The Penang State Museum was founded in 1816 when the East India Company donated the original building to the state as a centre for education. Despite being damaged during the Second World War, the buildings were saved from demolition by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and subsequently converted into a museum that opened in 1965. Visitors can discover everything from ancient fish-shaped Bahulu moulds to carpentry tools and weapons, as well as jewellery, a handwritten Koran, historic paintings of the island and even a photography display charting the evolution of transport on Penang. During current renovations, the museum’s artefacts are being exhibited on Macalister Road.
