Hong Kong Museum of History

- This place was one of the top places on my checklist and I accidentally came on a TUESDAY--the day that it's closed. - When I came on Sunday,I made my way to the museum 45 minutes prior, so I took my time to get there. I was surprised to see that a lot of tour groups from mainland (I think) were already crowding the entrance! - It was super cool to go right when the doors open - The general admission is FREE! - The museum has 2 floors and each floor holds different exhibitions. There's a national security exhibition, an old Hong Kong exhibition and Hong Kong's fashion evolution. There's also an exhibition for Chinese-Americans and Hong Kong-Portuguese decent. - I was really excited to see the history of the Chinese Dynasties but that exhibition is still being prepared/ under construction!! - Each exhibition area has a lot of interactive displays and objects! Each exhibit has a Cantonese & English description which is really informative. - I honestly thought the museum would be a lot bigger but it's a pretty decent space. - It's a bummer that I didn't see a gift shop.

I spent only two hours on the first floor and this was only 20% of the museum. You can imagine how huge it is. The displays are easy to follow with nice English descriptions. I just wish there more items on display for the part that discussed the TST part of Hong Kong during the British rule. The staff is helpful. I accessed the museum for free which is great really. Inside very cool and comfortable. Recommend.

Although the Hong Kong Museum of History offers free admission, I initially had high expectations for the depth and quality of its exhibits. However, after visiting, I found the experience somewhat disappointing. The museum lacks the comprehensive content one would expect from an institution dedicated to Hong Kong’s rich and complex history. The exhibits feel somewhat limited in scope, and the overall presentation leans heavily towards a One China narrative, rather than providing a balanced or in-depth exploration of Hong Kong’s unique cultural and historical identity. While it remains an accessible option for those interested in a general introduction to the city’s past, those seeking a more detailed and objective perspective on Hong Kong’s history may find the experience underwhelming.

For a US visitor, the best part of this museum was the special exhibit on overseas Chinese in the US and specifically California. As my husband‘s family immigrated from Hong Kong to California in the 1960s, it was a great reminder of their experience. The exhibit also provided an excellent overview of Chinese American immigration to the United States. The ancient history of the QIN and HAN dynasty was interesting as well and tracked the PBS special on the first emperor of China. Definitely worth the visit.

An interesting exhibition exploring the concept of security in various aspects of life for Hong Kong residents. I highly recommend it – the objects are superbly presented – but the entire exhibition needs to be translated into English.

I was not able to explore entire museum, but I greatly enjoyed learning about Sino Japanese war. Hoping to go there again to complete rest of my readings :)

The 'Hong Kong Story' exhibition has been closed since October 2020 for "renovations". Opened in 2001, it previously provided "an in-depth understanding of Hong Kong's history and culture". Commentators have suggested it was closed due to influence from the Chinese Communist Party. Instead, there is an exhibition on National Security (requiring admission fee) and "80th Anniversary of Chinese Victory in the War of Resistance"... neither particularly showcasing Hong Kong culture. You can avoid this one on your itinerary, unless you have a keen interest in propaganda.

No exibition about History of HK. It's sad. The exhibitions about immigrant are worth taking a look.

Bring back the tram and all of the fun interactive sets please! I visited 10 years ago and had so much fun exploring the museum at that time. I was looking forward to visiting again but was met with a huge disappointment. The museum is no longer what it was and not worth your time.

The history museum as it once was, as described in all reviews prior to mine, no longer exists. There is literally nothing to do here except sit on one of the two mushy benches for some AC as museum staff stare at you. There is no bathroom. The function of the museum staff is to shoo you from the closed areas (which is 95% of the museum) or to stare at you when you visit the meager book stand of boring books. While this museum is getting renovated (ie re-written) to make it more PRC friendly, there are a few small walls with the glorious timeline of the space program, some glorious space stamps, a bit of glorious space debris, a glorious certificate of participation, and a glorious flight jumper. Glory to Arstotzka!

Thought the HK Museum of History would be a fun, interactive, and interesting experience, but the museum seems to be undergoing some major renovations that severely limit the experience. From the moment we walked in, we could see that most exhibits were roped off or closed, and we were ushered into one exhibit on artifacts only. The good part is - free admission & AC. But otherwise, the exhibit was not the most thrilling or interactive in any way.

Everyone should come here. First timers to HK, lifelong residents, casual travelers, and even people who have already come here should all spend some time here to absorb the rich and complex history of how Hong Kong came to be. The "Story of Hong Kong" is important for many reasons but will almost always elicit a new appreciation / perspective of the city. Like any good natural history museum, this place has so many levels to it. The exhibitions are quite extensive and the space is quite impressive overall. I would recommend sitting in for all the video presentations and not rushing through any of it. Since the museum closes promptly every day at 6pm, allow for additional time. I recommend just after lunch. I've been here at least half a dozen times and have learned something new every time. It's a great destination for solo visitors and is also super family friendly. It's not exactly the close to the subway, but for people who don't mind that mini-trek from TST to East TST, it's totally doable. The entire museum has materials for Cantonese, Mandarin, and English speakers. It is also the perfect time killer and a great way to sit out bad weather issues. Lastly, it's free. If that's not an incentive, I don't know what is.

Some of the best things in life are indeed free - just like the Hong Kong Museum of History. (Don't be confused by the HK$10 fee for admissions to the special exhibition. The Hong Kong Story itself is free.) A trip to Hong Kong often include a tram ride to The Peak, seafood dining in a floating restaurant in Aberdeen, shopping and dining in Causeway Bay and Tsim Tsa Tsui, dim sum at a Tim Ho Wan, bar hopping and partying in Lan Kwai Fong, etc. But if you really want to know Hong Kong, allocate a few hours of your trip to the Hong Kong Museum of History. It is possible to very quickly browse through the place in an hour or two. But if you REALLY want to know every detail about Hong Kong's history and culture, and to spend some time to watch the dozens of video presentations, I would suggest allocating three to five hours. There are eight galleries. The first two are probably boring to most people, unless you are deeply interested in geology and anthropology, or if you are a geek like me. If you are not, proceed directly to gallery #3, where you will find lots of interesting history of Hong Kong, especially from the Qing Dynasty. At this time, people from different regions and backgrounds in China migrated to Hong Kong. One of the highlights is the "boat people", a subset of the population living in boats (or sampans), which were some of the earliest residents in Aberdeen. Gallery #4, which displays the folk culture of Hong Kong, is my personal favorite. I could spend an hour just in this gallery. The recreation of the Chinese Opera stage was phenomenal, and it was complemented with dozen of historical photographs as well as background music of some classic performances. There are also many different sections that deal with the various cultures and customs of the people, whether the origin was religious or superstitious. All the displays in this section are so colorful and meticulously crafted that you need to take your time to appreciate them. There are also about a dozen video presentations just in this section. Gallery #5 talks about the Opium war. Be sure to watch the video presentation here. It was interesting to note that the Brits originally didn't like the idea of getting Hong Kong from the Chinese, thinking that the small island would be useless and probably worthless. The early growth of Hong Kong is displayed in the sixth gallery where infrastructures - both financial and structural - began to develop. A solid banking system was quickly put in place. Trains, trams, roads, and highways were built. The growth was put to a halt by the Second World War and the Japanese occupation. This sad chapter of Hong Kong is detailed in gallery #7 and is accompanied by various historical videos. The eighth and final gallery displayed the modern growth of Hong Kong from the 50's and 60's to what is known to the World today. The finale is a video presentation of the transfer of sovereignty (The Handover) from the British government to China in 1997. One final note is that the term "gallery" used by the museum is quite misleading as you are not looking at just pictures, but actually numerous replicas and models that were meticulously created. The craftmanship and architecture are phenomenal, and set it apart from many other museums. Take a stroll through the eight "galleries" and what you'll experience is a glimpse of a bygone era just like a journey back in time, through the no-longer-existent streets of Hong Kong, which lie behind and beyond its glamour and prosperity of today.

I tend to be a museum junkie when visiting other countries, and HK Museum of History was one I was not going to miss while visiting! Getting to the museum is pretty simple as HK has one of the more efficient metro systems in Asia. You can take a taxi or bus, but expect tons of traffic as HK is not very large. Admission is 10HK which is a steal, but I went on a Wednesday where it was free. There is also a science and technology museum attached/next door, but I did not have time for it sadly (Looks fun for families). Hours are as the following, Mon-Friday 10-6 PM, and Sat & Sun 10-7 PM. If you are planning on how long to visit, I'd say a good three or so hours should suffice, but you could spend much longer there. So as for the museum itself, it is fairly easy to navigate, but please take the time to gather some knowledge, take pictures, and really enjoy the culture and art presented. Each room offers its own part of HK history, whether it be pre British, during the British hold, and post British hand off. This is not merely a "reading" museum as kids would love the giant statues and very ornate building structures. Plenty of restrooms around and free filtered water for those who need it (Easy water fill up). As for the staff, they are very helpful and speak great English if you are not up to date on your cantonese. To sum it up, if you have the time, this museum is well worth the visit!

The museum was recently renovated and it shows. The permanent exhibition is clean, organized, and highly educational. If you have a couple of hours you'd like to spend on something other than eating and shopping, consider this spot. Especially so because the regular exhibition is free (the special exhibits require an admission fee) and the museum is a good place to go to get out of the heat. The history of the island is extensively covered here: from pre-historic times to post-colonial Hong Kong. I loved looking at the displays of life in HK in the past, like the pre and post-war times. Seeing an old-school HK-style cafe was cool. There were traditional set-ups of homes of the various Chinese groups as well. In general, the displays are beautiful and detailed. Seeing the small scale models of buildings and homes was rather interesting. The eight sections of the museum have film rooms where you can see a short video on the relevant part of the museum. They have films on the flora and fauna of the island, the Opium War, etc. They rotate Cantonese, Mandarin, and English narrations of the film so you can wait for the language most comfy for you. The last part of the permanent exhibition shows the handover of Hong Kong to China from the UK. There's a film of the handover ceremony to see if you think that's nostalgic. Scooting along to the gift shop...

The main history museum in HK is an enjoyable visit. Easily can be finished in 90 minutes or less. Also, the museum (at least at the writing of this review in Jan 2023) is free to enter for everybody.

We happened to stop by on a free day for the museums and let me tell you, this is way more fun than the Science Museum. I tried to soak in as much information as I can before I got to my dinner plans-- starting from Prehistoric HK (which was really cool, by the way), to the different dynasties with all their cool little buildings and rooms I could go into. I really wish they had a larger exhibition of these, but I know they have a lot to teach! The banking and Opium war parts were of more interest to my bf, but I learned a lot about Colonialism in HK too. I also found out that there are different subsets of people in HK with their own garments and traditions. Things got darker in the war section/Japanese occupation and with the sound effects, I imagined what it was like for some of my family to be caught in this period of time. We see the aftermath of the occupation, extreme poverty, and then we move onto brighter cheerier things. Hong Kong was also a victim of the fads of pop culture, as America was. You see more convenience in things and items that they might have owned if they had money. Then it got to the return to China in '97 and modern times. If you look down from there, you see the people viewing Prehistoric HK, which was quite funny to me. This was a very informative visit and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I learned a lot and am hoping to go back to really take my time at each exhibit if I had more time in HK.

I was here during one of the slower days on our vacation to Hong Kong. I was not exactly looking to learn anything on a vacation trip. But my relatives thought it would be a good place for the kids so we took a ride to a busy downtown area just for the Museum. I was wrong, the HK Museum of History was awesome. The exhibit takes you from Pre-historic time of the Hong Kong area to Modern Day. The prehistoric part of the good, it goes over the land mass of the area and what they thought Hong Kong would look like a zillion years ago. It really got interesting when they got to what HK was like during the dynasties, the post dynasties, the opium war era, the Brit took over, the times, WW II, all the way to modern times. It was truly an eye opener. I would recommend this to anyone. Keep in mind, it takes a good 2-3 hours to tour the museum, and there are plenty of things to do right outside.

Hong Kong has such a fascinating history that needs to be shared with the world. Sure, many people are familiar with the British occupation, the economic boom, and the reintegration to Mainland China that continues to be spoken about to this day. However, the museum offers a glimpse at the early life of villagers in HK and the traditions that have been retained and crafted with the Han Chinese and English making their way into the territory. The museum is easy to locate and is completely free. They used to charge for admission but have since opened up to the public, presumably to encourage visitors to understand the history of this area. The exhibits are well established and maintained. You start from prehistoric eras where you learn about the natural geology of Hong Kong island, and move into the ethnic groups local to the area. You learn about their histories and observances, and see the drastic difference from the megacity that HK is today. Each exhibit has English and Chinese, and many also have videos that you can watch to help you in your journey of understanding. The second piece of the HK story focuses on British rule, the Japanese occupation, and the eventual handover to the PRC. Every piece was fascinating and you learn to appreciate the identity that HK has created for itself through the museum. Interesting tidbit: The handover section of 1997 is quite short for such a monumental event. Must mean something! If you have an hour or two to spend, this museum should definitely be high up on your lists!

This is a great museum, and it will change different themes. You won't be bored

I originally wanted to go to the Hong Kong Art Museum and Space Museum but unfortunately both were closed long term for a giant renovation. Not to be discouraged, I looked up more museums to visit and in hindsight now I am very happy I chanced upon this place. My mother is from Hong Kong so she was hyped about this place and especially loved the 1950s onwards section of the museum (since it mirrored her own childhood), but I'm not from Hong Kong myself and still found this place first rate. I came on a Wednesday (bc it's free ofc!) morning and spent half my day here. I'm used to museums in Canada being huge because we have a lot of space, but in HK everything is downsized, so I was pleasantly surprised to find this museum almost around the same size as the ROM back home. That is to say, its big; so you can easily spend a full day here, and its equally as entertaining for HK locals as it is for foreign visitors. More generally speaking though, I was pleasantly surprised that museums in HK are a lot cheaper than in Toronto, we're talking a difference of $20 CAD and $10 HKD, which is maybe 10 - 12 times the price. I found all the exhibits absolutely fascinating. The geology exhibit was solid and the animal exhibit was standard fare, but the museum was organized well so things only got more interesting from there. I really liked how there were a lot of large-scale, open air exhibits that you could walk through, some interactive, some not. It's nice to not see everything encased in glass and untouchable. The giant models of things like ships, rice basins, archways, and even housing situations made the museum more engaging than if everything was shown through pictures or small models in cases. It felt as if we were truly revisiting the past. My favourite exhibits were the ship-house, the old house/custom exhibit (with things like old wedding customs, festival activities, etc), and the Forbidden City (or was it the Ruined City?) which basically reconstructed an entire street full of old shops like medicine sellers, clothes stores, tea houses, pawn shops, etc so you could walk down an entire street as if it were the olden days. One of my majors is East Asian Studies, so this was right up my alley and I was very excited to see stuff I read about in my books come to life. Also, I watched a lot of Chinese dramas growing up thanks to my mother, so it was cool to see some familiar stuff and be able to learn about new things too. All in all, a fantastic museum. Great exhibits, good range of content, many different topics, quite interactive, and really gorgeous. Until now, I think this is the best of the museums I have gone to. Next time I go to HK I will be sure to come here again to look at everything in detail, and to also see the Art Museum and Space Museum I missed out on this time.

After being disappointed by a number of subpar museums in Hong Kong, I was impressed by how great the musuem of history was! The Hong Kong Museum of History is one of my favorite places to go in Hong Kong! For a low admission price of $10 ($5 for seniors), you can easily kill a few hours seeing displays and reading the rich history of Hong Kong. You start off the museum by seeing the geological side of Hong Kong. Including animals that used to live here and how prehistoric people used to live. As you go through the museum, you pass by the eras such as the Kowloon Walled City, Hakka villages, wedding traditions, Cheung Chau bun festival, through when the British took over, as well as when the Japanese took over during World War 2. Finishing up with when China took back Hong Kong and how people used to live in the 70s, 80s and to date. I'm greatly impressed by how detailed this museum was. Not only do they have displays, but they actually have a replica old street you can walk through to live like the old days. Personally I think the most interesting part was when the Japanese took over. It's something you don't hear much of. Seeing how Hong Kong looked like back when the British was in charge was pretty cool too. Overall this is easily the best museum in Hong Kong locals and visitors can both enjoy! It's also conveniently located by east Tsim Sha Tsui. If heading there by MTR, the closest way is to Jordan station Austin road exit.

If you can only give 5 stars to one museum in Hong Kong, this gonna be the one. Even for the locals. (actually, especially for the locals.) With the lack of support from the government, museums in Hong Kong are meh at best. But this is something different. You can tell right away. Special exhibitions are held on the ground level, separated from the rest of the exhibition. It was about Han Dynasty - and they have some legit gems shown. One of the highlights was the "Jade burial suit" (金縷玉衣). I was so sure it's a replica, but no, it was the original piece. What a pleasant surprise. The rest of the regular exhibitions was designed very carefully, like leading you through the journey of the history of Hong Kong. I know travelers would be very interested to learn about the opium wars and the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. But for me, it was more interesting to learn about the fossils and ancient rock carving in Hong Kong, and the daily lives of Hong Kong people in the not-too-distance past. The best piece I liked the most was the old street. Old banks, old post office, old pawn shop, old Chinese med store... it felt real. Leading to the real, retired tram at the end of the street, which was a nice connection to the modern day Hong Kong. The last bit about 1997 handover is a bit forced from the point of view of a local, but I guess it's quite an interesting story for travelers too, as having both communism (back then) and capitalism under the same country was definitely one of the firsts in modern civilization. It's a large museum (in Hong Kong's standard, anyway), and everything presented there was an integral part of Hong Kong history.

For an interesting and immersive experience of HK's history, this museum is without question one of the best I've ever been to and a must see for visitors. Spanning from the prehistoric period right through to the modern era, it was enlightening to see just how the city we see today had changed, both geologically and socially. There are multimedia attractions along with a huge range of exhibits. Set over a few floors, you start your wander through The Natural Environment which is split into two areas covering 'Landform and Climate' and 'Flora and Fauna'. The next zone, Prehistoric Hong Kong, shows exhibits from 6,000 years ago when the first humans settled in the area. The Dynasties: From The Han to the Qing covers the period after the prehistoric era and the myriad of peoples who lived here and dynasties that ruled over them. Folk Culture was a colourful and fascinating area of the museum, with full sized replicas of 'Bun Towers' and other traditional ceremony pieces. The Opium Wars and the Cession of Hong Kong shows you what life was like when HK was ceded to Britain from China. Birth and Early Growth of the City includes lots of exhibits from the early 20th century. The Japanese Occupation has galleries of photos and items from the three years that Japan occupied the city in the 1940s. The last gallery, Modern Metropolis and the Return to China traces the story of HK's post-war development and the eventual handover in 1997. All of this in about two hours, it's a terrific way to learn all there is to know about the rich and sometimes traumatic history of HK. I wholeheartedly recommend paying the museum a visit.

Like many of the museum facilities in Hong Kong, my 3 Star Yelp (a strong 3, but not a 4) is not to be a reflection that the museum is not worthy of a visit, but rather the structure and museum installations are simply dated and old (History Museum? Dated? get it?). I have this same feel of most of the museums in Hong Kong. Maybe I am tainted by all the fantastic museums in the US that are fresh and forward thinking, but I think I speak the truth on my seeing first hand how facilities around here are simply old and need a face lift. I think the Hong Kong Museum of History opened in 1975. Regardless, our intention was to go to the Science Museum, but discovered that it was closed on Thursdays, so we we went to the History Museum located directly across the courtyard from the Science Museum instead. Much larger than I would have thought and also featuring a special exhibition of "Mare Nostrum: Roman Navy & Pompeii" (at additional charge beyond museum entrance fee) that was mildly interesting, I enjoyed my time at the museum. Spacious exhibitions halls focusing on the history of Hong Kong thru the natural environment, prehistoric years, the dynasties, the Japanese occupation, British rule and daily life. Signage is in English and Chinese. There is also a really great bookstore and also a cafe. I felt unlike the Science Museum across the way which is really more geared towards kids, this museum is more geared towards teens and adults. Sure, I saw kids scattered about, but the subject matter and content addresses topics that small kids would have no interest in. The subject matter would be horribly interesting to a foreigner not familiar with Hong Kong. Also, as with most museums in Hong Kong, the entrance fee cannot be beat at $10HKD for an adult and fee admission on Wednesdays. There is certainly a lot to see and we spent 3.5 hours buzzing around, but again, not more than a 3 Star Yelp in my opinion.

We really enjoyed this museum and spent over 4 hours here learning about the history of Hong Kong. Kudos to the curators for putting the exhibits together. We really enjoy the store fronts from the Tea Shops and the Chinese Medicine Shops, plus the Chinese Opera Stage. The different small theatres with film of yester years were great reminders of how far the city has come. Love the Wars this small city has endured and how the people overcome all the different crisis man made or by nature. Worth a visit if you want to know what Hong Kong is about!

This was an unexpectedly very cool museum. The museum is a labyrinth that seems to never end walking you through the history and the life of the locals. It was very educational and good for all age groups. The museum is free as well which makes it even better!

This was a cool museum, but the organization of the exhibits was kind of weird. It is a combination political and natural history museum, and that made it strange. I enjoyed the political history exhibits from the British takeover of Hong Kong, through the Japanese occupation, on to the "give back" to China. That was all informative and cool. The natural history part, the descriptions of all the ethnic groups and the geological basis for the area, made me feel I was watching a National Geographic documentary in seventh grade.

Came here after reading reviews on Tripadvisor and Yelp. It was walking distance from our hotel, Hotel Icon, and it was 'dirt cheap'. The tickets were equivalent to about $1.50 US dollars. The museum chronicles Hong Kong's history from prehistoric times to modern times. It covers the geographic evolution of Hong Kong's landscape and early human settling to present day culture. It also touches on politics and Hong Kong's ties to other nations such as the British, Chinese and Japanese governments. Definitely worth as visit if you are a history buff, but even if you aren't its a great excuse to get out of the sweltering heat!

I was here during Chinese New Year earlier this year. I really enjoyed this museum and the thorough history of Hong Kong that it portrays. Beautifully done, if you like museums and history, then you might want to take a few hours to go through this one.

Admission is cheap, 10HKD for general admission, which is a little more than $1CDN (depending on the currency). For toddlers, 4 and under, admission is free. I also believe that Wednesdays are free admission! Their collection of Chinese history is amazing. Coming here with my parents was a huge reminisce for them because it showcased the trams that were present back in the day, the bun mountains, the houses they lived in, the "restaurants", convenient stores that sells everything, barbers, the cannons that were used, very old houses, how Chinese people got married back in the day, etc. Definitely a great place to visit if you go back to Hong Kong and would like to learn about the history of how people lived back in the day!

Love this (FREE) Museum! This is honestly such a fantastic museums that goes through the history of HK through the very early years to the British occupation, to its unique status as part of but independent from China. Super interesting for those who are into history or just learning a little more about HK! There is plenty to see in the museum with places to sit in between and plenty of A/C in the summer. You could spend hours to in the museum but a couple of hours is probably sufficient for most people. The exhibits has a lot of show rooms e.g. opium den and not just texts and ancient relics which made going through museum a more first-hand experience. The documentary showing return of HK to China was also very well made. Overall, would highly spending a couple of hours in the museum when you're on the Kowloon side!

Being a huge nerd, I always love checking out museums no matter where I travel. Every Wednesday is free museum day in HK, but last February, all the museums were admission-free for the entire month! This was actually my first time at the HK Museum of History. I highly recommend it for people who are history buffs are anyone of any age who is interested in learning about HK in general. The museum begins with the Natural Environment exhibit, where they show how civilization began back in the day aka when our ancestors were cavemen and cavewomen. They even had artifacts and skeletons from the indigenous people. The following permanent exhibits include Prehistoric HK and The Dynasties from the Han to the Qing. Here, displayed are many exhibits of the Chinese/HK culture, traditions and lifestyle from those time periods. The museum recreates some festival scenes and displays folk culture so that you can experience and understand what it was like to live during those times. The Opium Wars, birth of HK and the Japanese Occupation are also exhibited in great detail. They had lots of images from WWII which were depressing, but it was part of history that cannot be denied. The last permanent displays were of HK the modern city and return to China. In addition, there are lots of temporary exhibits. Some of the newer ones include HK pop culture as well as Chinese artifacts from different dynasties. The HK Museum of History is a place you can spend an entire day. There is a lot to see and learn about. Location is easy to get to in Tsim Sha Tsui. However, note that most of the museums (HK Art, Space and Science museums) are located by Victoria Harbour, but the HKMH is actually not in the same vicinity as those.

If you're ever travelling to Hong Kong on Wednesdays from 10AM - 6PM, I highly suggest you walk into this museum. It's free. Yes. You heard me. FREE (as all other museums on this day). Do you want to learn more about Hong Kong? What relation Hong Kong had with the British or Japanese? What kind of activities or daily life the people in Hong Kong used to/still have?! Take a walk through their permanent exhibit called "The Hong Kong Story" to learn more about the history of Hong Kong. They go way back. So far back, they talked about Hong Kong 400 million years ago. Yes, I mean rocks. If you're done with the Museum of History, you can enter the Museum of Science next door~

Must see museum. There is so much history of Hong Kong. Very interesting. Alright l was born in HK, there's so much I didn't know. It's like a walk on the memory lane. The admission is unbelievably cheap. Right now they have a special exhibition of Ming dynasty 's furniture & arts. You can easily spend half a day there. If you only have a few days in HK, make it the first thing on your to do list !!

I have been in Hong Kong for 7 years, I get my permanent residency this year (yay!) and I've only found out about this place a couple months ago. Get this, I only found out as my friend came to visit Hong Kong for the first time and went (while I was at work). He told us about how much fun and how much he learned about it, clearly shaming me and another friend (who was raised here). Subsequently, we went the very next day. It was $10 to get in, that in itself is a steal. I can't think of any other museums I've been to in the last 10 years that costed that - 10 euros maybe. We went in, in the beginning, we were goofing off a little bit, saying the neanderthal, cave men, dinosaurs and forests looks the same anywhere in the world. We quickly realised there was so much about HK that we had absolutely no idea about. Of course the most obvious opium wars, fisheries, and stuff we knew. It turned out that we actually didn't know a lot about Hong Kong history despite living here for such an extended period of time. It was interesting to see the transition of Hong Kong, how it became what it is today. My favourite part however was seeing what Hong Kong looked like just 30-40 years ago compared to our modern Hong Kong we have now. It was an excellent learning experience to see how HK evolved over the years and even seeing the more recent changes since 97. The movie at the end of the history museum is worth watching. Another place to show my tourist friends.

We had no idea what to expect. We needed to kill time in Kowloon, and my friend saw this. We weren't sure if it was History of HK, or just a generic old history museum. It's the latter, but has a huge exhibit of the former. We spent about 5 hours or so in there. The exhibit takes you from pre-history all the way through the departure of the British. The story of Hong Kong is amazing, and seeing the transitions it's gone through was so cool. I can't speak to the rest of the place, it had a Russian exhibit, that we didn't do.

For anyone in search of a compendium of Hong Kong's rich natural and cultural history, the Hong Kong Museum of History should be your first point of reference. The permanent exhibition 'The Hong Kong Story' takes two floors and around 2-3 hours to get through, starting with the Devonian period (400 million years ago!) and Hong Kong's natural environment, to the Handover period in 1997. They also do a couple of other prop-up exhibitions usually relating to Chinese history and culture, archaeological finds etc. Being a bit of a modern History buff, I love going here to check out footage from the Handover period. In the whole museum, there are over 50 multimedia programmes, which is a testament to the hard work and research undergone by these Hong Kong historians. The three shows in the 'Modern Metropolis and Return to China' section are definitely worth watching, particularly the 'Sino-Hong Kong Relations from 1841-1997' show, which is about 10 minutes long. You can watch real coverage from the 1997 ceremony, including the Prince of Wales and then-Governor Chris Patten boarding Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia. An extremely sobering aspect of the 'Hong Kong Story' is without a doubt the Japanese Occupation, and the museum covers this period in detail. I was swept with emotion from all the historical photography and videos, emphasizing the extremely dire conditions that plagued the Hong Kong people for three long years and eight months. There is an interesting aspect that the Hong Kong History Museum looks at: the East River Column, which is the guerilla force of thousands of resistance fighters in Hong Kong at the time. Truly makes you appreciate the Hong Kong spirit and all this little harbor has achieved in its relatively short history.

This is a great museum. I am very thankful for my friend who remind me to visit this place while I'm in Hong Kong. I spent about six hours there up until closing time and even had to be escorted out during the closing bell. There are eight so-called "galleries". Galleries One thru Four are on ground level and cover from pre-historic times thru the "China dynasties" prior to the Opium War. Galleries Five thru Eight are on the third floor and covers from the Opium War (when the island became a British colony) up to modern times. I think the most touching is Gallery Seven, which is small but is dedicated to the "three years and eight month" of Japanese occupation during World War II. The museum does a great job of replicating what buildings and businesses looked like during the different periods. There are many mini-theaters showing short videos at every gallery. These videos are shown in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English in this rotating order (thee are a few that were only in Cantonese and English). The most entertaining ones in my opinion was the one in Gallery Seven that showed how things were in the 1960's and 1970's compared to today (done using clips of Hong Kong films during those years) and the one in Gallery Eight right before the exit showing events of Hong Kong up to the China Reunification event of 1997. Speaking of the video at Gallery Seven mentioned above, I live how they put up movie posters used to advertise old Hong Kong movies as done in those days (including two of my favorite movies by Michael Sam Hui from the 1970's). It's free admission on Wednesdays (the day of week I went), but otherwise it's only HK$10 (about $1.30 U.S.). Definite bargain compared to museums here.

Very well-made history museum that takes you through prehistory to the 1997 release of Hong Kong to China by England. This comes highly recommended by people who aren't aware of Hong Kong history and are looking for an inexpensive way to spend approximately four hours. Student discounts are 50% off the full admission price of 10 Hong Kong dollars (approximately $1.29 USD as of May 22, 2015).

I throughly enjoyed this museum. It was very nicely planned out from ancient history to the present. I learned a lot about Hong Kong and the Guangdong area. The Japanese occupation in the early 40's was very sobering, not to mentioned what happened on the Mainland. It is a must see for anyone new to HK.

It's been a while since I was last here, and this museum was expanded upon since then. This was one of those places that I wanted to make sure that my friends saw before we left Hong Kong. From the creation (literally) of Hong Kong island to the return to China, the museum is very descriptive. I love the way that they explain everything too! This is one of those places that you can really get lost in time at if you are not paying attention. Being that the weather was lousy (rainy) and my younger sister was not feeling well; we decided to spend a while here. \ Going from exhibit-to-exhibit and watching all the movies/videos provided to understand what was happening, it was a great learning experience. To see how the imbalance of trade lead to the opium wars, which in turn lead to the colonization of a free port Hong Kong was amazing! Then to learn about the 4 years of occupation by the Japanese was also very interesting. No matter the age of the person, you will learn something here. On top of it, as of August 2016, the museum is free EVERYDAY thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Commission. The Lonely Planet book, didn't update that yet, and we thought that it was only free on Wednesdays. It was a pleasant surprise walking up and seeing that it was free everyday. Totally worth going to!

I have never been to this museum because it was built after I moved away from Hong Kong. It is a public museum. Therefore it the entrance fee is not very high, it is only HK$10 for one adult, which is just slightly over US$1. This will only allows you entry to the "Hong Kong Story", there is admission fee for other special exhibition. If you go on a Wedenesday, it is free for everyone. This place will give you an overview of Hong Kong's archaeology, ethnography, natural and local history. I personally am not interested in every subjects. It gives a glimpse of how Hong Kong become Hong Kong today. For me the most interesting aspect are the local custom and history, and there are plenty of replica of many objects and villages, boats etc in Hong Kong. Also, the story of what happen in the second world war, and the transition from British colony to be part of China. Well worth a visit. You can also rent an audio recording for HK$10.

As my girlfriend was on her way to meet a friend, we spent a bit of time here just to kind of "waste time" with something useful. I didn't even know we were going to come here but glad we did. We went on a Sunday which wasn't very crowded and was free. A lot of cool information in here about Hong Kong and its history. If you are into that type of thing and want something free in the city then I'd recommend the Hong Kong Museum of History.

This is an amazing museum. It covers every facet of history of Hong Kong in great detail. I was especially fascinated with the exhibits on the Opium Wars, the Japanese Occupation during World War II, and the rise of manufacturing after the war. They have spent some decent cash at creating exhibits that are thought-provoking and insightful. It was free on the day we went, but I would have gladly paid to see this museum. If you are in Hong Kong, make plans to go. It will take you through Hong Kong's history better than any documentary.

Great experience, you will learn a lot about the culture , very informational and it's free

I went on a free museum day and it was great! I learned lots about Hong Kong and my favorite piece of history was on the Opium Wars. I highly recommend the museum. Finished touring it myself in 1.5 hours and definitely a great activity to do in the afternoon.

Great museum, you can get in for cheap (10 HKD) or sometimes free during particular days or off seasons. This museum offers a comprehensive overview of Hong Kong history, and while it's not the most interactive, there are a lot of visually interesting exhibits. I did the museum in 2 hours, but felt really rushed. I would say allot 3 hours if you're the type of person who likes to read a lot of the informational text.

I really fell in love with this museum. More-so than the National Museum of Singapore, I really liked the energy of this place and the tremendous depth of historical information within the maze of exhibits. It focuses on the history of HK of course going back to Chinese Dynasties and British Colonization. Interactive installation pieces are commonplace. Rotating exhibits keep it fresh for locals. Highly recommended.

This place is outstanding. Come here and learn all about the history of Hong Kong. Timed shows throughout the day available in both Cantonese and English. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

History was my favourite subject when I was in Secondary School, so I chose it to be one of the electives for the HKDSE. We were usually required to visit the Museum of History for assignments. Though working on the thousand-word reports or essays wasn't interesting at all, I still enjoyed paying a visit to the museum.

A very well-put-together museum at a cheap price. Visiting was a very pleasant experience; it wasn't crowded, there was an interesting variety of visual and written components to the displays, and the content was really interesting. If you are limited on time, I would recommend skipping quickly through some of the ancient history stuff to get to the more interesting history of the last couple centuries (which is on the upper floor). There's free wifi in some parts of the museum, which is a plus. Definitely recommend!

One of my favorite museums in Hong Kong. Their permanent exhibit covers Hong Kong's history since the beginning of time. Definitely worth checking out. And free admission every Wednesday. Otherwise it's only HKD 10.