Academia Historica 國史館

2/26/2024

Academia Historica is a public history museum focusing on the political history of Taiwan's presidents and vice presidents, as well as other cultural and ecological exhibitions, located in Taipei. One of the many historical buildings in Taipei, is a beautiful Japanese-era marble-faced building, the former communications bureau, which has been converted into a museum for Taiwan's former presidents. It is open for tours to the public on weekdays and is definitely worth a visit.

History
The current building where Academia Historica Taipei currently lies was constructed in 1914 during the Japanese rule of Taiwan for the Communications Bureau, Transportation Department of the Japanese Colonial Government.
It now hosts exhibits for Taiwan's presidents and vice presidents.
Academia Historica is also an institution that was established in 1947 by the ROC government in Nanking. In 1957 it reopened in Taiwan. It moved to the current building, and also has other departments in Xindian and Nantou. The Nantou Building has since changed its name to Taiwan Historica (there is a much bigger museum now in Nantou). The Taipei building, which this blog covers, holds artifacts from the president and vice president of Taiwan (R.O.C.).

Hours:
The office is open for visitors from Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Price:
Free

Hotels in Taipei:
We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here).
We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

How to get there:
By MRT/Bus: The building is close to the NTU hospital MRT station. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here.
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here.
By Car/Scooter: There is limited parking nearby.
Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:

I have been to Academia Historia once. It is an interesting place to visit and usually has on-point exhibits that will give you a deeper look into Taiwan's democratic and presidential history. There are also come exhibits about Taiwan's cultural and ecological history. Overall it will not take much time to see everything in the museum; it's not very big. But the best part is it is free. Just make sure to get there before 4:30 PM on a weekday or they will not let you in.

The museum is right behind Taiwan's Presidential Office Building.

Entrance to the museum.

The Exhibit when I was there was about Lee Teng Hui, former president of Taiwan that helped with the country's democratization.

Again, opening hours are only from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays.

Main entrance to the museum.

Sign describing the building, which was originally built as the telegraph bureau under the Japanese.

Brief history of Academia Historia.

Records, artifacts, services, and publications as part of the museum.

Map of the area.

View inside the main hall on the ground floor.

View looking back at the entrance.

Small gift shop inside.

Original wood relief from the Japanese era.

Stairway to the second level where the museum is.

Another view of the stairs.

Miniature of the building.

Wider view of the miniature.

Display of former president Lee Teng-hui.

Former presidential desk.

Children's activity area.

Hallway on the second floor.

This room is a permanent exhibition on Taiwan's ecology.

Permanent exhibition of Taiwan indigenous culture.

Traditional canoe model from Orchid Island.

Exhibition on democracy.

Martial era exhibit.

Martial era courtroom artificial reality.

City election exhibit.

Tea exhibition.

Back to the entrance.

You can see more photos in the gallery above.

You can look for more activities in Taipei such as Rock Climbing, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, Diving, Snorkeling, Cooking Class, Glamping, Motorcycling, and more on Klook here or KKday here.

You can check out our Taipei Museum Guide here.

Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here.

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.