The 10 Best Museums in Kuwait

So many bloggers lament that Kuwait is one of the “most boring countries on earth” with “hardly anything to see”.

However, since marrying my Kuwaiti husband and moving to Kuwait, I’ve found that Kuwait is actually a haven for unique and really cool museums.

In a country with just over 1 million citizens, there are a staggering 44 museums in Kuwait. Not all of the museums are open to the public or worth visiting as a tourist, but some of them are absolutely incredible.

Here is a list of my top ten favorite museums in Kuwait.

Ahmad Al-Jaber Oil and Gas Museum

This museum is little-known, but it is hands-down my favorite of all of the museums in Kuwait. Dedicated to the country’s main (are arguable only) industry of oil and gas, this museum is modern, fun, and incredibly engaging.

It is completely free to visit, and an English-speaking tour guide will take you through the exhibit, where you will learn everything about oil and gas as well as its relationship to Kuwait. It includes everything from an interactive display of how much oil Kuwait produces every minute to a show about the burning oil wells during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (complete with shooting fireballs).

The museum is located outside of Kuwait City in an area known as Ahmadi, which is an entire city devoted to the Kuwait Oil Company and its employers. It is open Sunday-Thursday from 8am to 4pm, and no reservation is necessary. Unfortunately, public transport does not go to Ahmadi, so it is required that you take a taxi. I reccomend booking a taxi through the app Careem, which is like the Middle East’s version of Uber.

The Mirror House

The Mirror House is a private museum run by an Italian-Kuwaiti couple Khalifa and Lydia Qattan. It is the only house in the world that is completely covered with mirrored mosaics. Though Khalifa has passed away (may he rest in peace), Lydia still gives tours of her house every day.

The experience is deeply personal, and you get the chance to learn about Lydia’s life in Kuwait, her process of converting her house to an art museum, and her husband’s trailblazing artistic career. Lydia is charming, funny, and incredibly engaged, and you get the chance to learn so much about the history of Kuwait and its art.

Visits must be pre booked here. Regular tickets cost 3KD each, and a VIP package that includes return transportation can be booked for 10 KD. The museum is open everyday except Friday. It does close during the months of July and August, but honestly, I do not recommend visiting Kuwait during these months. Once you fill out the reservation form, Lydia and her daughter will reach out via Whatsapp to confirm.

Qurain Martyrs Museum

Located in a suburb of Kuwait City called Qurain, the Qurain Martyrs Museum lies tribute to one of the most heartbreaking battles of the Iraq invasion of Kuwait. It is one of the most sad, but most interesting museums in Kuwait.

A small group of Kuwaiti resistance fighters, known as Al-Messilah, formed a resistance base in a house in the residential area of Qurain. On February 24, 1991, shortly before the Iraqi withdrawal, a group of Iraqi soldiers knocked on the house. At this point, it was policy that if any Kuwaitis were found, they would be imprisoned. If the house was empty, it would be ransacked. The group had to chose whether to surrender or fight.

The Al-Messilah fighters chose to fight, and it lead to a 24 hour battle. The house was attacked by tanks, and only one of the 19 Kuwaiti men in the house survived. The Iraqi troops retreated 4 days later. After the war, the house was left in its state of destruction and turned into a museum to honor Kuwaiti resistance and the young men who lost their lives fighting for their country.

The museum includes a self-guided walking tour through the house, with the location of each resistance fighter’s death marked. In a separate building next door, there is a small museum that honors each man who lost his life.

The museum is undoubtedly dark, but it is one of the few remaining pieces that showcases the destruction caused by the Iraqi invasion in 1990-1991. You can use public transport to reach the city of Al-Qurain, but you will be dropped but you will be dropped on the main road. The museum is about 1 km from there. Alternatively, you can also take a taxi.

The museum is open from 8:30-12:30 pm and 4:30-8:30 pm on Monday-Thursday. It is open from 4:30-8:30pm on Friday and Saturday, and it is closed on Sunday. The museum is free of cost and includes a small informative book.

Tareq Rajab Museum

The Tareq Rajab Museum is a private museum from the collection of Kuwaiti-British couple Tareq and Jehan Rajab. Tareq and Jehan were fervent collectors of antiques and art, and they curated one of the best private collection of Islamic art and artifacts in the entire world.

The museum showcases more 10,000 pieces of their 30,000 piece collection, and it is filled with countless priceless artifacts. The museum is open from 9 AM–1 PM and 4:30–8:30 PM Saturday through Sunday. It is open on Fridays from 9AM-1PM. Admission to the museum costs 2KD.

Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Calligraphy

In addition to collecting artifacts from the Islamic World, Tareq Rajab was also an avid collector of important pieces of Islamic calligraphy.

The museum is one of the best collections of Islamic calligraphy in the world, housing pieces from some of the most important Islamic Scholars and scientists, calligraphy from the Kaaba in Mecca, and a massive collection of Chinese Islamic art from the Qing Dynasty. The museum in a separate location from the main Tareq Rajab Museum, and it is open from 9 AM–1 PM and 4:30–8:30 PM Saturday through Sunday. It is open on Fridays from 9AM-1PM. Admission to the museum costs 2KD.

 Dar al Athar al Islamiyyah Museum at Amricani Cultural Centre

The Dar al Athar al Islamiyyah Museum is home to the Al-Sabah Collection of Islamic Art. Collected by the late later of Kuwait, Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah. It is largely believed to be one of the best collections of Islamic art in the world, and its collections are regularly exhibited in museums around the world, such as the Louvre.

The Dar al Athar al Islamiyyah Museum at the Amricani Cultural Center hosts changing exhibitions from the Al-Sabah collection, with a particular focus on pre-Islamic middle eastern arts and artifacts. The museum is rather small, as it only showcases a small section of the collection, but it is free to visit and well worth a stop.

It is open from 10 AM–7 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. It is open from 2-7pm on Fridays, and it is closed on Sundays.

Sadu House

Sadu House is a public museum dedicated to showcasing the history of Kuwaiti bedouin textile art. Many Kuwaitis only recently moved from Bedouin desert life to living in cities during the last 60 years. The Sadu Society was formed to help protect the traditional arts and crafts of Bedouin women during this transition period.

Sadu refers to a style of Bedouin weaving. Traditionally, Kuwaiti bedouin women would weave all of the family’s tents and textiles. The patterns of the weaving was customized to reflect the environment, family, and individual tribal stories. These designs were so significant that they were added to the UNESCO list for intangible heritage in 2020.

The Sadu house explains the tradition of Sadu and also tries to preserve it. It continues its work to integrate Kuwaiti women into contemporary society while also allowing them to preserve their traditions by providing training and a space for female artisans to meet and sell their crafts.

The museum is female run and is completely free to visit. It is open Saturday through Sunday from 8am-2pm and 4-8pm. It can be found here.

Kuwait National Museum

The Kuwait National Museum is small, but showcases interesting artifacts. Its most impressive exhibition is related to Failaka Island. It contains many prehistoric artifacts found on the Island, and it showcases the more than 5,000 years of Kuwaiti history. It used to be much larger, but it has never completely recovered since it was ransacked during the Iraqi invasion.

There is an additional wing that showcases a traditional Kuwaiti village, which is also worth a visit. The museum is located next to the Sadu House. The museum is free to enter and explore. It is open from 8:30am-12:30pm and 4:30pm-8:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. It is open from 4:30pm-8:30pm on Fridays.

Maritime Museum

The Kuwait Maritime Museum is a small, but very interesting museum. Before the discovery of oil, Kuwait’s economy was entirely dependent on pearl trading. Life was incredibly hard, and most men worked for months at sea, diving in treacherous conditions for a meager salary and rations to bring back to their family.

This museum showcases the maritime history of Kuwait, and is definitely worth a quick visit. The museum is free to enter and explore. It is open from 8:30am-12:30pm and 4:30pm-8:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. It is open from 4:30pm-8:30pm on Fridays.

Bait Al Othman Museum

The Bait Al Othman Museum is a private museum dedicated to the history of Kuwait. It largely focuses on the “everyday” histories of Kuwait, and is essentially a private home filled with old Kuwaiti artifacts. The museum costs 1 KD to enter, and the staff are usually very friendly and willing to guide you through the exhibition and the history of Kuwait.

The museum is open from 9 AM–1 PM and 4–9:30 PM from Saturday through Thursday. It is open from 4–9:30 PM on Fridays.

Close Runner Ups:

There is also a charming heritage museum on Failaka Island, in addition to the entire Island being like a museum! No trip to Kuwait is complete without a trip to Failaka Island, but I’ve devoted an entire blog post to the topic which you can read here.

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