Surakarta Prepares to Manage Tahir Museum, Showcasing Art, Science, and Culture

RRI.CO.ID, Surakarta - The Surakarta City Administration in Central Java is preparing to manage the Tahir Museum following the completion of the one-year management period by Tahir Foundation, as agreed. The administration plans for the museum to be managed under the Museum Technical Implementation Unit (UPT Museum), while the option of developing it into a Regional Public Service Agency (BLUD) is still under consideration.

This museum was established through a collaboration between the Tahir Foundation, owned by Indonesian businessman Dato' Sri Tahir, and the Surakarta City Administration. Its construction was fully funded as a grant to the Solo City Administration to present an international-standard modern educational tourism destination.

Carrying three main pillars art, science, and culture, the museum is designed to showcase the journey of human civilization, modern science & space, and the evolution of artistic works. Beyond serving as a source of family entertainment and recreation, it is intended to function as a research hub and an educational collaboration center with nearby higher education institutions, such as Sebelas Maret University (UNS) and the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Surakarta.

Surakarta City Secretary, Budi Murtono, said the administration has been asked to immediately prepare personnel to participate in the knowledge transfer process and museum governance. This step is intended to ensure that future management continues to follow the standards established by Tahir Foundation.

“Tahir has managed this for one year. Later, they will request the city administration to immediately prepare personnel for the knowledge transfer process,” he said after a meeting with Tahir Foundation on Wednesday, 16 September 2026.

Budi added that city administration personnel will be involved in museum governance to understand the management system that has been in place. The city administration hopes the knowledge transfer process between Tahir Foundation and the city administration can proceed smoothly. “We are expected to immediately prepare human resources to join the governance there,” said Budi.

He added that, based on the information he received, visitor numbers at the Tahir Museum remain quite high. On weekends, the number of visitors is said to reach around 2,000 people, while on weekdays it ranges from 500 to 1,000 visitors.

Regarding the dinosaur fossil collection borrowed from China, Budi said the loan period for the collection is six months. After the loan period ends, the return of the original fossils and the possibility of replacing the collection remain under discussion.

“Earlier, they offered that the museum has a network. That will later be offered for collaboration with other museums,” he said. (Annaila Azzahra-EN)