Stadthuys (City Hall), Melaka

The City Hall is a historic former administrative building in Melaka. Located in Dutch Square, it is one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks, noted for its red-painted exterior and the nearby Red Clock Tower, which was added in the 19th century.

Built by the Dutch around 1650, the City Hall is considered one of the oldest surviving Dutch buildings in Southeast Asia. Designed in the Dutch colonial style, it originally served as the residence and administrative headquarters of the Dutch governor and his officials.

The City Hall remained an important government building for more than 300 years, serving successive Dutch, British, Japanese, and Malaysian administrations. It was later converted into the History and Ethnography Museum.

Inside, visitors can explore exhibits tracing the history of Melaka through the Sultanate and the Portuguese, Dutch, and British periods. Displays include traditional costumes, porcelain, weapons, works of art, historical artifacts, and models depicting the ships that carried traders and colonial forces through the Strait of Malacca.