Cambodia Landmine Museum

Travel Location Siem Reap

The Land Mine Museum is run by Aki Ra, a former Khmer Rouge child soldier and landmine layer. He started off by turning the garden of his home into a museum of mines and other ordnance. The museum is now located in a purpose built location approximately 12 miles from Siem Reap in the direction of Banteay ...

OVERVIEW

Established by DIY de-miner Aki Ra, this museum has eye-opening displays on the curse of land mines in Cambodia. The collection includes mines, mortars, guns and weaponry, and there is a mock minefield where visitors can attempt to locate the deactivated mines. Proceeds from the museum are ploughed into mine-awareness campaigns. The museum is about 25km from Siem Reap, near Banteay Srei.

Video Travel Inspiration

The Cambodian Landmine Museum and Relief Facility is a museum located in Cambodia, south of the Banteay Srey Temple complex, 25 kilometers north of Siem Reap, and inside the Angkor National Park.

This museum is dedicated to the efforts of one man to clear Cambodia’s soils of the most vicious remnants of war. It’s also a record of global efforts to reduce and abolish the use of landmines, a weapon that has a disproportionate impact on civilian populations.

History of Cambodia Landmine Museum

Tourists began hearing stories about a young Khmer man, Aki Ra, who cleared landmines with a stick and had a house full of defused ordnance. Ra began charging a dollar to see his collection, using the money to help further his activities. Thus began the Cambodia Landmine Museum.

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In 2007 the Cambodian government ordered Aki Ra’s museum closed. He was allowed to move it to a new location 40 kilometers from Siem Reap, near Banteay Srey Temple, inside the Angkor National Park. A Canadian NGO, the Cambodia Landmine Museum Relief Fund, founded by documentary film producer Richard Fitoussi, raised the money to buy the land and build the Museum. Most of the funding was provided by Tom Shadyac, a movie director from California.

The new museum opened in May 2007 and currently houses a 4 gallery museum as well as being the home to 27 children. The Cambodia Landmine Museum exists for 3 reasons:

To tell Aki Ra’s story
To tell the world about the horrors of landmines and explain that war is only half the problem. The aftermath of war continues long after the shooting stops.
To care for the children who live at the museum.

Hours of Operation

7:30-17:30 all days of the year

Cost

Adults - 5.00 USD
Children under 10 - Free
Cambodian citizens - Free

Guided tours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 0900 – 1500 (English and Japanese)
For large groups we recommend you contact the Museum ahead of time.

All the money raised at the Landmine Museum is spent in Cambodia.

Your tickets, donations and shop purchases allow us to:

- pay all our employees fair salaries
- care for the children in our charge
- clear landmines in Cambodia
- build schools in villages that have no access to education
- build wells and provide hygiene programs in small villages

2 restaurants (not associated with the Museum) are located outside the Museum, and we highly recommend them

Note

The Cambodia Landmine Museum and Cambodian Self Help Demining are distinctly separate NGOs. They are headquartered in separate locations, run by different individuals (although Aki Ra is the MD), and funded entirely separately.

The Museum and Child Relief Center is funded by revenues gained from ticket sales, donations, and sales from the small shop.

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