Dutch Period Museum, Colombo, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

The Dutch Period Museum is a small museum on Prince Street in the Pettah district of Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is set in a building from the Dutch colonial era and tells the story of the Dutch presence on the island through furniture, household objects and everyday items. It is one of the few places in the busy market quarter of Pettah where that chapter of the city's past is gathered under one roof.

The story behind it

The Dutch East India Company took Colombo from the Portuguese in the middle of the 17th century and held the coastal parts of the island until the end of the 18th century. They left a lasting mark on the city in its street plan, its law, its food and its buildings. Pettah, just outside the old fort, became a trading quarter where many communities lived and worked side by side, and it remains one today.

The museum is housed in a colonial-era building that has had several uses over the centuries before becoming a museum. Inside, the collection helps you picture how people in Dutch Colombo lived, ate, worked and furnished their homes. Sources differ on some details of the building's history, so it is worth reading the information on display when you visit.

What to look for

• Notice the thick walls, high ceilings and heavy doors of the building itself, which give a sense of how colonial houses were designed for the tropical climate.
• Look at the Dutch-era furniture, with its solid, dark timber and carved detail, and imagine it in a merchant's home.
• Study the everyday objects on display, such as ceramics and domestic items, which show daily life rather than grand events.
• Step back outside and look at how this quiet building sits among the shops, traders and traffic of Prince Street.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about an hour for the museum itself, and more if you want to wander the surrounding streets.
• Check current opening hours and any closing days before you go, as they can change.
• Go in the morning if you can, when Pettah is cooler and the lanes are easier to walk.
• Combine your visit with the nearby bazaars of Pettah, and wear comfortable shoes for crowded pavements.

See it on a quest

Pettah: The Stories Between The Shops is a good way to see the museum as part of the neighbourhood around it. You walk to it on foot as one stop on a longer route through Pettah, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like.

The Secret Records of Pettah is free to play and also leads you through the district on foot. At each stop the app shares the story of what is in front of you and sets a puzzle to solve there, so you notice details you might otherwise walk past. There is no guide and no group to join.