Historic Buildings, Museums & Monuments in KL

KL Railway Station

With its very distinctive Moorish-style exterior, construction on the original KL Railway Station began in 1886 and was finally completed in 1910. Since then the station has undergone a number of extensive renovations and improvements to preserve and upgrade the building’s facilities. As part of these improvements, the station now has an air-conditioned waiting hall, a café, snack kiosks and a tourism information counter. Also occupying part of the station buildings is the Heritage Station Hotel.

Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin
+603-2274 6063
www.ktmb.com.my
Take the KTM Komuter train to the old Kuala Lumpur Station, exiting at the railway station itself.

Dayabumi Complex

One of the earliest skyscrapers in KL, Dayabumi Complex was built in the early 1980s. With its patterns of eight-pointed stars, and Islamic arches at the top and bottom of the tower, the building has a unique façade to it. The buildings upper floors serve as offices, with the lower and ground floors taken up by a shopping arcade, the Kuala Lumpur General Post Office, banks and restaurants.

Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin
Take the KTM Komuter train and get down at the old Kuala Lumpur Station. Alternatively, you can take the Putra LRT to Pasar Seni LRT Station. The complex is within walking distance from both these stations. You can also catch a bus to Central Market and take a short walk to the complex.

Carcosa Seri Negara

Situated on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful Lake Gardens is Carcosa Seri Negara. This early 19th century architectural wonder was once the residence of the British Governor and British High Commissioner. Styled in the tradition of British colonial mansions they have both been converted into an exclusive hotel for visiting VIPs. Queen Elizabeth II herself made Carcosa Seri Negara her choice of accommodation during her visit to Malaysia in 1989. The hotels restaurants are open to the public for dining.

Taman Tasik Perdana
(KL Lake Gardens)
+603-2295 0888
+603-2282 7888
www.carcosa.com.my Taxis are the best choice of transport to Carcosa Seri Negara.

Parliament House

As a fairly modern building, Parliament House is where Malaysia’s political leaders gather to discuss important matters of state and the nation. Visitors are allowed to view Parliamentary sessions by making prior arrangements with the authorities. Those visitors wishing to attend these sessions will be advised of the necessary protocols and how they should dress.

Jalan Parlimen
+603-2072 1955
+603-2070 4676
www.parlimen.gov.my
Take the KTM Komuter train to Bank Negara KTM Station. From here, take a taxi to Parliament House.

Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman

More fondly known as Jalan TAR by the locals here, this road is named after the first King of Malaysia. This is a great place for shopping if you are looking for local products and even food. There is also a night market here every Saturday, from 5pm till 10pm. In this area, visitors can feast their eyes at the variety of buildings with interesting traditional architectural designs.

Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
Take the STAR LRT to the Bandaraya Station. From there, cross the road and walk pass Sogo Shopping Complex, along Jalan Esfahan. Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman is just five minutes away from Jalan Esfahan.

Merdeka Square

At precisely 12.01am on 31st August 1957, the Union Jack was lowered for the last time on Malaysian soil, and the Malaysian flag was raised – marking the end to British colonial rule and the beginning of Malaysia’s independence. It was at Merdeka Square or Dataran Merdeka that shouts o f “Merdeka!” which means “ Independence” were heard across the city – during the early hours on that historic day in August. Today, a 100-metre high flagpole, said to be one of the tallest in the world proudly carries the Malaysian flag. The Square remains an important place for national events such as National Day celebrations and street parades. Situated at one corner of the Square is the Royal Selangor Club, once a popular social centre for British residents & expatriates. The building’s charming architecture provides a glimpse of the mock-Tudor design still found in some of England’s old buildings. Today, the club is exclusively for members with a wide range of sporting facilities and restaurants.

Jalan Raja
Take the Putra LRT or STAR LRT to Masjid Jamek LRT Station (Putra underground) or (STAR overhead). After exiting from the LRT station at street level, walk north along Jalan Tun Perak approx 200 metres – keeping the old high court buildings on your left. When you reach the end of the buildings – turn left and walk for approx 50 metres along Jalan Raja Laut – Merdeka Square will be visible across the road on your right.

Royal Selangor Club

Directly opposite the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and just next to Merdeka Square, this charming Mock_Tudor building was founded in 1884, during British colonial rule. The Royal Selangor Club began as a members’ only social and cricket club for the British expatriate community in Kuala Lumpur – and remains so even today. While Cricket isn’t played on the field these days – the club still provides a number of sporting facilities and restaurants.

Jalan Raja
03-2692 7166
03-2693 4724
www.rscweb.org.my
Take the Putra LRT or STAR LRT to the Masjid Jamek LRT Station (Putra underground) or (STAR overhead). After exiting from the LRT station at street level, walk north along Jalan Tun Perak approx 200 metres – keeping the old high court buildings on your left. When you reach the end of the buildings – turn left and walk for approx 50 metres along Jalan Raja Laut – the Royal Selangor Club will be on visible across the road your right.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building

Built by the British between 1894 and 1897, and taking its name from the reigning Sultan of Selangor of the time – the beautiful Sultan Abdul Samad building still remains one of the city’s significant landmarks. Designed by A.C. Norman to house government offices during the British administration – and based on the popular Moorish architecture of the time, the building is topped by a 40m tall clock tower with a shiny copper dome. The building was used until quite recently by the Federal Court and the Court of Appeals – before moving to the Palace of Justice in Malaysia’s new federal administrative capital, Putrajaya.

Jalan Raja
Take the Putra LRT or STAR LRT to the Masjid Jamek LRT Station (Putra underground) or (STAR overhead). After exiting from the LRT station at street level, walk north along Jalan Tun Perak approx 200 metres – keeping the old high court buildings on your left. When you reach the end of the buildings – turn left and walk for approx 150 metres along Jalan Raja Laut – the Sultan Abdul Samad Building will be on your left.

KL Gallery & Library

This horseshoe-shaped Gallery and Library houses the gallery on the first floor and the library occupying the top floors. It also contains a mini auditorium, conference and training rooms and a multi-purpose hall that is open for rental besides the collection of art and literature on various subjects. The library first began as the Kuala Lumpur Memorial Library in 1989 before expansion to include the gallery and relocation to its current premises in 2004.

No. 1, Jalan Raja
+603-2692 6204 / 4780 / 2693 2908
+603 2693 7313
10:30 to 18:45 (Tues–Sat), 14:00 to 18:45 (Mon), 11:00 to 17:00 (Sun).
Closed on first weekends of the month, third Saturdays of the month and Public Holidays. www.klcitylib.dbkl.gov.my

KL Children’s Library

This horseshoe-shaped Gallery and Library houses the gallery on the first floor and the library occupying the top floors. It also contains a mini auditorium, conference and training rooms and a multi-purpose hall that is open for rental besides the collection of art and literature on various subjects. The library first began as the Kuala Lumpur Memorial Library in 1989 before expansion to include the gallery and relocation to its current premises in 2004.

Jalan Raja
+603-2612 3514
www.klcitylib.dbkl.gov.my

Panggung Bandaraya (City Hall Theatre)

KL’s former townhouse is now a theatre celebrating the arts and is open to public booking for various productions. With refurbished interiors after the 1992 fire destroyed it, Panggung Bandaraya’s 350-person capacity seating gallery is replete with state-of-the-art sound and lighting system and plush interiors. The 105-year heritage site is attached to the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate and Sessions Court building, diagonally across Padang Merdeka and the Royal Selangor Club.

Corner of Jalan Raja and Jalan Tun Perak
03-2617 6307
03-2698 3820
www.dbkl.gov.my/panggung/index.php

Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman @The Heritage Centre

The Heritage Centre is located in a mock Tudor building dating from 1925. Among the attractions of the centre is a unique bamboo hut built by the Orang Asli (natives) of the Temiar community and Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman. The centre hosts regular exhibitions with a heritage theme and has a gift shop and reference library.

The Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman was originally located at a small village in Kampung Sungai Kechil, Bandar Bharu, in Kedah. This local headman’s house was restored and relocated at Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur with the aid of an NGO, Badan Warisan Malaysia (the Heritage of Malaysia Trust). This award winning, Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman is a fine example of a traditional Malay house, which was given an honourable mention during the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation in 2000. There are 3 main sections in the house, which are the balai rumah (main hall), rumah Ibu (main house), and the kitchen/dining room. The Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman is now a cultural and educational exhibit for tourists and Malaysians alike.

No. 2, Jalan Stonor
+603-2144 9273
+603-2145 7884
11:00 to 15:00 (guided tours)
Upon minimum donation of RM 5.00
www.badanwarisan.org.my
Jalan Stonor is one of the inner routes of Kuala Lumpur. To get there, take the Putra LRT and get down at Ampang Park LRT Station, then take a short taxi ride from the station.

Merdeka Square

Perhaps Malaysia’s most treasured museum is located near Lake Gardens and houses some of the nation’s most important historic heritage. The architecture of the National Museum comprises 26 concrete pillars (13 pillars to the east and the west of the building, representing the states in Malaysia), positioned to reflect the features of a traditional Malay palace. The mural on the west side of the building illustrates the economic activities, traditional ceremonies and customs inherited by the Malaysian society. On the east side of the building facing Jalan Travers, the mural represents a chronological event significant to the Malay History from the eminent Malacca Malay Sultanate, colonization and the independence of Malaysia in 1957. Visitors can take a walk down memory lane as they make their way through the museum’s four main galleries: Gallery A (Culture Exhibitions), Gallery B (Faces of Malaysia), Gallery C (Nature) and Gallery D (subcategorized to Weapons, Music and Ceramic). The galleries will take you back through the nation’s development over the past few decades, as visitors get the chance to relive Malaysian history. Special thematic exhibitions are also held from time to time.

Jalan Damansara
+603-2282 6255
+603-2282 6434
09:00 to 18:00 daily
RM 2.00 (adults); Free (children below 12 years old)
www.museum.gov.my
www.jmm.gov.my
Take the Putra LRT, the KTM Komuter train or the Monorail to KL Sentral Station. From there, take a taxi the short distance to the museum.

Tugu Negara (National Monument)

Situated near to Parliament house, this bronze war memorial is dedicated to those who died during the 12-year Malayan Emergency proclaimed after a communist insurrection in 1948. Built in 1966, Tugu Negara depicts seven men from the Malaysian Security Forces, symbolizing the seven qualities of – leadership, unity, strength, vigilance, suffering, courage and sacrifice.

Jalan Parlimen
Take the KTM Komuter train and get down at Bank Negara KTM Station. Take a short walk downhill to the T-junction, and turn left – you will see Bank Negara on your left. From there follow the signs to Jalan Parlimen until you see the traffic light. The entrance to the monument is on your right.

Memorial Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra

Erected in honour of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia (1957-1970), this three-building memorial houses artifacts and memorabilia relating to the life and times of Malaysia’s ‘Father of Independence’.

Jalan Dato’ Onn
+603-2694 7277
Free 10:00 to 17:30 (Tues-Sun) Closed on Mondays except Public and School Holidays and Fridays between 12:15 to 15:00.
Take the KTM Komuter to the Bank Negara Station and take a taxi there.

Memorial Tun Abdul Razak

The Sri Taman Building, which was the official residence of Tun Abdul Razak, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia (1970-1976) who is Malaysia’s ‘Father of Development’, houses effects, documents and even a mock office of the Prime Minister among the 2 Phases of the exhibits.

Jalan Perdana
03-2693 7740
Free
08:00 to 16:30 (Weekdays), 08:00 to 12:45 (Sat) A taxi is the best way to get there.

Museum of Aboriginal Affairs

Museum of Aboriginal Affairs Located just a short distance away from the city, the museum showcases local Orang Asli people, the country’s first natives. Living much of their lives in the tropical jungles of Malaysia, it’s now thought that these people were among the first to have walked across this land. The museum pays tribute to the aborigines, with vivid displays of their evolution, achievements, ethnic groups within the Orang Asli, and the age-old traditions of their way of life.

24 km, Gombak
+603-6182 2122
09:00 to 17:00 (Sat–Thurs)
Take a Rapid KL bus (No. 174) from Lebuh Ampang in the city and ask the driver to drop you off at the museum. Alternatively, take a taxi.

Royal Police Museum

The Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) Museum takes you on a history of policing from the earliest days of the Melaka Sultanate right through the current police force. Opened in 1961 at the Police Training Centre in Jalan Semarak, it was relocated to this 1.2-hectare site in 1997 to keep up with the 2000-odd collection of artefacts, information and displays which show Malaysian law enforcement at work.

No. 5 Jalan Perdana
+603-2272 5689/ 5690/ 2473 4740
Free
10:00 to 18:00 (Tues-Sun), Closed on Mondays and Fridays between 12:30-14:30 A taxi is the best way to get there.

Malaysian Armed Forces Museum

The Malaysian Armed Forces Museum was established in 1985 to develop and preserve the nation’s collection of historical material in relation to Malaysian military history from 1933 to the present day. The collection of artefacts for the museum began in 1961 with the encouragement of General Tunku Osman Tunku Mohd Jewa. The museum is located in the vicinity of the Ministry of Defence complex and houses an interesting collection of artefacts from World War II, the Communist Insurgency and Indonesian Confrontation.

Jalan Padang Tembak
+603- 2692 1333
10:00 to 16:00 (closed on Fridays, Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji) maf.mod.gov.my
Take the Putra LRT to Setiawangsa LRT Station. From there, take a taxi to the Ministry of Defence building, the museum is located within the building.

Islamic Arts Museum

Visitors can begin to gain an appreciation for the beauty of Islamic art and the great civilization that provided the foundation for the exhibits in this museum. Galleries in the museum have their own individual theme, with exhibits and priceless treasures such as Islamic manuscripts, metalwork and textiles, ceramics & glassware, arms, armours and coins. Among the featured displays included are some beautiful replicas of famous buildings like the Taj Mahal in India, the Amir Timur Mausoleum in Uzbekistan and the Masjid Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, these exhibits are found in the Islamic Architecture Gallery.

Jalan Lembah Perdana
+603-2274 2020
+603-2274 0529
10:00 to 18:00
RM 12.00 (adults), RM 6.00 (students with ID and senior citizens aged 55 and above), and free for children below 6 years old www.iamm.org.my
Take the KTM Komuter train to the old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. The museum is a 10min walk away – overlooking the National Mosque.

Cultural Craft Museum

The museum located within the Craft Cultural Complex provides an insight into the amazing history and development of Malaysian crafts. As a special feature of the museum visitors are able to see for themselves life-size representations of artisans at work, including the tools they use for their craft, the look of their workplace and their works of art. Featuring songket-weaving, batik-making, woodcarving, pottery-making and boat building, handicraft items can also be purchased from the craft shop inside the museum.

Jalan Conlay
+603-2162 7533
09:00 to 18:00
RM 3.00 (adults),
RM 1.00 (children aged 7-12 years)
Take the Monorail and get down at the Raja Chulan Monorail Station. From the exit, walk towards Wisma Genting and the Novotel Hydro Majestic Hotel. Walking along the sidewalk with Prince Hotel and Residences on your left, continue straight until you see the museum on your right.

Istana Negara (National Palace)

Istana Negara is the official residence of His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong, the paramount ruler of Malaysia. The palace was originally known as the Chan Wing Residence and was built by a local Chinese millionaire in 1928. Situated on a hill occupying 11 hectares along Jalan Syed Putera, the design of the palace is a mixture of Chinese and European architecture. Inside the palace, the Balairung Seri Utama is used for hosting dinner functions and other ceremonies such as conferring awards and medals by the Yang DiPertuan Agong to people who have contributed to the nation. Unfortunately visitors and outsiders are not allowed entry to the palace.

Jalan Conlay
+603-2162 7533
09:00 to 18:00
RM 3.00 (adults),
RM 1.00 (children aged 7-12 years)
Take the Monorail and get down at the Raja Chulan Monorail Station. From the exit, walk towards Wisma Genting and the Novotel Hydro Majestic Hotel. Walking along the sidewalk with Prince Hotel and Residences on your left, continue straight until you see the museum on your right.

Malaysia Tourism Centre (MTC)

This original colonial building was built in 1935 as the family residence of Eu Tong Seng, a rich tin miner and rubber estate owner. Later the house was converted to a British military base and subsequently became the headquarters of the Japanese army during the Second World War. Since then, the building has been used as the location of several significant events, including the first sitting of Malaysia’s Parliament and for installation ceremonies of numerous kings of Malaysia. Today, this former residence has become a one-stop tourism information centre. Visitors can book a tour, change money, make hotel reservations, access to the Internet, arrange a trishaw ride around the city, make international phone calls, and book air or bus tickets to certain destinations in Malaysia. There’s also a souvenir shop and a tourist police centre. For visitors wanting to sample the culinary delights of Malaysia, make your way to the Saloma Theatre Restaurant, located in the right wing of the centre – guests can also enjoy cultural performances in the auditorium.

Jalan Ampang
+603-9235 4848, 1300-88-5776, (Saloma Theatre Restaurant: 03-2161 0122) 08:00 to 22:00 daily
www.mtc.gov.my
Take the KL Monorail to the Bukit Nanas Monorail Station (overhead) – exiting at street level, turn right into Jalan Ampang and walk approx 150 metres heading east along Jalan Ampang – MTC is on your right.

Galeria Sri Perdana

During the leadership of Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (1981-2003), the country experienced significant rapid development, markedly transforming Malaysia and putting the nation firmly on the international stage. Through Prime Minister Mahathir’s visionary foresight, Malaysia became the industrialized nation it is today. Sri Perdana was his official residence for 16 years and now houses a gallery with a unique collection of his personal belongings and artefacts.

Jalan Terengganu, Off Jalan Damansara
+603-2072 0033, +603-2072 2664
10:00 to 17:00 (closed on Mondays and from 12:00 to 15:00 on Fridays)
www.arkib.gov.my/sriperdana.htm
Taxis are the best way to get to the gallery.