Wayang Indonesia Museum in Wonogiri Regency, Central Java Province
Cultural heritages always attract tourists, no? In this case, Wonogiri Regency has a special place where tourists can see numerous collections of Wayang or puppets. The name is Wayang Indonesia Museum and it is located in Wuryantoro Sub-District. To be exact, the museum resides in Ngebel Village. The accessibility is good, so everyone can get to the location either by a private or public transportation. For the information, the museum opens every day except for Sunday. The good thing is visitors don’t need to pay any fee to enter the building!
The Nuance
In terms of nuance, Wayang Indonesia Museum looks like a regular building from the outside. There is a big name sign in front of the building, so tourists may notice it right away. As people may expect the museum stores lots of collections of shadow puppets from all regions especially Central Java, West Java, and Bali Province. According to the keepers, the museum has more than 400 Wayang from different types. Not to mention they are all well-kept and maintained. When it comes to the type, visitors may find Wayang Kulit, Golek, Klitik, Wayang Bali, Wayang Suket, and many more! The oldest ones come from the 17th century, in fact!
Exploring Wayang Indonesia Museum
For the information, Wayang Indonesia Museum is located in Padepokan Pak Bei Tani Complex. The inauguration was in 2004 and it was done by Megawati Soekarnoputri. As mentioned before, it consists of various types of wayang coming from different regions in Indonesia. Some of them were given by collectors and puppeteers, actually. The most precious ones are those who come from the 17th century. These include Udowo, which belonged to Kyai Ageng Dalang Panjang Mas.
Aside from puppets or wayang, visitors may also find several stunning paintings including the most famous one painted by Ki Djoko Sutedjo. It is the smallest Semar painting, having the size of about 3 x 3 cm! No wonder, it was recognized by MURI or the Indonesian Record Museum. The next important information is that the museum was built during the reign of Begug Poernomosidi (the regent). He was actually a famous puppeteer in Wonogiri Regency!
The next thing that makes Wayang Indonesia Museum famous is the fact that the 2nd President of Indonesia (Soeharto) spent his childhood. No wonder, it also has a historical value for tourists to learn later. Later, after exploring the museum, it is recommended to visit the old well located near to the building. The well has the depth of 11 meters!
Nearby Attractions
- Waduk Gajah Mungkur
- Platar Ombo
How to Get There
For those coming from Semarang City, they at least need to spend about 3 hours and 47 minutes to reach Wonogiri City. The distance is 176 km, but the trip can be faster if they take Semarang – Surakarta Street. Once arriving at Wonogiri Regency, they only need to reach Ngebel Village at Wuryantoro Sub-District where the museum resides. The distance is 32.8 km, so the trip may take around 1 hour and 2 minutes. As for a faster trip, though, it is recommended to take Pracimantoro – Wonogiri Street.
Where to Stay
- Puri Kamulyan
- Sendang Asri Hotel
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