Bahrain National Museum Opening Hours, Tickets and What to See in Manama

Bahrain National Museum stands on Sheikh Hamad Causeway in Manama’s East Corniche area, on an artificial peninsula facing Muharraq. From Bahrain International Hotel, the museum is about a 13-minute drive or a 48-minute walk. Pair the visit with Bait Al Quran, another cultural stop in Manama.

The museum complex consists of two connected buildings with approximately 20,000 square metres of floor space. Its white travertine marble façade and courtyard sculptures give the site a distinctive architectural presence beside the water. The museum was officially inaugurated by Amir Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa on 15 December 1988.

If you’re planning your route, the official visitor information cited here does not give public-transport directions or general parking details. The car park is identified as the departure point for Pearling Path boat trips, but that should not be taken as confirmation of other parking arrangements.

Bahrain National Museum’s exhibition halls trace the country’s history through archaeology, daily life, customs and written records. They are spread across the ground and first floors and accessed through the grand foyer.

The permanent collection covers 6,000 years of history. The halls are named Graves, Dilmun, Tylos and Islam, Customs and Traditions, Traditional Trades and Crafts, and Documents and Manuscripts. Their range gives you a route through different periods and aspects of Bahrain’s past, from burial practices and ancient societies to traditional work and manuscripts.

The main building also contains permanent and temporary exhibition halls, an art gallery, a lecture hall, a gift shop and a café. Check the museum’s official visitor information for current exhibitions and facilities before planning around a particular display.

Hours can change, so check the official site before you go.

Opening hours

• Monday and Wednesday to Sunday: 9:00–20:00
• Tuesday: closed

Last checked November 2026. Hours can change on holidays and for special events.

The government service directory gives admission as 1 Bahraini dinar for tourists and residents and 500 fils for citizens. It describes the process as selecting the number of tickets, paying the fee and collecting the tickets at the physical location. The directory does not state a required advance-booking procedure for ordinary admission.

Allow for the difference between the two published opening times when planning your arrival. Official visitor information also does not state holiday exceptions or Ramadan-specific hours, so confirm the schedule if your visit falls during a holiday period or Ramadan.

The museum sits beside several cultural venues, making the East Corniche a compact place to include cultural stops in a Manama visit. The Bahrain National Theatre is adjacent to the museum, while the nearby Art Centre and Cultural Hall host temporary exhibitions and concerts throughout the year.

There is also a boat departure point for visits to Qal’at Bu Mahir: trips leave from the Bahrain National Museum car park every 45 minutes, run daily except Tuesday and have their last departure at sunset. Since departures and the final trip depend on the day and daylight, confirm details with the Pearling Path visitor information before setting out.

The waterfront setting is part of the visit even if you focus on the galleries: the museum occupies an artificial peninsula overlooking Muharraq, with its façade and courtyard forming the outdoor approach. For a separate cultural stop, you can plan a visit to Bait Al Quran in Manama.