De Arca Museum Tours

De Arca Museum is a waxwork museum with a difference: Rather than using wax, the characters are crafted from fiberglass. Around 100 different statues span the gamut from Indonesian heroes to celebrities such as David Beckham, Brad Pitt, and Queen Elizabeth II. Some likenesses are more convincing than others.

The Basics
The De Arca Museum shares a building with the two De Mata 3D trick-art museums and the D’Walik optical illusion exhibit. Buy tickets to the museums individually or get a discounted price for admission to all four; prices are lowest on weekday mornings and early afternoon and highest on weekends and public holidays. Photo packages are available to buy if you doubt your selfie skills, and there are a range of food options, free Wi-Fi, massage chairs, and a souvenir shop on-site.

Things to Know Before You Go

• De Arca Museum will mainly be of interest to waxworks connoisseurs.
• The museums cater to the local market, and visibly foreign travelers can expect to be asked for selfies.
• Travelers who use wheelchairs will only be able to access De Arca Museum with assistance.

How to Get There
The De Arca Museum is located on Jalan Veteran in downtown Yogyakarta, about 2 miles (3 kilometers) east of the Kraton (Sultan’s Palace). Bus 2A runs from the south end of Jalan Malioboro to Jalan Veteran. Get off at RSI Hidayatullah hospital, and it’s virtually across the road.

When to Get There
De Arca and the other museums operate a 3-tier pricing system. “Happy hour”—from late morning to early afternoon during the working week—is cheapest but also popular with school trips. Weekends are most expensive and busiest. A good time to visit is midafternoon during the working week; the museum shuts in the early evening.

What Statues Can I See at De Arca Museum?
De Arca Museum was briefly international news after its Hitler statue made headlines. The offending likeness has since been removed. Models on offer include Steve Jobs, Jackie Chan, Barack Obama, and characters from Mr. Bean to Batman. Local craftsmen sculpt all the figures from photos, meaning standards of realism are lower than at Madame Tussauds.