Robert Taylor Antique Weapons Museum

An old French villa in Vung Tau holding around 4,000 weapons and military uniforms gathered by a British engineer over more than half a century.

History and development The museum grew out of more than fifty years of passion on the part of Mr Robert Taylor, a British engineer who began collecting weapons at the age of 18. He came to Vietnam in 1989, was licensed to found a museum in 2010 and opened it for the first time in 2012, setting a record as the largest private antique weapons museum in Vietnam (2011). After a period of closure, thanks to premises provided by the local authorities and the support of Mrs Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, the museum officially reopened on 21 April 2016 in an old French villa. Collection and displays Set in about 1,500 sq m of exhibition space, the museum holds around 4,000 objects arranged in five rooms. The rooms are organised by three periods: ancient, medieval and modern. Visitors can admire royal costumes, historical dress, cannons and a rich collection of firearms. Among the highlights are more than 100 South African military uniforms donated by Mr Andre Van Den Berg, which give a vivid and immediate picture of how military dress changed from one era to the next. Highlights - A record-holding private weapons museum in Vietnam: the only place in the country with such a vast store of weapons and military equipment, patiently gathered by one British collector over more than half a century. - Lifelike mannequin displays: the costumes and equipment are not simply kept in glass cases but worn by life-size figures, making it easy to picture the bearing of warriors and commanders in each period. - The setting of an old French villa: the exhibition occupies a French colonial villa in the Front Beach area, giving the visit a nostalgic atmosphere and a distinctive feel. Good to know - Allow 60 to 90 minutes to see all of the display areas. - Do not touch the objects or the figures, and do not move anything on display. - Follow the filming and photography rules given in each exhibition room. - Before your visit, call the hotline 0254 3818369 or 0909 956157 to confirm the opening status and any changes that may have arisen. Visitor information - Tickets: children aged 6 to 11: 50,000 VND per person; children aged 12 and over and adults: 100,000 VND per person. - How to buy: in person at the ticket counter or booked in advance on the museum's official website.

English text: machine translation from the Localis platform — proper names kept in Vietnamese.