Housed in an airy Lanna-style building behind the Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre, this appealing museum covers the history of Chiang Mai Province, with displays on the founding of the capital, the Burmese occupation and the modern era of trade and unification with Bangkok. Downstairs is an archaeological dig of an ancient temple wall.
Chiang Mai Historical Centre
Chiang Mai
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
4.34 MILES
Overlooking the city from its mountain throne, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of northern Thailand's most sacred temples, and its founding legend is…
0.23 MILES
Wat Chedi Luang isn't as grand as Wat Phra Singh, but its towering, ruined Lanna-style chedi (built in 1441) is much taller and the sprawling compound…
0.29 MILES
Chiang Mai's most revered temple, Wat Phra Singh is dominated by an enormous, mosaic-inlaid wí·hăhn (sanctuary). Its prosperity is plain to see from the…
0.95 MILES
Chiang Mai's oldest public market, Warorot (also spelt Waroros) is a great place to connect with the city's Thai soul. Alongside souvenir vendors you'll…
0.21 MILES
Without doubt the most atmospheric wát in the old city, this teak marvel sits in the shadow of Wat Chedi Luang. Set in a compound full of fluttering…
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Nam Tok Bua Tong (Sticky Waterfall)
20.13 MILES
Ever walked up a waterfall? An increasingly popular day trip from Chiang Mai to Si Lanna National Park's 'Sticky Waterfall' allows visitors (with no magic…
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3.46 MILES
A hidden jungle temple tucked into the mountain along the way to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Old stone structures, intricate carvings, naga-flanked…
0.13 MILES
Set inside the former Provincial Court, dating from 1935, this imaginative museum re-creates Lanna village life in a series of life-size dioramas that…
Nearby Chiang Mai attractions
1. Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre
0.05 MILES
Set in the former Provincial Hall, dating from 1927, this museum provides an excellent primer on Chiang Mai history. Dioramas, photos, artefacts and…
0.07 MILES
Tucked to the side of the Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre, this was the original location of the Làk Meuang (city pillar). Marooned in the middle…
3. Anusawari Sam Kasat (Three Kings Monument)
0.08 MILES
Marking the centrepoint of the old administrative quarter of Chiang Mai, the bronze Three Kings Monument commemorates the alliance forged between Phaya…
4. Former Chiang Mai Women's Prison
0.09 MILES
The derelict premises of the old women's prison are a surprising landmark in the old city. The place was slated for demolition after the prison's closure…
0.13 MILES
Set inside the former Provincial Court, dating from 1935, this imaginative museum re-creates Lanna village life in a series of life-size dioramas that…
0.14 MILES
This colourful, 16th-century wát's name means 'good fortune temple'. It was first constructed in the 16th century, but its massive wooden doors date from…
7. Treasury Pavilion Coin Museum
0.2 MILES
It's worth ducking into this small government museum to see the bizarre shapes that Thai money has taken over the years, from hammered coins to round…
0.2 MILES
Formerly owned by prince Jao Maha In, this handsome mansion built in a hybrid Lanna and European style between 1889 and 1893 houses a small education…