Penang History Gallery in George Town
We’ve heard our grandparents and parents uttering countless “When I was your age” or “Back in our days”, before being fed with full-blown anecdotes on their personal tales of the olden days. Intriguing as these stories are, we were always left to our own devices to create visual images in our heads through their stories of family lore, wartime courage, and youthful toils.
Lucky for the people of Penang, there is now an actual museum that offers a proper visual image of these timeless tales: Penang History Gallery. The new attraction in George Town invites history buffs to journey through the island’s rich and layered past, through 37 captivating zones that vividly depict the yesteryears of Penang.
What to expect on a visit to Penang History Gallery
Call it the Rome of Malaysia, Penang has always been a city as fascinating as the pages of a historical textbook, and its rich history now has a permanent home.
A typical day in the bustling streets of George Town.
Setting roots at Lebuh Bishop, a celebrated historical enclave of Penang, the newly opened Penang History Gallery is housed in a colonial-era building, which echoes the contents and narratives of the museum itself. The gallery chronicles Penang’s journey from its early settlement days to post-independence years, and brings to life the years of 1786 to 1957 through life-sized reconstructions complete with sounds, original photographs, and archival materials.
A classic sundry shop along the streets of Penang.
Spanning over three floors, the exhibit is organized into sections – each of which highlights respective chapters of Penang’s evolutions – and these are further divided into 37 thematic zones, which are visually-striking installations of bygone scenes of old Penang, as well as pivotal events that shaped the island into what it is today.
While there are detailed information provided in every zone and section of the gallery – very creatively printed in the form of old newspaper snippets, in three languages – the friendly staff are always on standby to give you a more detailed explanation of the scene you are witnessing, and even to help you snap a picture or two.
Realistic recreations of George Town streets
Your journey begins with the daily lives of the locals during Penang’s pre-colonial era within the bustling alleys and streets of George Town. This part of the second floor features modest family-run sundry shops that stock all sorts of everyday necessities, barber shops run by Indian immigrants, tiny roadside stalls of Chinese cobblers, old photography studios, and cassette stores.
Get a taste of old Penang with the remarkable recreation of a 19th-century kopitiam, as well as the roadside food culture which was home to the iconic practice of the “squatting porridge” culture wherein many of the working class Chinese communities would feast of Teochew porridge perched on stacked stools.
The section also offers interactive displays, where visitors can experience the dian hui hui – which means “electric fire drama” in Hokkien – a popular form of outdoor movie screenings held during festivals, before the boom of old cinemas in the 1960s and 1970s.
Hop on an electric tram, which used to be the main mode of transport of the city in the early 1900s, and feel it swaying away as if rumbling down the tramlines across the flourishing port city – nothing like the comforts of Grab rides, but utterly nostalgic to many.
Nestled in between the kopitiam and barber shop is a wooden stairway that leads you up to a small space of the third floor which encapsulates the events of the 1867 Penang Riot – one of the most violent episodes in the island’s colonial history which exposes the feud between rivalling Chinese secret societies.
Its neighbouring section is a setup of a gambling den which highlights how Penang’s prospering economy as a thriving port during the colonial era, also spawned its vices, including the widespread trade of opium, gambling addiction, and sex work trafficking that was rampant inthe red-light districts of old Penang.
Historical events and chapters of Penang
Wander deeper into the exhibits and learn about George Town’s growing maritime trade days, including the role of the iconic Swettenham Pier as Penang’s front door to the world, the influx of immigrants, and the city’s strict quarantine system, as well as the rich history of the clan jetties.
The subsequent sections showcase the lavish lifestyle of the upper echelons of British colonial society, and the opulent residences of well-known Capitans and Chinese tycoons in Penang.
Another set of stairs takes you to a room with AI-generated displays of Malaysia’s key figures introducing themselves, including the likes of the Father of Malaysian Independence Tunku Abdul Rahman, the island’s founder, Sir Francis Light, the nation’s most cherished cultural icon P. Ramlee, and medical visionary Dr. Wu Lien-Teh.
Perhaps the most profound tragedy that left an indelible mark on Penang is the events of World War II, and the gallery lays out the happenings exceedingly well. Titled ‘Three Years and Eight Months’, this next part of the exhibit on the ground floor takes you through a chilling journey of the fall of Penang, the brutal struggles of the civilians during the Japanese Occupation, and the aftermath of the wartime.
As you descend into the dark, musty corridors, you’ll find yourself in vividly recreated damaged homes of defenseless Penang residents with multimedia display simulations of air raid sirens and bomb explosions, bringing the devastation of the event to life.
The final section of the gallery is a time capsule of Penang’s traditional houses, with full-scale models of a Chinese wooden house and a stilted Malay kampung house. These setups are impressively reimagined and completed with reminiscent architectural styles and fully furnished rooms, much like the houses of our grandparents.
Ticket prices for the Penang History Gallery
Tickets for the Penang History Gallery can be purchased at the museum itself. Admission fees are as follows:
For MyKad holders:
- Adults: RM39/pax
- Concessions (Children of 3-12 years old, students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities): RM29/pax
For non-MyKad holders:
- Adults: RM59/pax
- Concessions (Children of 3-12 years old, students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities): RM49/pax
Children below the age of 3 can enter the gallery for free when accompanied by a person with a purchasing ticket.
Penang History Gallery, a living archive of the city’s olden days
Be it to properly learn and reconnect with your roots by stepping into the lived experiences of the previous generations, or to revisit a meaningful past for fond and profound memories to come rushing back in, a visit to the Penang History Gallery lets you in on the spirit, struggles and soul of Penang – a place we call home.
Address: 95, Bishop St, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: 10am-8pm, Daily
Contact: 010-661 7795 | Penang History Gallery Instagram
You’ll also want to check these places out in Penang:
- Lyf Georgetown is a chic hotel in Penang
- UFOREA is the largest indoor playground with futuristic slides
- Pinang Peranakan Mansion is a house museum filled with antiques
Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia
Photography by Jia-Ju.