柬埔寨国家博物馆建于1917年-1920年，当时柬埔寨已沦陷为“法国保护国”（1863年-1953年）。建立该博物馆的设想最初由法国策展人乔治·格罗斯列（George Groslier）提出，1920年4月13日在柬埔寨国王西索瓦（King Sisowath）陛下主持下举行了开馆式，法国驻柬埔寨最高长官亨利·波都温（Henri Bodouin）出席开馆仪式。1969年国家博物馆东侧立面中部进行了翻修。博物馆建筑采用人字屋顶和雕花门、高棉古寺庙建筑样式，融高棉传统建筑与法国殖民风格为一体，是金边市经典建筑之一。

    博物馆建馆后一直由法国人担任馆长，至1966年才有第一位柬埔寨人Chea Thay Seng被任命为该馆馆长。红色高棉执政时期，博物馆一度被迫闭馆，部分藏品由于无人照管而受损严重。虽然历经曲折，该博物馆还是于1979年4月3日重新开馆。

    柬埔寨国家博物馆总面积约5，200平方米。其中展览面积2， 800平方米。博物馆中庭周围的走廊多用于展览石雕。除展室外，博物馆还有1，200平方米的办公室和档案室，540平方米的工作室和地上储藏室（包括研究室）和一个650平方米的地下储藏室。

    柬埔寨国家博物馆是世界上收藏高棉物质文化遗产最为丰富的博物馆之一，主要致力于柬埔寨文化和艺术遗产的保护、收藏、宣传、修复以及传承，并通过展览馆内的藏品，让人们更加了解和认识柬埔寨文化遗产，并让观众能够直观地理解和感受柬埔寨的文化遗产。柬埔寨国家博物馆也正在成为柬埔寨艺术收藏和修复的中心，其金石研究中心的研究水平已具备国际标准。国家博物馆将继续不遗余力扮演保护和宣传柬埔寨文化遗产的角色。

    该馆目前还是柬埔寨政府博物馆司的所在地，负责管理柬埔寨全国的博物馆。实际上，这也意味着柬埔寨博物馆还肩负着引导地方博物馆发展的重任。而馆内的日常培训、资源利用以及收藏管理都要受金边（Phnom Penh）政府的监督。随着更多的省博物馆的成立，柬埔寨国家博物馆的职能将会不断扩充。

    目前该馆约有15，000件藏品，每次固定陈列展出约2，000件作品。馆内的藏品丰富，跨越了不同的历史时期—既包括史前阶段，也包括吴哥朝代早、中、晚等不同阶段的文物。这些藏品主要有四类：石器、青铜器、瓷器以及木器。石器主要是婆罗门教和佛教传说中神的石雕作品，其中的碑刻和建筑样式也颇有代表性。而收藏的青铜器多为宗教人物雕像以及日常生活中用的礼器和生活用具。另外，藏品中还有一些陶罐、瓷器和兽形容器等反映人类文明的文物。木器多为讲经布道用的长椅，及箱子、盘子、织机和其他雕刻物。另外，博物馆还收藏了少量的油画、纺织品以及图片和其它档案资料。

    柬埔寨国家博物馆举办的临时展览相对较少（一般每年一次），大多数重要的作品都在馆内的永久展出。尽管如此，博物馆有两个陈列室专门用于临时性展览。目前博物馆正在展出《后吴哥时代的佛像》。而2005年的展览PreahNeang Devi展出了大量馆藏的女神雕像。陈列室最近因改造暂停展览，装修完毕后将会展出法国艺术家奥古斯丁·罗丹（Auguste Rodin）画的柬埔寨舞女油画和素描作品，此展览将于2006年年底时开始。这个展览是为了纪念西索瓦（KingSisowath）国王1906年访问巴黎100周年，当时来自柬埔寨皇家芭蕾舞团的舞蹈演员为法国公众进行了表演，这批作品正是反映了这件史实。

National Museum of Cambodia

Constructed between 1917 and 1920, during the period of the French Protectorate in Cambodia (1863-1953), the original design of the Museum was prepared by the French curator George Groslier. The inauguration ceremony took place on April 13, 1920 under the auspices of His Majesty King Sisowath of Cambodia in the presence of Mr. Henri Bodouin, French Resident Superior in Cambodia. The central section of the east fa.ade was renovated in 1969 and the museum building, with gabled roofs and carved doors reminiscent of ancient Khmer temples, is now one of the highlights of the fusion of traditional Khmer architecture and French colonial style in Phnom Penh.

Various French directors managed the Museum until 1966 when the first Cambodian Director, Chea Thay Seng, was appointed. During the Khmer Rouge regime the museum was closed, and parts of the collection suffered greatly from neglect. Tragically, some members of the museum staff lost their lives during this time. Despite great difficulties, the museum was re-opened on 13 April 1979.

The National Museum of Cambodia has a total area of approximately 5,200 square metres. Most of this, 2, 800 square metres, is dedicated to displaying the collection to the general public. Two gallery spaces are used for changing exhibitions. The museum also utilises the veranda areas around the central courtyard for exhibition of stone sculptures. As well as exhibition space, the museum has 1, 200 square metres for offices and archive rooms, 540 square metres for studios and storerooms (including conservation laboratories), and a basement storeroom of 650 square metres.

Housing one of the world's greatest collections of Khmer cultural objects, the National Museum of Cambodia is dedicated to the protection, preservation, acquisition,interpretation and care of Cambodia's cultural and artistic heritage. Through its outstanding collection, the museum promotes awareness, understanding and appreciation of Cambodia's heritage and aims to educate and inspire its visitors. The museum is also becoming a centre of art conservation and restoration, with stone and metal conservation laboratories producing work to contemporary international standards. The National Museum intends to continue to develop and expand its role as a keeper and promoter of Cambodian heritage and heritage preservation.

The museum is also now the headquarters for the Cambodian government's Department of Museums, which manages museums throughout Cambodia. In practical terms, this has meant that provincial museums are now being fostered by the National Museum, with training, resources and the implementation of collection management techniques supervised from Phnom Penh. In the future, this function is likely to expand, as more provincial museums are established.

At present, it is estimated that the collection comprises around 15,000 objects, of which approximately 2,000 are on display at any one time. Works in the collection span a large historical period, comprising objects from the pre-historic, pre-Angkorian (6-8th century), Angkorian (9-13th century) and post-Angkorian periods. The collection falls into four major media categories: sandstone, bronze, ceramics and wood. The sandstone artefacts are mainly divinity statues from Brahmanism and Buddhism. Inscribed stele and architectural elements are also strongly represented. The bronze collection includes statues representing religious characters, ritual objects and tools used in everyday life. In addition, the collection includes ethnology-related artefacts such as jars, ceramics, and animal-shaped containers for holding lime. The wooden objects include couches for preaching, boxes, plates, looms and sculptures.

The museum also holds minor collections of paintings and textiles, as well as a significant number of photographs and other archive material.

The National Museum of Cambodia holds relatively few temporary exhibitions (usually one per year), with most important works on permanent display. There are, however, two gallery spaces dedicated to temporary or changing displays. At present, there is one special exhibition on show in the museum: Post-Angkorian Buddha. A second exhibition Preah Neang Devi, which featured sculptures of female divinities drawn from the Museum's extensive collection, was launched in 2005. It has recently been closed to allow the space to be renovated in preparation for an exhibition of paintings and drawings of Cambodian dancers by the French artist Auguste Rodin. The Rodin exhibition will open in late 2006, and is being held to commemorate the anniversary of King Sisowath's 1906 visit to Paris, when dancers from the Royal Ballet of Cambodia performed for the French public.

Visitor numbers have climbed steadily over recent years. In 2005, over 85,000 people visited the National Museum of Cambodia.