Welcome to the museums in and around Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh has at least two of the more interesting museums in Southeast Asia, and those of Tuol Sleng and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields should not be missed by anyone wishing to understand Cambodia’s recent history, and why Cambodia is in its present state. In addition, the National Museum has very decent collection of artifacts relating to Khmer history.

The National Museum is housed in a well-designed terra cotta building a few meters north of the Grand Palace. Its strength is in its stone sculpture collection, and guides are available in English and French. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 8am-11:30am, 2pm-5:30pm

A visit to the Tuol Sleng Museum is a sobering, but worthwhile experience. A former school, Tuol Sleng was designated by Pol Pot as prison S-21, where an estimated 17,000 people were detained and tortured prior to being taken to the Killing Fields, where they were murdered. The Khmer Rouge were masters of documentation, and photos of the detainees are on display, as are shackles, and other instruments of despair. You will be offered a tour guide for roughly $2 USD, and you should accept, as your guide will have lost family members and can answer any questions you may have. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 7am-11:30am, 2pm-5:30pm

The Choeng Ek killing fields lie just outside Phnom Penh, and today serve as a tribute to those killed there. Over 8,000 were disinterred, and their skulls are arranged in a glass-enclosed tower. Walking around the burial pits themselves, your shoes will encounter the odd bone fragment or bit of clothing.