Transportation Museum – Exploring Indonesia’s Transport Heritage
The Transportation Museum is a specialized museum located within the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah complex in East Jakarta. It is part of the official Museum Indonesia network and holds a collection of historic vehicles and exhibits that illustrate the development of transportation from traditional to modern eras in Indonesia.
What Is the Transportation Museum?
The Transportation Museum is a historic institution focused on showcasing the evolution of various modes of transportation—land, sea, and air. It provides an educational experience for visitors, helping them understand how transportation technology shaped Indonesian society and contributed to national development.
Museum Category & Type
- Museum Category: Specialized Museum — dedicated to transportation history and technology.
- Museum Type: Type B — indicating significant collections and strong public educational value.
This classification underscores the museum’s role not just as a repository but as a vibrant educational institution.
Management & Ownership
The museum is owned by the Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia and managed by PTDI STTD (Politeknik Transportasi Darat Indonesia). The management team is responsible for preserving collections, organizing exhibitions, and providing educational programming.
History of the Museum
Originally planned as a railway museum, the Transportation Museum expanded to cover all transportation modes. Its foundation stone was laid by Ibu Tien Soeharto in February 1984, with construction starting in 1985. President Soeharto officially inaugurated it on 20 April 1991 to collect, preserve, research, and exhibit evidence of transportation history and its role in Indonesia’s growth.
Museum Collections
The museum’s exhibits include a rich array of transport artifacts across modes:
- Traditional transport like andong, becak, cikar, and sailing boats reflecting past mobility.
- Land transport including historic buses and locomotives.
- Maritime exhibits featuring boats and marine equipment.
- Aviation displays showcasing aircraft used in Indonesian routes.
These items are displayed through indoor and outdoor exhibitions with dioramas, models, and authentic vehicles.
Vision & Mission
The museum’s vision is to aid the government in educating the nation through museum activities.
Its mission includes:
- Promoting the history of transportation development.
- Enhancing public knowledge of transport technologies.
- Serving as an informative transportation resource.
- Educating young visitors about road safety.
- Encouraging appreciation of historical transport collections.
Role in Museum Nasional & Registration
The Transportation Museum holds a National Museum Registration Number (NPNM) 31.75.K.01.0102, showing its official entry in the Museum Nasional registry.
Registration is crucial in safeguarding cultural heritage, ensuring legal protection for museum collections, and integrating them within Indonesia’s broader museum ecosystem.
Why the Transportation Museum Matters
This museum connects Indonesia’s transport past with the present and future. It serves as an engaging learning space for students, researchers, and the general public, promoting awareness of technological progress and national history.
Located in TMII, the Transportation Museum also enhances Indonesia’s cultural tourism experience by presenting Museum Indonesia as a vibrant part of heritage education.
