Museums · Amman · Jordan
5 best museums in Amman
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dan Palraz, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Jordan Museum, Darat al Funun and Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts. Together the 5 picks below take roughly 7–8 hours across 3 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 5
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 7–8 hours
- Areas
- Ras al-Ain, Jabal al-Weibdeh and King Hussein Park
Museums in Amman
Museum · Ras al-Ain
1.Jordan Museum
The national museum traces Jordan's history from the Stone Age to the modern era, with the plaster Ain Ghazal statues, about 9,000 years old, fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls and well-presented sections on the Nabataeans of Petra.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Art
Gallery · Jabal al-Weibdeh
2.Darat al Funun
A contemporary Arab art centre spread across restored 1920s houses on a hillside garden, with the ruins of a 6th-century Byzantine church among the terraces.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Off the beaten path
- Views
Gallery · Jabal al-Weibdeh
3.Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts
Two buildings facing a small park hold a large collection of modern and contemporary art from Jordan, the wider Arab world and other developing countries, including painting, sculpture and ceramics.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · King Hussein Park
4.Royal Automobile Museum
The late King Hussein's collection of cars and motorcycles, from early 20th-century vehicles to royal limousines and rally cars, is displayed with photographs that tell Jordan's modern history.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · King Hussein Park
5.Children's Museum Jordan
A hands-on science and discovery museum with interactive exhibits on the body, nature, technology and Jordanian heritage, plus outdoor play areas in King Hussein Park.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Ras al-Ain | Jordan Museum | 2 hours |
| Jabal al-Weibdeh | Darat al Funun and Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts | 1 hour + 1 hour |
| King Hussein Park | Royal Automobile Museum and Children's Museum Jordan | 1 hour + 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 5, 1 free, 4 low cost. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Children's Museum Jordan; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Ras al-Ain and Jabal al-Weibdeh): Jordan Museum → Darat al Funun → Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (King Hussein Park): Royal Automobile Museum → Children's Museum Jordan, at least 3 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- December: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and wet, with Christmas decorations in Christian areas and quiet sights.
- February: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and changeable with sunny breaks; quiet at the sights.
- January: highs of 12°C (54°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. The coldest month, with rain, wind and occasional snow; buildings can feel cold, so check that your hotel is heated.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Jabal al-Weibdeh — Leafy lanes, art galleries and neighbourhood cafés around Paris Circle
More of Amman
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Amman?
Jordan Museum. The national museum traces Jordan's history from the Stone Age to the modern era, with the plaster Ain Ghazal statues, about 9,000 years old, fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls and well-presented sections on the Nabataeans of Petra.
+Which of these are free in Amman?
Darat al Funun.