Gunung Merapi Museum in Pakem Sub-District, Yogyakarta - Indonesia

Many tourists have acknowledged the richness of culture offered by Yogyakarta Indonesia, for sure. Well, not only the city offers interesting traditional arts and culture, but it is the home of attractive vacation destinations as well. In Pakem Sub-District, for example, there is famous Gunung Merapi Museum. The location is in Hargobinangun Village and it belongs to Sleman Regency. As the name suggests, the building becomes the place to learn more about Merapi Volcano including its history, myths, etc. Somehow, it is suitable for some activities like a family vacation as well.

The Nuance
The first important fact regarding Gunung Merapi Museum is related to its location. It resides on the slope of Merapi Mountain so it features cool air and amazing scenery of nature. In fact, during good weather, visitors are able to see such grandiose mountain clearly from the site. The museum resides in an area of 3.5 hectares and it has a modern exterior design. Not to mention it features several facilities like a small plaza, parking area, and park. In terms of nuance, it is a little bit quiet as not many people come in working days. On the other hand, it gets many visitors during weekends.

Exploring Gunung Merapi Museum
Before going in, visitors usually sit in the park and enjoy the scenery for a while. In this case, the best time to visit the museum is in the early morning when the weather feels the freshest. However, the view of Merapi Mountain is not quite clear due to fog. The museum opens at 9 in the morning and the ticket is indeed affordable for everyone. The question is what tourists can find inside the building. The local government decided to build the museum to provide education and information to everyone regarding the famous volcano called Merapi, actually.

No wonder, the guests can see several photos, facts, history, myths, and other related trivia regarding the mountain. Even they are able to see photos of the reminiscences of the eruption of the mountain! In the first floor, there is a mock-up of Merapi featuring smoke and rumbling sound. Not to mention it features narration and the background sound of Javanese music. For families with kids, such mock-up definitely becomes a good entertainment and education!

In the next room, several visual aids await the guests. Have no worries. The information comes in bilingual, so both local and foreign visitors can understand it well. In the second floor, the guests can see several photos of Merapi’s eruption and a display of tsunami disaster. Here is the thing. Taking pictures is allowed inside the building, but the guests should get the permission beforehand.

Nearby Attractions

• Merapi Peak
• Jogja Outbound Center
• Turgo Japanese Cave
• Pentingsari Village

How to Get There
From Adisucipto International Airport, tourists only need to head to Pakem Sub-District through Cangkringan Street. This trip takes less than an hour (only about 45 minutes) and the distance is 23.2 km. As for the tip, it is better to ride a good transportation service like a taxi or tour’s agent van.

Where to Stay

• Sambi Resort
• Kana Hotel
• Sewu Padi Hotel
• Setyawati Hotel