Liputan6.com, Yogyakarta – For some people, museums are boring places. However, this perception will immediately change when visiting the History of Java (HOJ) Museum in Yogyakarta.
This museum, which has been operating since the end of 2018, is located in the former Pyramid Cafe building on Jalan Parangtritis Km 5.5, Bangunharjo, Sewon, Bantul, Yogyakarta. Inside, visitors not only see collections of ancient artifacts but also experience them firsthand through Augmented Reality (AR) technology.
HOJ has collections of prehistoric artifacts to items from ancient kingdoms, such as Tarumanegara, Majapahit, Demak Bintaro, Cirebon, and Islamic Mataram. AR technology allows visitors to view these items in detail.
According to Elly T. Halsamer, CEO of Marcom DTopeng Kingdom Group, the museum’s managing body, it’s time for museums to be more contemporary and understand the psychology of visitors, including providing unique sensations and experiences.
“Museums can’t just showcase items on shelves and leave visitors to understand them on their own,” she said on Sunday (January 19, 2020).
She believes that museums need to have storytellers supported by advanced digital technology so that visitors enjoy their experience more.
HOJ also hosts various thematic events. For example, during Halloween in October 2019, the museum surprised its visitors. While the visitors were attentively listening to the guide’s story, they were startled by screams and sobs from the museum’s corridor and the appearance of ghosts from behind the hallway.
It turned out that the ghosts were actually museum staff who gave the visitors a surprise by handing out candy and taking selfies.
During Christmas 2019, HOJ also prepared a Santa Claus concept, giving out chocolates to visitors.
Meanwhile, for the Chinese New Year celebration on January 25, 2020, visitors could also receive gifts from the red envelope tree in the museum complex. The visitors who were eligible to pick red envelopes were those who visited the museum on two consecutive days. The gifts in the red envelopes varied, from free entry tickets to merchandise.
The Public Relations Director of the HOJ Museum Yogyakarta, Ki Bambang Widodo, revealed that these thematic programs support the concept of a modern interactive museum.
“Visitors need to be given a different experience through engaging their senses, so they don’t get bored quickly because they are given exciting experiences,” he said.
HOJ is open every day from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The entrance fee is IDR 30,000 for domestic tourists and IDR 50,000 for international tourists.