Stretching some 5.000km from Sabang to Merauke, and 1.770km north to south of the equator, the Republic of Indonesia is noted as the world's most expansive archipelag Like a string of jewels in a Sea of Coral, a total of 17.508 islands stretch from the Asian mainland out into the expanse of thePacific Ocean. This geographical treasurechest is home to an amazing wealth of natural resources, and a galaxy of races, culture and religions. With such a wealth of natural resources, wildlife and fauna, geologists, zoologists, and botanists in Indonesia, are in their element.

The Bandung Geological Museum is one of many famous museums in Indonesia, which exhibits a collection of natural history artifacts discovered in Indonesia. It is without a doubt, an impressive structure that immediately reminds you of colonial splendor, transporting you back in time to the twenties. The museum is housed in the spacious old headquarters of the Dutch Geological Service. It is interesting to note, that Geological research in Indonesia began in 1850. At that time, the geological research laboratory was located in Bogor. Many years later, in 1866, it was moved to Jakarta.
When the Dutch planned to relocate the colonial capital from Batavia to Bandung, many government departments set up headquarters in Bandung, including the Geological Service. Consequently, the Geological Laboratory was moved to Bandung in 1924, and located at Gedung Gouvernement Bedrijven, which is now known as Gedung Sate.

As more and more geological discoveries were made in the 1920s, the Government decided to establish, and dedicate, a special museum to store, and exhibit them all to the public. As a result, the Geological Museum was built in 1928 on Rembraant Straat Bandoeng (now JI. Diponegoro). Shortly after, on May 16"' 1929, the Government inaugurated the museum with the original official name, Geologische Laboratorium. And on the same day, the Pacific Scientific Congress IV was held there.
Dutch architect, Menalda Van Schowenburg, designed the museum using an elegant "art deco" arch'itectural style. However, a detail worthy of a closer look is the ornament above the front entrance, which symbolizes the four important elements in life. The triangles are the symbols for fire, water, earth, and air, and the circle is a symbol of the earth's maqnetism.
The museum has been managed by a succession of curators, employing a simple exhibition system, for over seventy years, since it was first opened. In 1993, a co-venture between the Indonesian and Japanese government was established, to develop the exhibition system and renovate the museum. The Japanese Government provided a grant to cover the renovation, which was supervised by the Geological Research and Development Center (GRDC), under the Ministry of Mines and Energy. The renovation began in 1998 and was finished in July 2000. And off course, the "art deco" architectural style was preserved. On the 22 August 2000, Megawati Soekarnoputri, the Vice President at the time, officiated the re-opening ceremony, and the museum was given the name, Bandung Geological Museum. The "International Symposium of Geological Museums" was also hosted on the same day, to introduce the museum, and to share some experiences about how to manage a good geological museum.
The museum has two floors, including three main exhibition rooms, an auditorium, a library, and souvenir shop. The ground'floor has two exhibition rooms, namely the West Wing and the East Wing. The West Wing exhibits the Geology of Indonesia, and the East Wing exhibits the history of life. The first floor exhibits historical artifacts related to the geology of human life.

Reported to be the largest museum of its kind in Southeast Asia, the collection of exhibits is very impressive. Inside, you can view an array of fossils, including a model skull of a Java Man, excellent volcanic exhibits, including documentation on Krakatau's Eruption in 1883, and numerous minerals, a meteorite, and many other pieces of geological interest. At the present, there are 250.000 sa~nple collections of minerals and natural stones, and 60.000 fossil collections.
The museum opens to the public every Monday tt to the Bandung Geological Museum.