War Remnants Museum

The War Remnants Museum is a historical museum on Võ Văn Tấn Street in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. It primarily documents the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese perspective. The museum first opened to the public on September 4, 1975. It occupies the former United States Information Agency building. The museum was originally named the “Exhibition House for U.S. and Puppet Crimes.” Its name changed in 1995 following normalized relations with the United States.

The museum’s collection includes over 20,000 documents, films, and artifacts. The exhibition space is divided into indoor themed rooms and an outdoor courtyard. The outdoor area displays large military hardware. Items include an F-5A fighter jet, a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter, and an M48 Patton tank. Several pieces of unexploded ordnance are also part of the collection. A replica of the “tiger cages” used at Côn Đảo Prison is another key outdoor exhibit.

Inside, the museum’s galleries contain photographic collections and artifacts across several floors. Thematic exhibits cover topics such as international anti-war movements. Other displays detail the effects of chemical agents like Agent Orange. Photographic exhibits present graphic images of conflict and its impact on civilians. One gallery, titled Requiem, showcases work by photojournalists killed during the war. The museum also displays a French guillotine used for executions.

The institution ranks among the most visited museums in Vietnam. It presents a curated narrative of the war’s consequences and Vietnamese resistance. The exhibits provide historical context on the First Indochina War as well. The museum is a short walk from other city landmarks, including the Independence Palace. It attracts a large number of international and domestic visitors annually.