Vung Tau is one of the stunning destinations in Vietnam with its beaches, seafood, and giant Christ the King statue on a small mountain. Visiting this city, don't forget to explore the Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms, which is a museum built around a British expat's five-decade weapons collection. Surely, tourists will be excited about this place. There are many artifacts to display in this museum from all the world, like Ancient Rome, Mongol-era cavalry, Japanese samurai armor, Napoleonic France, Victorian Britain, and both world wars. These artifacts are put inside a restored French villa. If you love history and admire the artifacts of all the world, you should visit this museum. 

The Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms Overview

The Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms is located at 98 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ward 1, in Vung Tau, Vietnam, known as a privately owned and the largest military history museum in Southeast Asia. The museum is founded by British collector Robert Taylor with more than 2500 to 4000 pieces spanning ancient Greek and Roman armor through 20th-century firearms.

Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms

The Robert Taylor Museum occupies a restored French colonial villa. Each building and floor is organized by era and nation, allowing you to easily admire the collection of weapons and military uniforms. This museum opens alll day from Monday to Sunday with the entrance free about 70.000 VND/person. 

A bronze statue of Guan Yu is placed in the middle of the courtyard.

You can take the Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms with Christ the King statue and Vung Tau's beaches in your schedule in your journey from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau by car or the Vung Tau full-day shore excursion tour from Phu My Port. 

Robert Taylor Weapons Museum entrance ticket

Why does the museum put the name of Robert Taylor? 

The museum was named by the British mechanical engineer Robert Taylor. He collected military artifacts decades before the museum was founded. In the late 1980s, he came to Vietnam for work at Vung Tau and married a Vietnamese national. 

In 2011, the local authority offered a museum license for him. These starting day, he ony displayed pieces at a smaller Hai Dang street location. 

Until 2016, he moved the artifacts to a French colonial-era villa on Tran Hung Dao Street. Entering the museum, you will meet him. He will introduce the museum and lead tourists through sections of the collection.

Highlight in Robert Taylor museum

One of the interesting things to visit at the Robert Taylor Museum is the layout chronologically and geographically across several buildings and floors.

Ground floor 

Entering the ground floor, the world of medieval opens your eyes. You can admire the weapons and armor such as Greek, Roman, Mongol, Chinese, and Viking eras with Crusader and samurai displays. The case exhibits by life-sized mannequins with the dress code in the full period replace static exhibits.

A collection of traditional Japanese Samurai armor and weapons.5 models wearing ancient armor The Song Dynasty (modern-day China)

An exhibition space at a military history museum featuring machine guns, rifles, and models of soldiers in wartime uniforms.

Upper floors 

This place displays the artifacts of European colonial and imperial militaries. Tourists can admire the uniforms and firearms of the British, French, Dutch, German, and Russians from the 17th to 19th centuries. Exploring Napoleonic-era pieces and a rare Dutch one. 

British weapons and uniforms,

Six historic British military uniforms

MG 42 heavy machine gun and Nazi German helmet.

Dedicated sections 

If you are interested in the history of the Vietnam War and the French colonial period, you should visit dedicated sections. Tourists can visit artifacts and photographs to Vietnam's own conflict history and French. 

In addition, you can discover smaller collections such as African weaponry dated to the early-to-mid 1800s, 19th-century swords from Vietnam's Muong ethnic minority, and an Australian military section.

Best Time to Visit Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms

You can visit Vung Tau anytime. However, the best time to visit Vung Tau is the dry season from December to April. The weather is low humidity and less rain. The rain season starts from May to October. You can see brings short, predictable afternoon downpours and rising humidity. The museum is the best option for visiting on the rainy day when beach plans fall through. Because all of the activities in the museum occures inhouse. So, it is not depend on the weather. You only need to the time of journey rather than working around the weather.

How to get to the museum?

Most visitors get to the museum from Ho Chi Minh City or Phu My Port. The Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms is about roughly 95–100 km southeast of the museum, about a 2-hour drive via the Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway and National Route 51. 

If you depart from Phu My port, tourists can arrive a shorter run, at around 30-35 km, with 45-60 minutes by private car. 

With a short long, the museum is the top destination on a half-day shore excursion. From Vung Tau' hotel, you can walk along Back Beach to the museum. 

If you want to combine with several attractions in Vung Tau, such as White Palace, Christ statue..., book a private car from Ho Chi Minh to Vung or private car from Phu My Port to Vung Tau. Enjoy a comfortable journey with the cheap price, no hidden and door-to-door pickup. 

Full-day itinerary to visit the Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms from Phu My port

8:30: Pick you up outside a Phu My port (+ extra fee = $25US)

9:15: Transfer to Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms; explore ground and upper floors. You can enjoy coffee break at the museum's on-site coffee

12:00: Have lunch at a seafood restaurant

13:30 Arrive at Christ the King statue (Tuong Chua Kito Vua). Tourists climb up for coastal views over Vung Tau

14:30: Visit Bach Dinh (White Palace)

15:30: Back to the port. Say goodbye. 

Nearby Attractions the museum

Christ the King Statue (Tuong Chua Kito Vua)

• Address: Ha Long/Thuy Van Street, Ward 2, at the foot of Nui Nho (Small Mountain), Vung Tau City
• Opening hours: 
  • 7:00 AM–5:00 PM (last entry around 4:30 PM)
  •  The internal spiral staircase to the statue's arms:  7:15 AM–12:00 PM and 2:00 PM–4:30 PM
• Entrance fee: Free

Christ the King Statue

Back Beach (Bai Sau)

• Address: Thuy Van Street, Ward 2 (Ward 8 in older listings), Vung Tau City
• Opening hours: Open 24/7 
• Entrance fee: Free 

Back Beach Vung Tau in the morning

Vung Tau Lighthouse

• Address: Atop Nui Nho (Small Mountain / Tao Phung Mountain), 40 Hai Dang Street, Ward 2, Vung Tau City
• Opening hours: 7:30 AM–5:00 PM daily
• Entrance fee:  15,000 VND

Vung Tau Lighthouse

Long Son Big House (Nhà Lớn Long Sơn / Ong Tran Temple)

• Address: Long Son island commune, on the eastern slope of Nua Mountain, Vung Tau City, Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province 
• Opening hours: Daily
• Entrance fee: Free

Ho May Park

• Address: 1A Tran Phu Street, Ward 1, Vung Tau City, Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province
• Opening hours:  8:00 AM–6:00 PM 
• Entrance fee: 10$US/person

Indian tourists travel to Ho May Park

The Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms displays artifacts inside a French villa by one man's five-decade obsession with military history. You can combine a shore excursion from Phu My Port, attracting the attention of both history buffs and curious families passing through Vung Tau.