Ancient Siam: The Worlds Largest Outdoor Museum

Want to venture a little further out of the inner city for a few hours? We know the perfect place. Approximately an hours drive out of central Bangkok lies Ancient Siam, also known as Mueang Boran and formally known as Ancient City.

Ancient Siam, Bangkok, Thailand

One of the worlds largest outdoor museums, this 200 acre city features 109 (mostly scaled down) replicas of Thailand’s most famous buildings, attractions and monuments.

Ancient Siam, Bangkok, Thailand

The museum is the creation of Thai businessman Lek Viriyaphant, who also founded the equally impressive Erawan Museum situated close by.

Ancient Siam, Bangkok, Thailand

Set in beautifully landscaped grounds, we think Ancient Siam is well worth a visit.

Ancient Siam, Bangkok, Thailand

Ancient Siam proudly celebrates everything Thai – even the grounds the museum is set in are shaped like the outline of Thailand! There are replicas of grand palaces, temples, shrines, Buddha images and even a floating market.

Ancient Siam, Bangkok, Thailand

Every facet of Thai life from every corner of the country, and every period in history are represented, from Thailand’s pre-history, to the Northern Thai ‘Lanna’ style buildings still popular today.

Ancient Siam, Bangkok, Thailand

Many of the replicas are of buildings which no longer actually exist, and the idea of Ancient Siam is to help preserve Thai history, culture and customs for future generations – which we think the museum does very well.

Ancient Siam, Bangkok, Thailand

If walking around exploring 200 acres of Thai culture and history in one day sounds a little tiring, there are facilities available for guests to rent bicycles for the day.

Attractions at the Ancient Siam museum in Bangkok

We loved this as it meant we could explore at our own pace, and the ride around Ancient Siam was really cool! We recommend renting a bike if you don’t mind getting a little sweaty.

Cycling around Ancient Siam museum in Bangkok

Excellent visitor maps are provided so you don’t have to worry about getting lost. And there are plenty of places to stop for refreshments, and even areas set aside for family picnics. For those who prefer not to explore on two wheels, you can even rent golf carts and zoom around Ancient Siam to your hearts content!

Ancient Siam electric golf buggies

If you don’t normally have much time to visit cultural sites in Thailand, or if you are not sure if Thai culture is your kind of thing, then Ancient Siam museum offers a great way to see a lot of Thailand in just one day!

Bike ride in Ancient Siam in Thailand

Ancient Siam costs 700 Baht for entrance fee which includes bicycle rental, and it is open daily from 9:00am – 8:00pm.
For a guided tour on a tram, the entry free is 1200 Baht.

Ancient Siam prices and opening times, Bangkok

The museum is around a 1 hour drive from central Bangkok, and we would recommend taking a taxi as there are no BTS Skytrain Stations or MRT Stations nearby. If public transport is preferred, take the BTS Skytrain to Bearing Station. Ancient Siam is then a 30 minute drive – a maximum of 150 baht in a metered taxi – away from there*.

*Costs are based on our last trip their in July 2014.

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  1. Weekly Wallpaper: Ancient Siam | Bangkok Adventures - […] for another weekly wallpaper and this week we head out to Ancient Siam, the world’s largest outdoor museum, for this…

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