Visits: BNM Museum & Art Gallery

A little known treasure in our Central Bank's vault is the Bank Negara Malaysia Museum & Art Gallery at Sasana Kijang.

The Museum gives you fun and interactive lessons on economics, banking and financial planning matters. 

It's air-conditioned with several floors of exhibits, and the kids were kept busy running up and down, looking for special country rubber stamps to mark their "Asean Passport".

Best of all, it's free. Our foreigner friend who was with us kept asking, "Are you sure it's free? This sort of place would be so expensive in my home country!"

There's a special Children's Gallery where you can go through a RM1 million tunnel, be a bank teller of a day and try your hand at special kid-targeted exhibits.

Even the other galleries have interactive features to keep the kids entertained.

Like a banking trivia game, which Boy loved even if he didn't understand it at all

Or this gold vault that "opens" when you key in the correct year in which BNM was set up (we Googled the answer)

Or giant-sized business newspapers

Or shipping containers that explain Malaysia's major imports and exports

We were fortunate to be there when the Financial LATeracy Exhibit was on. Malaysia's favourite cartoonist has been instrumental in teaching financial management through his caricatures.

The fun entrance to the exhibit hall

Lat's Buku Wang Saku was part of the national savings campaign (launched in 1996) as financial education for young Malaysians. 

Learning to make smart consumer decisions

Kampung flavour with Congkak time

Learning to open bank accounts and other fun stuff

On the top floor, the Bank has an Art Gallery, showcasing its collection of Malaysian and Southeast Asian art, which it acquired since 1962.

The exhibit of the day was Art of Asean. The bright and wide open spaces were good for playing hide and seek.

Spot the Seeker ... or is it the Hider?

One of our favourite pieces. From far, you see a child's face. Up close, you see lots and lots of little faces cut out and stuck on the montage. Can't remember what it's called, but just thought it was cool. 

Baby having a Marilyn-minus-the-skirt moment on the air vents ... Wooshhhh!

We headed downstairs for lunch at the Museum Cafe.

The menu looked extensive, but half of the items we wanted were not in stock.

The prices were pretty decent, but I think RM12 for this steak and onion sandwich is a bit on the high side. Ah well ... at least it tasted pretty good.

It was a day well spent, and hopefully it continues to grow as a museum so we can keep coming back for more fun!

Aargghhh ... we had to leave without finding the final two stamps!!!