Exploring the Penang War Museum | Southeast Asia’s Largest WWII Museum

The Penang War Museum is billed as the largest war museum in Southeast Asia, built into a WWII-era British fort on a hillside in Penang. I’ll be honest, I didn’t read up much before going. It was recommended to us, so Shum and I went to see for ourselves.

Shum drove us there. Admission when I went was RM 38 (about $9) for international adults and RM 20 for kids 5 to 12, with lower prices for Malaysians with a MyKad (RM 22 adults, RM 12 kids). Check current prices before you go.

Follow the arrow. The staff’s advice at the entrance was simple: follow the arrows. Plan on 40 minutes to an hour. The history covers World War II, back when the country was still Malaya; it only became Malaysia after independence.

A lot of what’s here is out in the open rather than behind glass, including old bicycles, weapons and even a katana. You can tell plenty of visitors have handled things. Look up and you’ll see netting strung between the trees, which kept the site camouflaged from the air when it was filled with leaves.

The tunnels. The fort is a maze of bunkers and tunnels: an ammunition storage tunnel, rifle racks, an explosives dump about four stories underground, and anti-aircraft gun pits. There’s also an escape tunnel you can crawl through, about 9 meters of it. I’m a big guy, and my knees did not love it. This would have been a good day to wear pants. Shum’s advice to do it anyway was questionable, but I’m glad I did.

The darker side. The site also has a guillotine, gallows and prison cells, and even in daylight it has a spooky feel. I can see why they run evening tours, and why the place has a haunted reputation. I didn’t notice it during the first part of the tour, but once you reach the area where the soldiers and prisoners were housed, you get an uneasy feeling rather quickly.

Go prepared. Shum promised me air conditioning. There is none. Even on an overcast day it was hot and muggy, with no breeze on the hill. Wear comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting dirty (long pants if you plan to crawl), and bring water.

Afterward, we drove up to the north coast of Penang with no real plan and ended up at a small Japanese restaurant by the water, where Shum found out I’d never tried sushi. I tried it. It was pretty good. One more thing off the bucket list.

Is it worth it? If you only have a couple of days in Penang, I’d skip it, unless you’re a history buff. In that case, go. The site is fascinating, and being able to crawl through the tunnels yourself makes it a really cool experience.