1970 until today.
Tel.: (00968) 99779581

Timings : Saturday-Friday | 9.00 am -12 noon, 3.00 pm – 5 .00 pm
  • Location : Al Hamra
  • Governorate: Al Dakhilyah

Abnaa Majan Museum

It presents the history of Suwehara city in Wilayat of Sohar, where the heritage of the people of the coast meets with heritage of the people of the interior. It displays diverse collections such as weapons, coins, agricultural and heritage tools that have been practiced and inherited over generations.
Tel.: (00968) 99199250

Timings : Temporarily closed for maintenance
  • Location : Wilayat of Sohar
  • Governorate: North Al Batinah

Bin Norook Museum

The museum exhibits the biography of the founder Ahmed Bin Norook. The museum consists of documents gallery, Ahmed Bin Norook gallery, Izza gallery, the royal gallery and the world gallery. It displays a collection of heritage artifacts including, rare photos, heritage furniture, women sewing and knitting tools, old stamps, etc.
Tel.: (00968) 99339323
Note: Temporarily closed for maintenance

Timings : Sunday – Thursday | 9.00 am-1.00 pm – 4.00 pm-6.00 pm / Saturday | 9.00 am – 1.00 pm
  • Location : Sohar
  • Governorate: North Al Batinah

The Old Castle Museum

Displays Omani heritage through variety of antiquities and heritage collection such as weapons, coins, paintings, artifacts, pottery, stamps and other related items, which aims to present Omani history and heritage.
Tel.: (00968) 93200166, 99259529
Note:Temporarily closed

Timings :
  • Location : Wilayat of Al-Kamil and Al-Wafi
  • Governorate: South Sharqiyah

Al-Afiya Heritage Museum

It is a heritage museum that includes various heritage collections, which displays more than three thousand heritage objects, some of them dating back to more than three centuries. It contains several rooms, such as the traditional Omani majlis that made of palm trees, traditional agricultural and irrigation tools, and antique wooden doors. The other rooms display a collection of ancient coins, old household tools, weapons, pottery and other inherited heritage objects.
Tel.: (00968) 99444373

Timings : Thursday to Saturday | 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
  • Location : Wilayat of Sur
  • Governorate: South Al-Sharqiya

Amjad Oman Museum

The museum exhibits artifacts including, daggers, swords, traditional weapons, coins, documents and manuscripts, ships models, fishing tools and traditional equipment’s, traditional cloths, and other.

Timings :
  • Location : Sohar
  • Governorate: North Al Batinah

Madha Museum

The Museum displays a collection of archaeological and heritage artifacts including, rock inscriptions, fossils, weapons, coins, stones, manuscripts, documents, jewelries, pottery pots, and other.

Timings :
  • Location : Wilayat of Madha
  • Governorate: Musandam

Bait Adam Museum

Located in Madinate Al Sultan Qaboos, Next to the Arab Open University. Small in its area, yet large in the quality and diversity of its artefacts, the Bait Adam museum is a treasure-trove of Omani antiquity, reflecting on the country’s rich past, and takes visitors into 5000 years of the Sultanate’s history. The museum is considered to be the holder of one of the finest coin collections of Oman and its dominions.
Tel.: (00968) 99356676

Timings : Sunday – Thursday | 9:00 am – 05:00 pm / Saturday and Friday | 10.00 am -5.00 pm
  • Location : Madinat Sultan Qaboos, Muscat
  • Governorate: Muscat

The Currency Museum

The museum was opened in 1999; it is a section in the Central Bank of Oman, which exhibit the history of currency used in Oman since ancient times. The museum is located in the Central Bank of Oman building in Ruwi district, Muscat Governorate.
Tel.: (00968) 24777575

Timings :
  • Location : The Central Bank of Oman building in Ruwi district
  • Governorate: Muscat

Oman Across Ages Museum

Oman Across Ages Museum, a brand-new national Museum was inaugurated on 13th March 2023 by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik in the Wilayat of Manah, the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah.

The museum highlights the unique character of the Sultanate of Oman, its ancient history and, it’s renaissance, which keeps gaining grounds locally and internationally.

The idea of the museum’s design was derived from the shape of the Omani rocks and Al Hajar Mountains range. The unique design reflects the Omani environment and also integrates the Omani environment through the stones used in its construction and its trees.

 The area dedicated to permanent exhibits alone is 9,000 square meters, and some of the galleries rise more than 20 meters. This provides the latitude and the room needed to produce something truly spectacular, appropriate for Oman’s rich history, both physically and figuratively.

The museum halls take the visitor around on a narrative journey through time, starting from the late prehistoric eras until the present day. The permanent exhibition wings are divided into two: The History Gallery and the Renaissance Gallery.

The History Gallery show cases historical eras, namely, the geological formation of the Land of Oman, the Stone Age, represented by the wing of the Early settlers, the Bronze Age, represented by the wing of the Civilization of Magan, the Iron Age, represented by the wing of the Kingdom of Oman, in addition to pavilions titled “Embracing Islam”, the “Al Ya’ariba Dynasty” and the “Al Busaidi Dynasty”.

The Renaissance Gallery was designed with an open space with gigantic columns in the centre which form an interactive space for the state of the art audio-visual display presentation that deals with the first five years of the blessed renaissance, exploring various aspects of social, economic, industrial, and political transformation experienced by Oman .

Knowledge Centre is divided into three floors targeting all segments of society. It occupies a total area of 6000 sqm. The second floor include the Library of Hisn Al Shomoukh, which was transferred from Hisn Al Shomoukh to Oman Across Ages Museum. The library contains more than 46,000 titles in various areas of knowledge and it is equipped with devices that allow researchers to access their desired titles and reference books in hard copy and digital copy.
The museum is closed on the first day of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Contact: 25202000
Email: oaam@rca.gov.om
www.oaam.om
Admission Fee:

Class Price
Citizens and citizens of GCC countries 1 OMR
Residents 2 OMR
Tourists 5 OMR
Timings : Section-Main Gate Knowledge Center Museum Facilities -(Saturday – Thursday -Friday / 09:00 am - 09:00 pm (During Ramadan - 10:00 am - 09:00 pm) Section -(Museum Exhibition Halls) -Saturday – Thursday / 09:00am- 05:00 pm Friday / 1:30pm - 07:00 pm
  • Location : Manah
  • Governorate: Al Dakhiliyah

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