The Fun of Educational Tours at the Geological Museum

Bandung Public Relations had the opportunity to visit one of these museums, namely the Geology Museum on Tuesday 18 January 2022.

The Geological Museum is one of the favorite destinations for tourists who are traveling to Bandung.

From time to time, the Geological Museum seems to have a place in the hearts of tourists. It seems, this place seems to be a mandatory destination for students outside West Java who are on a study tour to Bandung.

For local tourists, the Geological Museum can also be one of the recommendations for interesting tourist attractions. Its easy access and relatively cheap price are the reasons.

Enough to spend Rp. 2,000 for students and Rp. 3,000 for general tourists, we can spend time there. Oh yes, for foreign tourists, a tariff of IDR 10,000 is applied.

To Bandung Public Relations, Adhitia Ari Nugroho as Staff at the Education & Information Sub-Coordination of the Geology Museum explained that in a day, this museum can receive visits of up to 3,000 people. However, during the pandemic, this number is limited to 600 visitors.

"During the pandemic, we boost virtual tourism. All tourist visits are done online. The capacity reaches 2,000 virtual visitors, which is divided into two sessions," said Adhit.

Currently, virtual tours are only open every Monday. The fare is also free by placing an order at the link on the Geology Museum's official Instagram bio.

Hundreds of Thousands of Collections
The attraction of the Geological Museum for visitors is its collection which has high scientific value. As of 2022, the collection in this museum reaches 417 thousand.

Sub Coordinator for Documentation & Conservation of Superior Prasetyo Wibowo explained the distribution of floor plans in this museum. In general, the Geological Museum is divided into two locations: the collection room and the exhibition or demonstration room.

The collection room is at the back of the museum section and cannot be accessed by any visitor. You can access this space for certain purposes by following the procedures established by the museum.

Then there are showrooms spread over two floors of the museum. The 1st floor is divided into two parts: the west wing and the east wing. In the west wing, visitors can see objects and treasures about Indonesian geology and in general

While in the east wing, visitors are presented with information about the history of life on earth from the beginning of the earth's formation until now.

The 2nd floor is divided into two parts: the east and west wings. On the west wing, visitors can get information about geological resources, while on the east side visitors can get education about utilization and disaster.

There is a special message conveyed by Superior for those of you who want to visit the Geological Museum. This message is related to our efforts to jointly maintain this collection of objects that are thousands of years old.

"This fossil is unique. It came from an individual and there is no replacement if it is damaged. So for visitors who access this collection both popularly (visit) and for research purposes, so that they can protect it together," said Unggul.

Community Education Through Fun Programs
Before the pandemic, the Geological Museum was not just a destination visited by tourists. The management is also active in conducting various museum introduction programs and geological education to the public.

This activity is still ongoing today. The only difference is that all of these activities have recently been conducted online.

Adhitya explained that currently the Geology Museum has five publication and educational programs that can be enjoyed by the public.

First, there is Collection Talk. This program thoroughly explores a museum collection. This program also presents a live broadcast on YouTube with material found on geological objects in the field. In its implementation, the Geological Museum cooperates with various agencies.

Then there is Merdeka Learning which is a special program for students to understand the material about geology. This educational program is packaged lightly and interactively between the presenters and students and is opened during the school holiday season.

"The material is delivered using interactive media such as fairy tales and discussions," said Adhit.

Then there is the Night at The Museum program which is usually held on the fourth week of each month. Almost two years of vacuum due to the pandemic, this program was finally rolled out online recently.

Two other interesting programs are the Collaboration Corner and Information Services. The Collaboration Corner itself is the Geology Museum's effort to introduce itself to the public.

"The goal is to activate the park on the east side to be used as a place for activities. We are opening collaborations with agencies and communities to bring the museum together," explained Adhit.

Meanwhile, you can access various information at the Geological Museum Information Service. The information disseminated included presentation materials in exhibition rooms, collaborations, and internship vacancies at museums.

"Explanations in the exhibition room may be limited. So, in the information service, visitors can ask further questions with experts. Oh yes, visitors who want to do an internship here can also contact the Information Service," he explained.

In closing, Adhitia invites the people of Bandung in particular, to be closer to the museum. Through various socialization and education programs, he hopes that the public's perception of the museum will change, not just a place to store old items.

"In developed countries, museums are always the main destination for tourists. Even with expensive rates, tourists are willing to come to museums. Now how do we love museums and be closer to museums. Make museums a hangout option," he concluded.

Currently, the Geology Museum is open every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 to 13.00 WIB. For virtual tours, the Geological Museum currently opens on Mondays. All information related to events, offline ticket bookings to virtual tours can be accessed on Instagram @geomuzee. (ray)**