Visiting The Kudus Kretek Museum, The Only One In Indonesia

Kudus, one of the regencies on the north coast of Jawa Tengah, has various nicknames, including the City of Islamic Students, the City of Jenang, and the City of Kretek. Kudus has the only kretek museum in Indonesia which is located in Getas Pejaten Village, Jati District. Uniquely, this museum holds various collections that tell the story of the development of clove cigarettes in Java.

This museum was also a filming location for a drama series entitled "Gadis Kretek" which was adapted from a novel by Ratih Kumala. The drama series stars well-known Indonesian actors and actresses, such as Arya Saloka, Putri Marino, Dian Sastrowardoyo, Wingky Wirawan, and Tissa Biani.

Want to know the complete story of this museum? Check this out.

Kretek story

Kretek was born in Kudus and is inseparable from the figure of Haji Djamhari. At that time, Haji Djamhari had shortness of breath, so he took clove oil and rubbed it on his chest and body. Then, his shortness of breath subsided. He experimented with ground cloves, mixed with tobacco, rolled using cornhusks, tied with string, and then smoked and burned. The sound of 'kemretek' from the burned is the origin of the name kretek.

About the Kretek Museum

The Kretek Museum was founded on a 2.5 ha area in 1986 on the initiative of Soepardjo Rustam, Governor of Jawa Tengah when he visited Kudus and saw the great potential of a kretek company that could drive the economy of the people in the city. This museum houses 1,195 collections on the history of kretek, for example, Nitisemito's progress in establishing the Bal Tiga Cigarette Factory, company documents at that time, traditional tools for making cigarettes to those using modern technology, dioramas of types of clove tobacco, dioramas of making cigarettes in factories, and so on.

Miniature Cultural Heritage

Around the museum, there are also several miniature cultural heritage buildings, such as the Nitisemito Twin House which many consider be a silent witness to the glory of the Nitisemito Clove King, the Wali Loram Kulon Mosque with its iconic padureksan gate, and the Kudus Traditional House "Joglo Pencu" with a blend of architecture between Javanese (Hindu), Persian (Islamic), Chinese (Chinese), and European (Dutch) cultures.

Museums Facilities

The facilities available are also quite complete. There are many rides for children, so they won't be bored when they visit here, such as trampolines, fish therapy, ball baths, spilled buckets, and mini water booms. The entrance fee is still pocket friendly. Since it is open every day, the Kretek Museum can be a choice to be visited on weekends or school holidays. (Admin)