The War Remnants Museum is one of the most popular attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. I live nearby, and I always notice that it’s consistently busy, with tour buses dropping people off and lines in front of the ticket booth. The other popular attraction in HCMC is the Independence Palace.
I came to visit the War Remnants Museum again the other day for new photos and up-to-date information. It’s included in my sample three-day HCMC itinerary. If you visit, plan to spend about 1.5 hours here.
If you have any questions about visiting the museum or any other things to do in HCMC, ask me and other travelers in my Ho Chi Minh City travel planning group.
Details for Visiting the War Remnants Museum
- Hours: 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM daily (last admission at 5 PM)
- Location: Google Maps
- Tickets: 40.000 VND (adults), 15.000 VND (ages 6-15), FREE (under 6)
- More info: Official website
- Can pay with cash or card
- Three floors of exhibits
- Bathrooms on every floor
- Elevators
- Coffee shop in the courtyard
- Vending machine inside
- Friendly staff around
- Souvenir shops inside
- Plan to spend around 1.5 hours
- A lot of graphic imagery
War Remnants Museum Location
The War Remnants Museum is on the corner of Vo Van Tan and Le Quy Don streets in District 3. This is a very convenient and walkable area. If you stay in District 3 or nearby in District 1, you’ll be able to walk to the museum. I’ve written a separate guide to the best areas to stay in HCMC.
If you don’t want to walk or are a bit further out, hiring a Grab taxi is easy and cheap. You can download the app here. You can add your credit card to the app or pay with cash and have the driver drop you off right at the museum. Read more about getting around HCMC here.
The Victory Hotel Saigon (Agoda / Booking) is a budget hotel in a great location in District 3, about two minutes from the museum. The Mai House Saigon (Agoda / Booking) is one of the best hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, and it’s five minutes away in District 3.
Is the War Remnants Museum Worth Visiting?
Honestly — yes and no. The subject material is not for everyone. Although the Independence Palace is tied to the Vietnam War, too, it’s not as “in your face” as the War Remnants Museum.
The palace is much bigger than the museum, and it’s a nice attraction to wander and explore. I can’t exactly say the same about the museum — it’s a much heavier experience. But if you’re interested in the subject matter and prepared for graphic displays, the War Remnants Museum is worth visiting.
It’s also inexpensive and in a convenient location. Tickets for adults cost 40.000 VND, children between 6 and 15 cost 15.000 VND, and children under 6 are free.
The museum is clean and well-maintained. There are elevators and bathrooms on each of the museum’s three floors. The courtyard of the museum has a coffee shop, and there’s also a vending machine selling cold drinks inside the museum.
Some of the exhibits have a mixture of air conditioning and fans, but not all. It’s not too hot, though, as the museum has somewhat of an open-air design. I’ve written about other museums in HCMC here.
Visiting the War Remnants Museum
The following photos were taken as I wandered around the museum. I started in the courtyard, which is part of the ground floor, then went inside and slowly made my way upstairs to the first floor and then the second floor.
A lot of the exhibits are very graphic, including many close-up photos of people with severe physical deformities. I won’t be adding any of those to this article.
The Ground Floor
The ground floor of the museum consists of the outside courtyard and the lowest floor of the actual museum. The courtyard has tanks, aircraft, and large military weapons, a Con Dao Prison exhibit, and another exhibit called “Imprisonment System During the Vietnam War.”
The open-air coffee shop is also outside here.
Inside the museum, on the ground floor, there is an area for temporary exhibits and a permanent exhibit titled “The World Supports Vietnam in its Resistance to U.S. Aggression 1954 – 1975.”
There are also souvenir shops, bathrooms, and a vending machine.
The First Floor
The first floor (upstairs from the ground level) of the museum has the War Crimes exhibit, the Agent Orange Effects exhibit, and an area for temporary exhibits, which, when I visited, featured a collection of children’s drawings about soldiers and war.
There is another bathroom up here, too.
The Second Floor
The second floor has the Requiem exhibit, which displays photographs by war correspondents who died in action in Indochina. There is also the Vietnam War and Peace exhibit, featuring photos by Bunyo Ishikawa, the Agent Orange During the Vietnam War exhibit, and the Historical Truths exhibit.
There is also another bathroom.
The Requiem exhibit connects to the Vietnam War and Peace exhibit and the Agent Orange During the Vietnam War exhibit.
