Sri Aman Heritage Museum
Fort Alice
Simanggang, Sarawak

white wooden fort

Sri Aman Heritage Museum Fort Alice (Kubu Alice in Malay) was built in 1864 using materials relocated from an earlier Fort James which was located in Skrang.

It was renamed Fort Alice after Rajah Charles Brooke's wife, Ranee Margaret Alice Lily de Windt. She actually had three forts named after her, this one, Fort Margherita in Kuching and Fort Lily in Betong.

black and white photo of fort alice before restorationFort Alice before restoration.

Fort Alice was built strategically on a low hill, where it could keep an eye on movements on the Batang Lupar River at the town of Simanggang (also known as Sri Aman).

In the early days of the 'White Rajah' era there were numerous uprisings against Brooke rule which led to the construction of as many as 30 forts throughout Sarawak of which 12 still survive as gazetted heritage sites while the remainder have been demolished or converted to modern buildings.

map displayed in Rumah Sri AmanMap showing the location of forts in the Second Division area of Sarawak.

As well as for defence the fort also served as the court, jail, hospital and administrative centre for the area.

local handicrafts on display

The museum covers various topics such as the people of the district, expansion of the Second Division, the court system and river transportation.

two cannons inside the fort

In the event of attack the fort could fire upon vessels on the river or land assaults by opening these gunports, similar to those found on wooden Royal Naval warships of the period.

simple court room layout inside the fortHow the courtroom might have looked.

 The Brooke administration wisely recognised Iban customary laws in settling disputes.

large earthenware jarsJars were used as a means of paying fines to the harmed party.
traditional wooden river boatTraditional Malay boat.

Museum Verdict

  • Nicely preserved fort and informative displays.
  • Free of charge.
  • Not air-conditioned but the latticework openings and high ceilings provide natural ventilation to keep temperatures comfortable.

Opening Hours and Ticket Price

Open Daily.

  • Weekdays 9am - 4:45pm
  • Weekends 10am - 4pm

Closed on the following public holidays:-

  • Chinese New Year
  • Eid al-Fitr
  • Labour Day
  • Gawai Day
  • Malaysian independence Day
  • Birthday TYT of Sarawak
  • Christmas Day

Admission is free.

How To Get to Sri Aman Heritage Museum Fort Alice

The location of the museum can be found on this map:

Parking

  • There is free parking just outside the gates to the museum.

Address

  • Fort Alice, Jalan Sri Aman, Pekan Sri Aman, 95000 Simanggang, Sarawak

Contact

Nearby Attractions

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AUTHOR BIO

the author

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing first-hand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published over 760 pages on this website, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places that even some Malaysians have never visited.