Next to Ulaanbaatar’s prominent Wrestling Palace are two small aquamarine-colored buildings. These are both over a hundred years old and are two of the city’s oldest remaining buildings. One is a Korean restaurant and the other is the Ulaanbaatar City Museum. 

This small but charming museum showcases Ulaanbaatar’s history from a nomadic encampment to a modern metropolis. Previously known as Urga and Ikh Khuree, the communist-led government gave the name Ulaanbaatar, or “red hero,” to honor Mongolian revolutionary leader Sukhbaatar. 

Exhibits include historic maps, paintings, artwork, and photos depicting Ulaanbaatar’s history from the past to the present. There are even Lego replicas of city landmarks. Toward the exit is a life-sized cardboard cutout of Öndör Gongor, the famous two-meter-tall giant.