Colombo Dutch Museum 🇱🇰

Step into Sri Lanka's colonial past at the Colombo Dutch Museum, located on Prince Street in Pettah (Colombo 11). This fascinating institution is housed within a two-story colonnaded building originally constructed during the Dutch occupation of Colombo, which lasted from 1656 to 1796. You will be walking through a structure that embodies the distinct architectural features of a classic colonial Dutch town house.

Built initially as the formal residence for Governor Thomas van Rhee in the late seventeenth century, the building later served many diverse roles—functioning as a teacher training college, an orphanage financed by the Dutch East Indies Company, a hospital, military barracks, a police training school, and even the Pettah Post Office. After surviving a partial structural collapse during heavy monsoon rains in 1971, the property was saved from demolition and carefully restored before opening as a public museum in 1982. Officially recognized as an archaeological protected monument, it offers you a rare look into Dutch colonial rule in Sri Lanka.

As you explore the rooms, you can view compelling historical artifacts that portray various facets of contemporary life and culture, including period furniture, old ceramics, coins, and historic weaponry detailing this unique era.

What to see at Colombo Dutch Museum

• Authentic two-story colonnaded Dutch town house architecture on Prince Street
• Former 17th-century residence of Dutch Ceylon Governor Thomas van Rhee
• Exhibits featuring period Dutch colonial furniture and ceramics
• Historical collections of preserved ancient coins and historic weaponry
• An officially designated archaeological protected monument in Sri Lanka

Visiting tips

Take time to admire the unique two-story colonnaded architecture of the building itself, which stands as a prime example of a colonial Dutch town house.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Morning

How to get there & what’s nearby

Colombo Dutch Museum is easy to reach on Colombo’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Lotus Tower and Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Colombo travel guide.