Phra Pathom Chedi - Museum

The old temple museum, containing Mon stucco and stone sculpture, is in the wiharn north of the east entrance. The new museum, the more interesting of the two, dates from 1979 and is by the south steps. On the outside there are stone wheels of the law from Nakhon Pathom's earliest days while displays inside include those of coins and everyday objects plus statues of Buddha (including some very fine ones in Mon style), stone and terracotta sculpture, the reconstruction of a bas relief of the Chulapradit Chedi, and an original bas relief from Wat Sai, south of Nakhon Pathom, showing the Buddha preaching before his first disciples. Nearby is the model of the Khmer prang, the original monument over which King Mongkut erected the present chedi, and a replica of the famous chedi of Wat Mahathat at Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Where the stairs on the north side carry on to the top terrace it is worth noting the two salas in the Javanese style in the bottom part, before passing on to the double colonnade containing the four wiharns. The inner terrace, with 24 little towers holding bronze bells, is on the other side of the red lacquered gates. On the two terraces there are a number of Chinese stone figures, used as ballast for junks, two tall Chinese stoves, plant tubs and several salas. This is also a way to reach the monks' living quarters in the south-east of the temple compound.