Karamay Museum
克拉玛依博物馆（克拉玛依市文博院）
A city museum that tells the story of the discovery and development of the Karamay oilfield. Drilling rigs, core samples and old photographs show the pioneering history of China’s first major oilfield.
The Karamay Museum (Karamay Municipal Cultural Heritage Institute) lies south of Heiyou Mountain, and it’s the best starting point for understanding this city “born of oil.” Its exhibits follow the history of oilfield exploration and development, beginning with the 1955 gusher at Ke-1 Well. Displays include crude oil samples from Ke-1 Well, a tri-cone drill bit, a Bei-Wu 40 drilling rig, along with many old photos and daily items used by the first generation of oilmen. There are also historical artifacts and geological specimens from the northwestern edge of the Junggar Basin. Beside the museum, the Dijiaozi (cellar dwelling) on Heiyou Mountain, a municipal-level cultural heritage site, preserves the dugouts where oilworkers lived in the Gobi. Visitors can enter to see the kang beds and simple furnishings.
Admission is free, but you generally need to reserve in advance via the official WeChat account. The museum is closed on Mondays, and opening hours follow official announcements. Allow 1–1.5 hours, and combine it with Heiyou Mountain, about 1 km to the north. Getting there: a taxi from the city takes about 10 minutes.
Opening hours
Approx. 10:00–18:00; closed Mondays (per official information)