Chantharakasem National Museum occupies the former "palace to the front", once associated with King Naresuan and later used by Ayutthaya crown princes. The palace was destroyed after the Burmese invasion and rebuilt under King Rama IV, leaving a quieter royal site than the temples at the centre of the old city.
The museum is useful for putting Ayutthaya's ruins into context, with historic buildings and displays on the palace grounds.