Kyrgyz State Historical Museum

The basics

The Kyrgyz State Historical Museum is located right in Ala-Too Square, and the Soviet-era building merits a visit if only to admire the modern cube-like exterior. Many walking tours start here, so the museum is hard to miss. The collection inside can be toured independently, or the museum can assign a docent at an extra cost. The site is also included on many half- and full-day Bishkek itineraries.

Things to know before you go

• There is typically ample English signage available to explain the artifacts, including interactive displays, but if you’re looking for deeper historical explanations, consider visiting the museum with a guide.
• Discounted admission is available for students, children, and retired senior citizens. It’s a good idea to have an ID on hand, just in case you’re asked.
• The museum has a coffee bar and café. You’ll also find plenty of places to eat or grab a drink around Ala-Too Square.
• There’s an elevator, making the collection accessible to visitors using wheelchairs or with limited mobility. If you need any specific accommodations, be sure to reach out to the museum ahead of your visit.

How to get there

Ala-Too Square is centrally located, about a 40-minute drive from Manas International Airport depending on traffic. Once in the city, you’ll find many local buses and marshrutkas (shared minibus taxis) headed this way, and the museum is also walkable from many parts of Bishkek. Yandex is the most common rideshare app used in Kyrgyzstan, though you won’t often find English-speaking drivers.

When to get there

The Kyrgyz State Historical Museum is open every day, except for Monday, during regular business hours. You might try to time your visit during the Changing of the Guard in Ala-Too Square; this ceremony takes place hourly in the summer and every 2 hours in the winter. Summertime is peak season for Kyrgyzstan, when the mountains, gorges, and high-altitude pastures are snow-free and accessible for trekking.

Petroglyphs from Kyrgyzstan’s earliest inhabitants

Kyrgyzstan is home to a handful of petroglyph sites, with carvings dating back as early as the Bronze Age. While the Kyrgyz State Historical Museum has hundreds of prehistoric artifacts on display, visitors also have the rare opportunity to visit open-air museums, where rock carvings are preserved where they were first created. The most accessible is the Museum of Petroglyphs in Cholpon-Ata, located near Issyk-Kul Lake.