he National Museum of Cambodia, is Cambodia's largest museum of cultural history and the country's leading historical and archaeological museum. It is located in Chey Chumneas, Phnom Penh, and houses one of the world's largest collections of Khmer art, including sculptural, Khmer ceramics, bronzes, and ethnographic objects. The museum's collection includes over 14,000 items, spanning from prehistoric times to periods before, during, and after the Khmer Empire. The museum buildings, inspired by Khmer temple architecture, were constructed between 1917 and 1924, and the museum was officially inaugurated in 1920. It was renovated in 1968. The museum promotes awareness, understanding, and appreciation of Cambodia's culture and heritage, aiming to educate and inspire its visitors. George Groslier, a historian, curator, and author, was the motivating force behind much of the revival of interest in traditional Cambodian arts and crafts, and he designed the building that is today considered 'traditional Khmer' architecture. The foundation stone for the new museum was laid on 15 August 1917, and the completed museum was inaugurated during Khmer New Year on 13 April 1920 in the presence of H.M King Sisowath, François-Marius Baudouin, Résident-supérieur, and M. Groslier, director of Cambodian Arts, and Conservator of the museum. During the Khmer Rouge regime (from 1975 to 1979), the museum was evacuated and abandoned, and it was found in disrepair, with many objects damaged or stolen. The museum was reopened to the public on 13 April 1979. In July 2024, 14 sculptures were repatriated to Cambodia from the U.S. and were displayed at the museum, marking a significant success for Cambodia's efforts to bring back thousands of artifacts looted or trafficked out of the country.