National Monument (Monas)
Another legacy commissioned by First Indonesian President, Soekarno, is National Monument, or locally known as Monas. Situated only a few hundred meters away from the Presidential Palace in the heart of an 800,000-square-meter (197-acre), the monument's construction began in 1961 but it was not open to the public until 1975. The obelisk representation topped by a glittering flame (coated with 35 kilograms of gold) symbolizes the nation's strength and independence. The base of the monument is home to National History. Museum with 48 dramatic dioramas presenting Indonesian history. To view Jakarta's extraordinary cityscape, take a lift to the top of the observatory deck, some 132 meters (433 feet) above ground level. North of the monument near the park's entrance stands an 8-ton bronze statue of Prince Diponegoro, the famous Javanese warrior who fought the Dutch in a guerilla war in 1825-1830, sitting on a horse raising its forelegs The Prince, a romantic figure symbolizing the spirit of fighting for freedom, was crafted by Italian sculptor Colbertado and presented to the Indonesian government in 1965 by the Italian government. Open daily from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. Saturday, Sunday, and Public Holidays until 7:00 pm.

Lubang Buaya Heroes Monument
Located at Jalan Raya Ponclok Gede, about 20 km southeast from downtown Jakarta, this memorial park was established to' commemorate the tragedy of September 30, 1965. In an attempted coup d'etat, the Indonesian Communist Party was said to have executed seven military heroes (six generals and one officer), tortured and buried them in an old well in a village called Lubang Buaya.

The National Museum
The museum located on the west side of Merdeka Square is popularly known as Gedung Gajah ( Elephant Building) because of its bronze elephant statue given by King Chulalongkorn of Thailand in 1971, which is placed in front of the building. Established by U.M.C. Rademacher with the support of Batavia Association of Arts and Sciences, this museum offers extensive collections of cultural instruments, and arts and crafts dating back to prehistoric time. The museum's comprehensive collection artifacts and sculptures make it possible for you to learn more about the life of various ethnic groups of Indonesia, from their working habits to their religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam).

Fatahillah Square
Museum-lovers should not miss Fatahillah Square on Jalan Pintu Besar Utara 27, Old Jakarta's Kota area. The square with an antique fountain in the center of the plaza offers three museums surrounding it: Wayang Museum, Jakarta Historical Museum and Museum of Fine Arts & Ceramics.

The Wayang Museum
This museum displays puppets from Java, Sumatera, Bali, Lombok, and South Kalimantan, as well as those from Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand. Through the Wayang Wit (wooden and leather puppets) displays and the collections of musical instruments and apparatus for staging puppet shows, you will discover the unique theatre tradition of Indonesia. Come and see the wayang kulit performances in shortened versions every Sunday morning.