Ghost Museum Penang: everything you need to know

It might not rank as a must-do activity in George Town, but the Ghost Museum Penang is a wonderfully weird place to escape the heat and descend into a whole other world.

Sometimes, you just need a change of pace, and a change of scenery. The heritage streets of George Town are wonderful places to soak in the history and culture of Penang, but if you need a break for an hour, the Ghost Museum on Malay Street might just be what you’re looking for.

Don’t expect a relaxing visit though, this three-storey museum is full of ghoulish models, scary stories and realistic zombie rooms. It’s a world away from what you’d normally experience in George Town so, if for no other reason than that, it might be worth some of your time.

Where is Ghost Museum Penang located

The Ghost Museum is located on Malay Street (Lebuh Melayu), towards the southern end of George Town’s heritage centre. It’s easily reached on foot from the rest of George Town, otherwise a Grab taxi can drop you right outside the front door.

Opening times and entry fees

Ghost Museum Penang is open seven days a week from 10.00am to 7.00pm.

Entry fees are different for MyKad holder and non-MyKad holder and they’re very strict about seeing your card before providing a discount.

Adult tickets for MyKad/non-MyKad are RM34/24, concessions are RM24/16. The prices increase by RM2 at the weekend.

What to expect during your visit

This is a seriously weird and creepy museum, which is probably the idea. I’m not sure what we were expecting, but it wasn’t quite this.

Split over several levels, the museum takes you on a scarily random tour of ghostly and supernatural displays, covering stories from Malaysia, China, Egypt and Japan, with additional sections devoted to Halloween, Dracula and Zombie Attacks.

It tries to convey something of the mythology and history of each genre and makes a decent attempt at this, although some of the translated text loses its way at times.

If you want to get even more immersed into the visit, there are costumes to dress up in, and plenty of photo opportunities. The more you throw yourself into the interactive nature of the museum, the more you’re likely to enjoy it.

In general, the standard of craftmanship and detail in the displays is excellent, with many intricate touches (almost) bringing the museum and its contents to life. The Zombie Attack room at the top is particularly well done, as is the dining room scene towards the end (watch out for the portraits that come to life on the wall).

Is there a minimum age requirement?

If you do visit with kids, a parent should go ahead and check out the Zombie zone on the top floor, as this is the most disturbing/realistic. You can then make your own decision as to whether you want to show the kids this section. The Zombie section is easily missed if needs be; you don’t need to walk through it to get to another area of the museum.

In general, you’ll need to make your own judgement call as no age-limit is enforced by the staff. However, most kids under the age of ten will find the museum too scary, and even those a few years older might find it uncomfortable. It felt to us like it was pitched at a late-teens/early-twenties crowd who love horror movies and the supernatural.

How much time to allow

You won’t need long at the Ghost Museum, unless you plan to dress up at every opportunity and stop for photographs. 45 minutes is plenty of time.

Other things to do nearby

If you’re in the mood for another quirky museum, the Upside Down Museum on Kimberly Street is only a few minutes walk away. You’re also in the right part of town for the Chew Jetties or the Batik Painting Museum and street art on Armenian Street.

Alternatively, join up with our Penang walking tour and take in a few more of the sights George Town has to offer.

Final thoughts on Ghost Museum Penang

It’d be difficult to recommend a visit to the Ghost Museum if you only had one day in Penang. There are too many other unique sights to focus on in that case, and your time is better spent elsewhere. Plus, the museum is expensive considering how long you’re likely to spend inside.

However, if you are here for longer, or you have a particular interest in ghosts, horror and the supernatural, then it becomes a much more viable option. It’s certainly a strange place, not quite what you’d expect to find lurking behind the doors of a heritage building in George Town. But perhaps that’s the idea. At Ghost Museum Penang, weird is wonderful, if only for an hour or so.