The National Taiwan Museum stands at the entrance to 228 Peace Park in central Taipei, a short walk from Taipei Main Station. Opened in 1908, it is Taiwan’s oldest museum, with exhibits on the island’s natural history, Indigenous cultures and past. The main building’s neoclassical design is part of the visit: look up at the stained-glass skylight in the central hall. Your ticket also covers the Paleontology Museum in the former Land Bank building across the street, where dinosaur displays add a family-friendly stop. Plan about two hours to see both.
A museum founded in 1908
The National Taiwan Museum traces its origins to 1908, when it was established during Japanese rule. Its present main building in 228 Peace Park was completed in 1915. The museum is regarded as Taiwan’s oldest, and its collections bring together natural history and the human history of the island.
The building is part of the experience. Its Renaissance-inspired design includes a high central hall, Corinthian columns and a stained-glass skylight. Pause in the hall to take in the ceiling and architectural detail before moving on to the exhibits.
Taiwan’s natural and cultural history
Displays cover subjects including Indigenous cultures, plants, animals and the island’s geological past. The museum’s departments include anthropology, earth sciences, zoology, botany and education. Some exhibits use interactive elements, and family-oriented displays give children ways to engage with the material.
The collections include objects connected with Taiwan’s Indigenous communities and historical records. Among the notable items are a Formosan flag bearing a yellow tiger against a blue field, a Chinese map of Taiwan from the Kangxi period, and cowhide armor associated with the Tao people. Exhibits also explore butterflies and Taiwan’s changing history, from Indigenous life through later periods.
Across the street at the former Land Bank
The ticket also includes the Paleontology Museum, housed in the former Land Bank of Taiwan building opposite the main museum. The bank building dates to 1933, when it operated as a branch of Japan’s Quanye Bank. It later became the Land Bank of Taiwan’s head office. A restoration and reuse project brought it into the museum in 2010.
Inside, look for the dinosaur and wildlife displays, including a large dinosaur skeleton, as well as the former bank’s vault and counting rooms. The two buildings give the visit a different rhythm: the main museum focuses on Taiwan’s natural and cultural history, while the former bank adds a paleontology collection in an unusual historic setting.
Perguntas frequentes
How long should I spend at the National Taiwan Museum?
Set aside about two hours to explore the main building and the Paleontology Museum across the street.
Does the ticket include the Paleontology Museum?
Yes. Admission to the Paleontology Museum in the former Land Bank building across the street is included.
What can you see at the National Taiwan Museum?
The collections cover Taiwan’s natural history, Indigenous cultures, plants, animals, geology and human history. The nearby Paleontology Museum has dinosaur and wildlife displays.
When is the National Taiwan Museum open?
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on Mondays.
