Noon at the Geology Museum Bandung

Bunda had a business at Dipati Ukur Street that morning. She guessed it would take hours, but she was wrong. It was still 10 a.m. when she finished it. She had no plan to travel in Bandung. But she was near Gasibu, Gedung Sate, and Geology Museum.

So she headed toward Diponegoro Street.

Brief History of Geology Museum

The Geology Museum, Bandung, was built on May 16th, 1928. Here, there are many geology materials, collected since 1850. The building itself previously was named Geologisch Museum, designed in Art Deco by the engineer Menalda van Schouwenburg. It was built by 300 workers and wasted 400 Gulden.

As Bunda read, the construction was started in the middle of 1928 and inaugurated on May 16th, 1929, coincided with Fourth Pacific Science Congress, which was held in Bandung, West Java Province, from on May 18-24, 1929.

In 1999, Geology Museum received an aid from Japan about 754.5 million yen for renovation. Then, the museum was closed, and re-opened on August 20th, 2000. This moment was inaugurated by the Indonesian Vice President, Megawati Soekarnoputri, accompanied by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

What’s in Geology Museum

Bunda wrote her name on the museum’s guest book. Then I entered the room in west called Ruang Sayap Barat or Indonesia Geology Room.

Geology Room consists of some little rooms that give you information about the born of the earth and the geology of Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara and Papua. There are also the stones, fossils of human history by Charles Darwin, minerals in Indonesia, and the tools used for the research.

In the end of the Geology Room, there is a room that can tell and show you about the volcano, such as Mount Tangkuban Perahu, Mount Krakatau, Mount Galunggung, Mount Merapi, and Batu.

Meanwhile, the east room or Ruang Sayap Timur gives you information about some fossils. Aaah, I saw T-Rex there! It’s tall like on the movie. A Tyrannosaurus Rex Osborn’s length could reach 19 meters, tall 6.5 meters and weight 8 tons.

In the other side, there are the fossils of rhino, hippopotamus, ox, and elephant.

Here you would find also the history of the creatures, from the primitive until the modern era. The museum also collected fossil of prehistoric men, Homo erectus, also the artifacts they used. Near the entrance of the room you can also see the history of Bandung Lake, the fossil of the snake and fish discovered in the land ex Bandung Lake.

Say Goodbye to Geology Museum

Enough of eyeing, Bunda went out the museum. Sge saw a little shop that sells souvenirs. Here the visitors may buy the accessories made of stones or any souvenir that can remind them of this place.

Interested to go to this museum? Very goog. Museums in Indonesia lack of visitor. Help them to live. Visit them sometime.

Geology Museum opens from Monday to Thursday at 9.00-15.30, and Saturday to Sunday from 9.00-13.00. It’s free. You don’t have to pay anything, as in the primitive life.

• photos by Indrie Vijayanti