Also known as Istana Besar Johor, the Grand Palace of Sultan Abu Bakar was completed in 1866, an amalgamation of Renaissance and Colonial architectural styles. Now a museum, it houses an outstanding collection of furniture and decorative arts of the Royal collection of the Sultanate of Johor. It continues to be used for State ceremonies and official functions.
Highlights include a beautiful collection of crystal furniture in the exquisite Reception Room, the large banquet hall, and the Royal collections of decorative arts.
Because it’s off the beaten tourist track, it receives relatively few visitors, and its quiet setting allows the visitor an intimate way of seeing how the sultans lived in the splendor of their own palaces.
The Museum is a few hundred meters west of downtown JB, roughly a 3 ringgit taxi ride.
Open every day except Fridays, 9 am to 5 pm (ticket counter closes at 4 pm)
The ticket counter is located at GPS N01°27.309’, E103°45.354’. The entrance is a few meters west.
To get here from Singapore (approximately 1 hour from the Woodlands MRT stop)
The easiest way to the border checkpoint is to take the MRT to the Woodlands stop, then the #950 (S$1.10) bus to the checkpoint. After Passport Control, return to the bus for the trip over the causeway to Johor Bahru. After clearing Malaysian customs, take a taxi to the museum.
Returning to Singapore
After clearing Malaysian customs, take any available bus to the Singapore checkpoint. From there, several buses leave for various points in Singapore. Bus 950 returns to the Woodlands MRT stop, while Buses 170 and Cw1 go to the Kranji MRT station.
