Sabah State Museum

Muzium Sabah

A state museum styled after a Rungus longhouse, with ethnic costumes, headhunting culture, a whale skeleton and an outdoor Heritage Village of traditional houses from Sabah's ethnic groups: the best introduction to Borneo.

The Sabah State Museum sits on a hillside about 3 km south-west of the city centre. Completed in 1984, the main building imitates the traditional longhouses of the Rungus and Murut peoples, and it is the most comprehensive place to learn about the history and cultures of northern Borneo. The ethnographic gallery displays costumes, musical instruments, hunting tools and skulls related to headhunting customs of more than 30 groups, including Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau and Murut. The history gallery covers the British North Borneo Company's colonial rule, the Japanese occupation during the Second World War, and the 1963 accession to Malaysia. The natural history gallery features a blue whale skeleton stranded in Sabah waters in the 1980s, along with abundant animal and plant specimens. There are also galleries on ceramics and Islamic civilisation. The outdoor Heritage Village in the museum garden recreates the traditional buildings of several groups: a Kadazan-Dusun bamboo house, a Bajau water house, a Murut longhouse and a Chinese farmhouse, which visitors can enter. Next door, the Science Centre showcases the oil industry and local technology. Entry for foreigners is about 15 ringgit (half price for children). It is open 09:00 to 17:00, and a visit takes about 1.5 hours. Nearby, the Sabah State Mosque (gold dome) and the Sabah Art Gallery on the waterfront can be visited on the way. Transport: from the city centre, Grab takes about 10 minutes (about 8 to 10 ringgit), and Bus No. 13 also runs. Note: restricted photography areas are signposted. The outdoor village is hot at midday, so see it before going indoors. The museum is open as usual on Mondays.

Sabah State Museum

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby