Flagstaff House, Hong Kong Museum

Address: Former Flagstaff House (Museum of Tea Ware), Hong Kong Park, 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, Hong Kong

Website: https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Teaware/en/home.html

Hours: Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Mondays (check website for exceptions)

Admission: Free entry (museum)

Flagstaff House is a mid-19th-century colonial building in the Central district of Hong Kong that originally served as the residence for the commanding officer of British forces. It is one of the oldest surviving Western-style buildings in the city and now functions as a public museum focused on tea culture and ceramics.

The site contains galleries displaying historic Chinese teapots, tea-related objects and rotating exhibitions about tea culture and its material history. The building’s preserved colonial architecture and small grounds are also of interest to visitors exploring Hong Kong Park.

Constructed during the early period of British colonial rule, the house served as military quarters before being repurposed. In the late 20th century it was adapted to hold museum displays while retaining much of its external appearance and internal layout.

The house stands inside Hong Kong Park in the Central and Western District, close to Central’s commercial core and public transport hubs such as the Central MTR station and the Peak Tram lower terminus.

• Location tip: Sited within Hong Kong Park, adjacent to Government House and the Peak Tram lower terminus, making it easy to include on a central Hong Kong walking route.
• Visitor note: Houses a permanent collection of Chinese tea ware and related exhibits; free or low-cost entry rules are set by the local museum authority so check opening times before visiting.

Flagstaff House (the historic building in Hong Kong Park housing the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware) is in Central, beside Cotton Tree Drive. The nearest MTR stations are Admiralty (interchange for Island, Tsuen Wan and South Island lines) and Central; from Admiralty station it’s a roughly 5-8 minute walk through Hong Kong Park to Cotton Tree Drive and Flagstaff House.

By taxi or car use Harcourt Road / Cotton Tree Drive to reach the park; from Hong Kong Island’s central business district it is a short walk or taxi ride.

• Access Flagstaff House via Hong Kong Park (near Cotton Tree Drive) and combine it with other nearby attractions-the museum sits within the park, so visit the park's conservatory and gardens in the same trip.
• Check the museum's official website for current opening hours and temporary exhibitions before you go; small specialist museums in Hong Kong often change displays or have seasonal closures.
• Visit on a weekday morning if possible to avoid weekend crowds from the Peak Tram and Central tourist flows, and pause for a tea-room demonstration if the museum's programming lists one on the day of your visit.