Hong Kong IFC Mall, Free Observatory ‘Currency Museum’

July 20, 2023 201 Views

In Hong Kong, you can find a multitude of distinctive buildings. Known for its towering skyscrapers, Hong Kong is often referred to as the city of million-dollar views.

Thanks to this, you can discover observatories throughout the city where you can admire the stunning vistas of Hong Kong. While some observatories charge an admission fee, there are also free ones available, allowing you to enjoy the magnificent views of Hong Kong while saving on travel expenses.

“The Free Observatory at Hong Kong IFC Mall, Currency Museum”

You can also find the IFC building in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong IFC building encompasses various structures including Four Seasons Hotel, Four Seasons Place, One IFC, IFC Mall, and IFC Two, all interconnected into one colossal complex.

On the 55th floor of Hong Kong IFC, there is the Hong Kong Currency Museum, which can be visited for free. However, this place is better known as an observatory rather than a currency museum. This is because from the 55th floor, you can look down at the scenery of Hong Kong through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“To Reach the Observatory in Hong Kong IFC Two Building, 55th Floor”

To access the observatory, you need to go to the “IFC Two” building. It’s free to enter, but you can’t just walk in – you need to obtain a visitation pass.

To get the pass, you must visit the information desk on the 1st floor. By showing your passport to the information desk on the 1st floor, they will check the necessary information and return your passport along with the visitation pass after a short wait. With the pass, you can enter and take the elevator to the 55th floor to reach the Currency Museum.

“It’s Called a Currency Museum, But It’s Read as an Observatory”

As mentioned earlier, while this place is designed as a currency museum, most visitors tend to use it as an observatory. The IFC building is located at the heart of Hong Kong Island and boasts a fantastic view of Hong Kong from the 55th floor.

However, as it is not specifically designed as an observatory, you can’t enjoy a 360-degree view. You can see the direction of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and glimpse parts of the Hong Kong waterfront on the opposite side.

“The Scenery of Rainy Hong Kong”

It was raining on the day I visited. Thanks to this, I could capture the view in the misty weather, but it would be even better to go up on a clear day and enjoy the view of Hong Kong.

Oddly, it seems to rain every time I visit such observatories. When I visited the observatory at Orchard Road Shopping Mall in Singapore, it was also raining, allowing me to capture a somewhat melancholy view, just like in Hong Kong.

“Exhibiting Hong Kong’s Currency at the Museum”

Even if the weather isn’t great, you can still appreciate the exhibition on Hong Kong’s currency at the museum. It showcases information about money, banks, and Hong Kong’s currency.

Personally, as I was a traveler with limited time, I couldn’t explore it in detail. However, for families on a leisurely trip, it’s a great place to show to children.

This place operates from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays and shortens its hours to 1:00 PM on Saturdays. It is closed on public holidays and weekends, so it’s good to keep this in mind.

“Hong Kong Central, IFC 55th Floor Currency Museum”