Lanna Folklife Museum

The Lanna Folklife Museum houses an amazing display of interesting artifacts depicting the life, culture, and history of the Lanna people.

It’s located just across from the Three Kings Monument of the old city and is inside Chiang Mai’s old municipal court which dates back to 1935. After renovations, the museum now looks more modern with a white colonial facade.

Lanna Folklife Museum Entry Fee, Prices, Opening Hours, Chiang Mai

The museum displays cater to English, as well as Thai and Chinese languages. There are 18 exhibitions that tell the story of how life was like during the Lanna Kingdom and Chiang Mai’s past. The life-sized wax dolls in traditional costume make it easy to reimagine how life was back then, as well as several artifacts that depict the northern heritage of Thailand that are over centuries old.

Learn about the ancient art of pottery stencilling called lai krahm, and the intriguing fon lep; a type of Lanna dance that features extremely long metal fingernails. Other interesting things you’ll learn about include the intricate symbols found in various elements of Lanna monasteries.

All exhibitions are presented using modern, interactive formats; some even allow visitors to touch the displays; including the dolls, as well as some local ingredients. There are two floors chock full of interesting displays, but just an hour would be enough to go see everything.

The museum is fairly new; it is the project of the Chiang Mai Municipality Mayor Tussanai Buranupakorn who seeks to reintegrate old Lanna culture into the modern tourist destination, who owes much of its current culture and beauty to its past. The city has a rich history that most people don’t know about, so visiting the museum is a great way to educate yourself about it.

The Lanna Folklife Museum is located on Prapokklao Road, Chiang Mai Old City. It is open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 8:30am to 5pm.