Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre, Chiang Mai

The Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre is a great starting point for anyone looking to understand the city鈥檚 heritage. Located in the historic Old City, right behind the iconic Three Kings Monument, the museum is housed in a beautifully restored 1920s building that once served as the provincial hall. Its architecture blends colonial-era design with Thai influences, reflecting Chiang Mai鈥檚 layered history.

Inside, the centre presents the story of Chiang Mai and the Lanna Kingdom through engaging multimedia displays, models, and artifacts. Exhibits trace the city鈥檚 development from its founding in 1296 to modern times, highlighting its role as a major cultural, religious, and trading hub in northern Thailand. Visitors can learn about traditional lifestyles, agriculture, and craftsmanship that shaped the region鈥檚 identity.

The museum also explores spiritual traditions, including the importance of Buddhism and the unique artistic styles found in local temples. Short films and interactive displays help bring these stories to life for visitors of all ages. Temporary exhibitions and cultural workshops are occasionally hosted here as well, offering deeper insight into northern Thai customs and creativity.

After exploring the galleries, the centre鈥檚 courtyard and outdoor spaces provide a pleasant place to relax, with statues and informative signs that connect to the themes inside.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Chiang Mai. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre
Sight Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand (See walking tours in Chiang Mai)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Chiang Mai Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Create Your Own Walk in Chiang Mai

Creating your own self-guided walk in Chiang Mai is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Chiang Mai Introduction Walking Tour

Legend holds that in 1296, King Mangrai sought a sacred site for his new city by releasing a white elephant into the forest. The creature climbed a mountain, trumpeted three times, knelt to rest, and then died. Taking this as a divine sign, the king erected a temple at that spot鈥攖oday鈥檚 sacred Wat Doi Suthep.

Chiang Mai鈥檚 name literally means 鈥渘ew city鈥� in Thai, reflecting its role... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles

Chiang Mai Temples Walking Tour

Amid the multitude of impressive sights in Chiang Mai, religious temples really stand out. The city isn't just about one or two of them but has over 300 鈥榳ats鈥�, which is more than elsewhere in Thailand. Some of these temples are as old as the city itself and were built by the kings not only to demonstrate their faith, but also to show off their wealth and power.

In the past, apart from... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles

Shopping and Food Walking Tour

One of the reasons tourists visit Chiang Mai is shopping. Indeed, this city is fit to captivate anyone with its shopping opportunities, especially when it comes to diverse and unique goods such as silk, silver, clothing, ceramics, antiques, Buddhist art, lacquer and neilloware, of consistently good value and quality and at affordable prices. Chiang Mai is one of the cheapest places to shop in... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles

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