Things to Do in Penang

When Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm opened in 1986 as the Penang Butterfly Farm, it was the first facility of its kind anywhere in the tropics. This living museum showcases more than 15,000 rare, endangered, and indigenous butterflies and dragonflies representing some 120 species alongside 200 species of plants. A multistory indoor discovery center known as the Cocoon lets visitors explore the world of invertebrates through a series of hands-on exhibits and activities. Entopia doubles as a research and conservation center for butterflies, insects, and their habitats.

Penang Armenian Street (Lebuh Armenian) is a narrow street located within the Unesco World Heritage Site and Penang capital, George Town. Surrounded by Chinese temples and clan houses, the street itself is lined with old shophouses, art galleries, cafes, and some of the most fascinating street art on the island.

A stroll along Penang's Armenian Street reveals countless shops selling everything from furniture and antiques to crafts and other souvenirs. There’s also a choice of quaint little cafes in which to stop for a coffee and take a break from the daytime heat. In addition, you’ll see an abundance of street art adorning the buildings here, with the most famous, Kids on Bicycle by Ernest Zacharevic, featuring a bike affixed to the wall with two children riding it. This mural attracts huge attention from tourists taking turns to have their photograph taken with it.

If you’re visiting Armenian Street on a Saturday evening, you’ll stumble across the Armenian Street Fair, where you’ll find stalls selling local arts and crafts as well as various music and dance performances.

Armenian Street is part of the itinerary on a Penang George Town heritage tour, which also includes a visit to the impressive Kapitan Keling Mosque nearby, a trip to Pinang Peranakan Mansion, plus a tour around Little India.

Variously known as Hock Hin Keong, Cheng Hoon Giam, or Fu Xing Gong, depending which Chinese dialect you favor, Penang’s Snake Temple does exactly what it says on the tin. Dedicated to Chor Soo Kong, a Chinese healer turned god, this 19th-century temple boasts fruit trees decked with vipers and snakes in the prayer hall.

Built by the British as a fortress in the 1930s, before then being used by the Japanese as a POW camp, the Penang War Museum is now open to the general public, serving as a memorial to its darker days.

The museum is strategically located on the hills above the fishing village of Batu Maung, on the road to Teluk Kumbar on Penang’s southern coast. Sprawled across some 20 acres of land, it’s billed as being the largest war museum in Southeast Asia. The fort was originally constructed in a bid to protect the island from foreign invasion, and today a walk around the site invokes a sense of what once was.

Visitors can take a sombre walk among various displays and historical items, and even venture into the old underground tunnels and ammunition bunkers, which are located nine meters underground. It’s also possible to explore the barracks, cookhouses, and gun emplacements, with plenty of signposts to guide the way.

A trip to the Penang War Museum can be combined with visiting Penang Island’s other major highlights, including the Snake Temple and Penang Bridge.

Set in a former quarry below Penang Hill, the 71-acre (29-hectare) Penang Botanic Gardens (Taman Botani Pulau Pinang) blend jungle with formal gardens to magical effect. Founded in 1884, and sometimes known as the Waterfall Gardens for the stream that tumbles through them, they’re crisscrossed with walking trails.

Set atop a hill in George Town, the 68-story Komtar skyscraper towers above Penang and houses a range of dining and entertainment options. From the Rainbow Skywalk, a glass bridge suspended 816 feet (249 meters) above the city, to aquariums, amusement rides, and 200 animatronic dinosaurs, there’s plenty to see and do here.

Travelers looking for an easily accessible way to explore Penang’s much-storied history will find what they’re seeking at the Penang Tunnel Museum (Penang Time Tunnel). This unique interactive museum features 12 tunnels that cover periods of time between the early 1700s and the contemporary 21st century, which together tell the tale of this incredible place. Illustrated maps, photos, artifacts and indigenous artwork cover the walls of the museum’s galleries, and while adults will find detailed information about each of the exhibits, shorter (both in height and in length) versions of placards are available for the museum’s younger set, too.

Visitors say the Penang Tunnel Museum puts the country’s culture, history and architecture into context. Whether it’s learning about the 10-day riots in this now peaceful place or exploring the migration of its every shifting populations, Penang Time Tunnel helps create a fuller picture of local life for visitors who’ve spent time wandering the streets, exploring the shops and sampling local cuisine.

The Wonderfood Museum in Penang is a fun and informative museum all about food. As Malaysia’s culinary capital, Penang draws travelers for its delicious food. At this quirky museum, visitors can learn about the cuisine of Penang and wider Malaysia through dozens of realistic models of food, in addition to taking some amusing photos.

ESCAPE Adventureplay is one of Penang’s most unique attractions—a sky-high ropes course that throws visitors into an all-out balancing act above the forest floor. Navigate complex obstacles that increase in difficulty the higher you climb. A scooter park and kids playground offer fun closer to the ground.

Nature lovers will enjoy exploring Penang National Park, home to the secluded Teluk Duyung, better-known as Monkey Beach for the long-tailed gray macaques that call the cove home. The area is also home to sea otters, fruit bats, and eagles, and the clear, green waters are perfect for cooling off.

One of many popular optical-illusion museums in Southeast Asia, Penang’s Upside Down Museum is set up like an ordinary home but with the furniture and accessories stuck to the ceiling. It’s a favorite among locals and travelers, adults and children alike, who come to take disorienting selfies to post on social media.

Penang’s history—from the settlement of the islands to the notorious Penang Riots—and rich cultural heritage—from the Peranakan people to the British influence—take center stage at the Penang State Museum and Art Gallery. Touted as one of the country’s best state museums; the vast collection holds plenty of interest.

Part archive and part exhibition space, the Penang House of Music focuses on the diverse musical heritage of this historically and culturally rich city. Visitors to the museum, opened in 2017, can play radio announcer, view vintage films, and learn about puppet theater, Chinese opera, local dances, musical instruments, and Malaysian pop bands.

Penang’s TeddyVille Museum is dedicated to all things teddy bear. Check out teddies from around the world, from tiny to human-sized, including antiques from the early 1900s. You’ll also see the Mini Penang exhibit, where miniature bears are dressed up and posed in reenactments of key moments in Penang’s history.