The Museum of Vietnamese History stands beside the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens and gives a compact overview of Vietnam's pre-modern past. Its collections include antiquities, Cham sculpture, ceramics, and objects from the cultures that shaped the Mekong and central coast.
It rewards visitors who read a little before arriving, as the displays can be dense. Pair it with the botanical gardens for a half-day around the quieter northern edge of District 1.