RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The ‘Museum Pusaka’ or Heritage Museum, located along the southern route of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII), features a unique roof shaped like a keris or a traditional Indonesian dagger. The 1,535-square-meter building was officially inaugurated by President Soeharto on April 20, 1993.

Based on the TMII website, the museum was originally built to house the private collection of Sri Lestari. The collection was later donated to be managed publicly.

Today, the museum houses the most comprehensive collection of traditional weapons in Indonesia. The primary mission of the institution is to preserve these invaluable historic weapons.

In addition to serving as an exhibition space, the building also functions as a cultural research center. Experts can easily study the history of traditional weapon-making here.

The indoor facilities are comprehensively designed with visitor comfort in mind. The museum features an information room, a library, and a specialized conservation room dedicated to cleaning and maintaining the delicate heirlooms.

Upon entering the exhibition hall, visitors can view various heirlooms spanning different eras. There is a large collection of ancient weapons neatly displayed in glass cases.

In addition to the weapons themselves, the gallery displays the specific types of wood historically used to craft keris handles, giving visitors insight into the natural materials favored by ancient artisans. There is also a dedicated room called a ‘besalen’, which is a life-sized replica of a traditional keris blacksmith's workshop.

Some of the most famous highlights of the collection include the ancient Nagasasra Sabuk Inten keris. The museum also displays other legendary weapons, such as the kujang blade, which dates back to the era of the Padjajaran Kingdom.

To engage the public, the museum management frequently hosts periodic exhibitions and even offers public heirloom-cleaning workshops. The Museum Pusaka is open to the public daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Jakarta time. Visitors looking to explore need not worry about ticket costs, as the management waives the admission fee, making entry free for everyone.