The Seri Menanti Royal Museum is one of the famous landmarks in Negeri Sembilan and it is also one of the places you must visit when you visit the state. It is housed in the unique Old Palace building (Istana Seri Menanti) in the small town of Seri Menanti in the Kuala Pilah district of Negeri Sembilan.







It served as a palace and official residence of the Negri Sembilan ruling family until a newer brick palace was built nearby in 1932. The whole structure is elevated on stilts and the lowest floor was used as a hall for official audiences, while the second floor housed chambers for the royal family. Above that was the Yang Dipertuan Besar’s private apartment.





Your visit to the Seri Menanti Royal Museum will definitely be a meaningful one as the Seri Menanti Royal Museum outlook as well as the interior designs was completely built with the concept of the Minangkabau traditional architecture.

The most amazing part of the Seri Menanti Royal Museum is the fact that this museum is built without using a single nail or screw. This portrays the determination, creativity, and talent of the Malaysian in able to construct such a stable building which had been surviving for more than 100 years since 1902 (the date it was built). Visiting the museum will thus allow you to see with your own eyes the magnificent architecture of the museum as well as to understand more of the Malaysian royal tradition and culture in the museum itself.

The other obvious feature of the Seri Menanti Royal Museum is the roof of the museum. Nowhere to be seen in any other foreign countries, the roof design of the Seri Menanti Royal Museum was designed based on the Minangkabau traditional architecture, following the similar designs of the village houses roofs. Thus, one step into the Seri Menanti Royal Museum will definitely gives you the atmosphere of the Malaysian tradition and the effort Malaysian had poured in when they built the museum.

Seri Menanti Royal Museum gardenThe external look of the Seri Menanti Royal Museum is undeniably amusing; however, you must not forget to step into the museum itself, in which you will find yourself being escorted around the small villages located inside. In this short tour, you will be exposed to more traditional architectures of the Minangkabau through the village’s setting as well as the designs used in building the houses in the small village.

After a tour in the Seri Menanti Royal Museum, you can now step out of the museum and enjoy the jaw-dropping views around the museum, or you can even proceed to the highest level of the museum to see the overview surroundings of the museum. You can also enjoy horse rides outside the Seri Menanti Royal Museum or capture some pictures for remembrance at the horse carriages situated outside the museum.

NOTE: As of 2021 Feb, the Palace is partially closed for renovation. Only ground floor is accessible to visitors, please double check if you plan a visit.