Angkor National Museum

What to See at the Angkor National Museum

The Eight Galleries

The museum is organised chronologically and thematically across eight galleries — covering pre-Angkorian history, the rise of the Khmer Empire, religious belief (Hindu and Buddhist), Angkorian-era costume, and the lives of the kings who built Angkor Wat, Bayon, and the rest of the temple complex. Each gallery uses video and well-translated signage rather than dense text panels.

The Gallery of a Thousand Buddhas

The museum’s signature room displays several hundred bronze, sandstone, and wooden Buddha statues recovered from temples and pagodas across Cambodia, many dating from the Angkorian period through to the present.

Religious and Costume Galleries

Dedicated rooms explain how Hinduism and Buddhism coexisted and shifted in dominance across different reigns — directly useful context for understanding why some Angkor temples are dedicated to Shiva or Vishnu and others to the Buddha.

How to Get to the Angkor National Museum

The museum is in Siem Reap town on Charles de Gaulle Boulevard, on the road toward the Angkor Archaeological Park — not inside the park itself.

• Tuk-tuk: $2–3 from most central Siem Reap hotels
• Walking: Possible from hotels near the river or National Road 6, 15–20 minutes
• Combine with: Visiting before your first day at Angkor gives useful context; visiting after works as a way to identify what you just saw

Best Time to Visit

The museum makes an excellent midday stop — air-conditioned, shaded, and a welcome break from the heat of an Angkor circuit. It’s busiest in the late morning when tour groups arrive between temple visits.

Practical Information

• Ticket is separate from the Angkor Pass — not covered or discounted by it
• Audio guides are included and available in multiple languages
• Photography is permitted in most galleries; some special exhibits restrict it
• Air-conditioned throughout — a genuine relief during the hot season (Mar–Apr)

Nearby Attractions

Wat Bo, one of Siem Reap’s oldest functioning pagodas with well-preserved 19th-century murals, is a short walk away and rarely visited by tourists.