The house was constructed by his father, Mohamad Iskandar, who was the first headmaster of the Sultan Abdul Hamid College.
The original structure was purchased by the National Archives of Malaysia from the family and restored to its original state before being opened to the public.
The house features a traditional architectural layout including a veranda (anjung), a main living area (ruang tamu), and a kitchen (dapur).
It is located near the banks of the Kedah River, a significant historical site in the development of Alor Setar.
The museum complex includes a separate gallery building that houses memorabilia and formal diplomatic gifts collected during his premiership.
Rumah Kelahiran Tun Dr. Mahathir is the wooden house where Malaysia's longest-serving Prime Minister was born in 1925. The structure is an elevated traditional Malay village home built on wooden stilts with an attap roof. It was gazetted as a national heritage site under the National Heritage Act 2005. The museum displays personal childhood belongings, family photographs, and school report cards from his early years in Alor Setar. The site includes a surrounding exhibition area that documents the timeline of his political career and personal life. It functions as an archive of local Kedah culture during the early 20th century. The house has been preserved to reflect the modest living conditions of a teacher's family during the pre-independence era.
From the front yard looking up at the elevated porch and the traditional wooden façade.
Visit the surrounding riverfront area of Taman Pesisiran Tanjung Chali before or after your tour of the house.
Carry an umbrella or a hat, as the site involves walking between the outdoor exhibition building and the historical house.
Check for temporary closures, as heritage sites in Malaysia occasionally close for routine building maintenance.
Attempting to touch the historical artifacts or antique furniture on display inside the house.
Closed on Mondays. Open on public holidays unless they fall on a Monday.
Visitors must remove footwear before stepping onto the wooden floorboards of the house. Dress modestly as it is a site of national importance.
