The heart of the country, Kuala Lumpur, is well known for all of its exclusive shopping malls and unique restaurants. But there is actually more than just shopping malls and hipster cafes that the city has to offer.

Besides window-shopping at your favourite stores, the city has many other attractions that will not burn a hole in your pocket because shopping is expensive, lah.

With affordable entrance fees, the locals and tourists will be joining the artsy-puzzle bandwagon soon. Here are 7 Interactive-Artsy Places to Visit Around Klang Valley for you to enjoy a special kind of day or even date!

Let’s go!

1. Museum of Illusions, Kuala Lumpur

Your mind is going to be tested here as the museum offers illusions that trick the eye.

As an addition, to really test out your IQ level, the museum also offers playrooms where your critical thinking skills are tested.

The lovely assistants will guide you and help you in getting the best angles for pictures. And if you’re stuck at trying to solve those mind-boggling puzzles, they will offer to show you the way.

There are 16 exhibits in the museum and each serves its own uniqueness.

The most exciting and thrilling is The Vortex Tunnel! Feel yourself getting dizzy and finding it hard to even make it through to the other end.

Even though you’re stepping on a stabled static bridge, the rest of this installation is actually a moving cylindrical tunnel.

You can also play with all the Dilemma Games that they offer. These puzzles will get your mind working as you try to solve the missing pieces or the tricky brain-twisters. 

A  shop awaits you at the end of the museum course where all the Dilemma Games are sold there as souvenirs for you to take home, and maybe do a lot of practising on the puzzles before you come back again for another visit!

Other merchandises are also available such as tote bags, t-shirts and key chains.

Location: 1 floor of Ansa Hotel, right in between Fahrenheit 88 and Lot 10 Mall off Bukit Bintang

Entrance Fees: 

Adults	RM35 (MyKad)	RM45 (Non-MyKad)
Children (5-15 years old)	RM25 (MyKad)	RM35 (Non-MyKad)
Students/Seniors	RM30 (MyKad)	RM35 (Non-MyKad)
Family (2 Adults + 2 Children)	RM90 (MyKad)	RM120 (Non-MyKad)

But you can get 20% discounts on the rates when you purchase online

Contact: 03-21102654 / [email protected]

Working Hours: 10:00AM – 10:00PM 

For more information, head to their official website at https://museumofillusions.my/

 

2. Ainaa Artwork, Pasar Seni

For those of you who enjoy a more traditional activity, this is the right place for you!

Here at Ainaa Artworks, you can enjoy a mini batik panting workshop. The designs of the batik are already candled onto the batik canvas for you to paint on. 

There are many designs for you to choose from, ranging from flora and fauna themes and also other abstract designs. There are two sizes of the canvas with prices of RM15 for small, and RM20 for the big batik canvas. 

This relaxing activity eases the mind, and you are free to colour your batik just the way you like it! Fret not, the water colours are provided for you without extra charges. 

The lovely shop attenders will help you and teach you how to mix the colours and to set up all the essentials needed for the workshop. 

The space is spacious and the activity usually takes not less than 30 minutes.

With the calm surrounding, and the painting experience, this place will bring you the good old school vibes! 

The place also showcases other batik artworks that comes in all shapes and sizes. The displays are up for sale too so you can also check them out while you are painting your batik. 

Location: LOT1.03A, Ground Floor, Pasar Seni, Jalan Hang Kasturi, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Entrance Fee: Non-required, unless taking part in the workshop 

Contact: +6014-7177208 / +6012-9728089 

Working hours: 10:00AM – 9:30PM

 

3. Back Lanes of Bukit Bintang 

Take a walk through the back lanes of Kuala Lumpur and discover hand-painted murals on the stairs, the alleys and feast your eyes on the good graffiti work on the walls of the back lanes. 

The vibrant colours painted across the back lanes livin’ up the place and this is actually one of DBKL’s initiative to refurbish the back lanes to become ‘pockets of sunshine’. 

The artworks range from flora and fauna murals to paintings of faces and streamlines. 

Walking around is definitely free and you can enjoy the stroll along the back lanes of Bukit Bintang while being served with many gigantic painted artworks. 

The walk through the back lanes will make you appreciate the artworks because it is painted on the entire walls at a high level which is not easy for many artists to do.

The iconic stream artwork looks very nice and the 3D finishing of the paintings makes it look very real to the naked eye!

These gigantic murals and paintings are very colourful and it is a good activity for you to do while admiring the works of art at the back lanes. It’s also a perfect place for you to get your #ootd shots!

Location: Along Jalan Alor, Changkat Bukit Bintang

Working hours: Since it’s free, it’s absolutely available all around the clock. 

 

4. Upside Down House, Kuala Lumpur

Besides Sabah, the Upside Down House is also available here in the heart of the city. Every detail of the house including the outside lawn is upside down.

The architecture of the whole place is just amazing. You may feel like gravity just decided to go wrong and make everything go upside down!

The Upside Down House is a complete double story English cottage with all the furniture and home decor arranged upside down on the ceiling. 

You can explore a number of rooms including the master bedroom, bathroom, kids room and an attic-all upside down. This place is suitable for families to bond and make good memories together. 

The workers are professionals in assisting you with all the good angles for pictures and they would be happy to capture the moments for you. 

Its location is in front of the KL Tower which makes it easier for you to reach the place. 

It is advisable for you to wear comfortable clothes as you will roam around the Upside Down House and make a lot of poses for each room you go into. 

Visitors usually spend less than an hour at the upside down house, but all this depends on the amount of time you spend on taking your pictures, and on exploring the structure of the building itself. 

Location: Menara Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur 50250, Malaysia

Entrance Fees:

Adult	RM20
Children	RM15

Contact: +60 10-802 7547

Working Hours: 9:00AM-10:00PM

For more information, visit Upside Down House Kuala Lumpur’s Official Facebook

 

5. SS 2 Art Street, Petaling Jaya 

These streets have transformed into beautiful murals of the ‘Bestnya Malaysiaku’ Wall Art Competition organised jointly by Yeo bee Yin, Damansara Utama assemblyman and Lee Suet Sen, Petaling Jaya Councilor (MBPJ) for ss2. 

The murals each have their own name and theme which suits to highlight Malaysia as a multi-ethnic and a multi racial country, as well as acknowledging the aspirations and the voices of Malaysians. 

The murals are done by students and freelance illustrators. 

This is a great place to discover the beautiful arts that the artists have come up with, and it’s also a delight to treasure all these wonderful pieces at a walking-distance pace. 

The names of the murals are, ‘Forgiveness’, ‘Singing in the Rain’, ‘Suara Anak Malaysia’, ‘Lat Tali Tamplom’, ‘Stay Under the Roof’, ‘Bestnya Malaysiaku’, ‘Memories of Anak Malaysia’, ‘Kedai Gunting Rambut Lyla’ and ‘Fantasy Malaysia’. 

Here’s a map of all of the nine murals available all around the SS2 streets. 

The SS2 Street is a very famous spot for Insta-worthy pictures and many people from all walks of life come here to enjoy the scenery. 

You can enjoy the murals as much as you like and don’t forget to take pictures along the way! 

Location: Jalan SS2/61 – Jalan SS2/67 Petaling Jaya, 47300, Selangor.

 

6. Laman Seni 7, Shah Alam

Laman Seni 7 is another street art where every artwork also has a story behind it. The pieces here are also done by some of the most talented street artists. 

Laman Seni 7 is a continued sequel project organised by KNZNH Studio, to make the lanes of the neighbourhood come to life with all the bright colours. 

Each mural has its own description right beside it which is beautifully plated to let the comers know about the story behind the murals and also the name of the artists. 

There are a total of 34 street artworks at Laman Seni 7. And about 10 of the creations are done by local independent artists.

The artworks range from 3D illustrations and murals that highlight Shah Alam as the city of night life or the green city. 

The works continue to inspire and get the locals’ attraction with its special effect and special elements that are incorporated into the artworks. 

Some of the pieces are made with recyclable items such as plastic bottles. This street art is yet another place for you art-lovers to enjoy and of course to take pictures!

Projects like this should definitely grow larger to support local art talents and to showcase the hand-crafted work to others. 

Location: Laman Seni 7, Jalan Plumbum R7/R, Seksyen 7, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor.

 

BONUS: Selfie Museum, Kuala Lumpur 

Who does not like selfies? Losers, probably…

The Selfie Museum is Malaysia’s first museum dedicated to the Art of Selfie which is specially designed for multisensorial experiences including 5 Malaysian-inspired desserts to accompany you along the visit. 

The museum has 9 selfie rooms, and you can eat desserts such as Malaysian-flavoured cupcakes, marshmallows, Baskin Robbin’s ice cream and you can get your bubble tea fix with the Tealive Signature!

You can have all of this with a one pass ticket. 

The museum is presented by Samsung Galaxy, and sponsored by 9 well-known companies including Baskin Robbins, Benefit Cosmestics, dUCk, Tealive, llaollao, Lingham’s Chili Sauce, WOW Media, Senka and COLAB Dry Shampoo.  

The 9 rooms are built and showcased with special themes. You can take as many selfies as you want during your time here! It’s definitely a great place to get that perfect selfie while enjoying good desserts too.

Coming here with the whole family and your bunch of closest friends will be fun. It’s time to get creative to get that perfect selfie in this museum. 

Location: Selfie Museum, 2.28, Level 2, Fahrenheit 88, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Entrance Fee: 

Ticket Price	Adult	Child (Below 12)
Walk-in	RM 25	RM15

Contact: +60123878968

Working Hours: 10:00AM-10:00PM

 

These places will totally inspire you with the passion, hard work, determination and the thought that has been put into the artworks and concepts.

So, what are you guys waiting for? Plan your weekend and dates now and let’s get going!

Written by Fatin Zafirah