Established in 1885, Royal Selangor is the most well known name in the pewter industry, reputed internationally for its high quality and craftsmanship.  As Malaysia is home to the world’s finest pewter, thousands of visitors to the country make it a point to visit the Royal Selangor factory located in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, 20 minutes from the city centre.  Committed to offering visitors  a truly enjoyable visit, it has undergone major renovations to incorporate a Visitor Centre.

The Royal Selangor Visitor Centre provides a complete visitor experience and comprises of three main sections: the Gallery, the Factory Tour and the Retail Store.

The Gallery offers a host of interactive displays and fascinating exhibits, aimed at educating and titillating the senses.  A walk through the Gallery begins at Origins with illuminated panels that tells the story of Royal Selangor, how it began as a small cottage industry in 1885 till it was transformed into a worldwide brand.  Hard to miss would be the replica of the world’s tallest twin towers, the KLCC Petronas Twin Towers, made up of 7,062 Royal Selangor tankards punching through a void from the ground floor to the first floor - a sight to behold.

A multi-sensory experience awaits visitors at the inner route of the gallery, housing the Science of Pewter, Chamber of Chimes, Hall of Finishes and Pewter Museum.  Visitors will be able to listen to different sounds made by chimes of different materials in the Chamber of Chimes, touch and feel different pewter textures in the Hall of Finishes and view a precious collection of antique pewter and traditional pewtersmithing tools at the Pewter Museum.  For the tech savvy, they can look forward to specially designed computer games at the Game Port.

A theatrette is situated just off the tour route.  Capable of seating up to 120 people, it is used for corporate video screenings and special briefings.

Next on route is the Factory Tour, where different factory processes such as casting, filing, polishing, soldering, hammering and engraving are shown.  Here, visitors are encouraged to try their hands at hammering on a pewter item, a traditional form of decoration still in use today.  It really isn’t as easy as it looks!

Just before leaving the factory, visitors catch a glimpse of intricate handwork in the making of fine jewellery by Selberan, a Royal Selangor company.

After the factory tour, visitors are invited to the Retail Store that take up 18,000 square feet of space and offers a wide selection of the latest Royal Selangor pewter designs, sterling silver by Comyns and precious jewellery by Selberan.  Both Comyns and Selberan are part of the Royal Selangor Group of Companies.

For visitors with a little more time on their hands, they may enrol in Royal Selangor’s School of Hard Knocks pewtersmithing workshop for a nominal fee.  During this fun-filled session lasting less than an hour, a trained instructor will teach participants how to create their very own pewter dish using traditional tools just as it was done by pewtersmiths more than a hundred years ago!  Participants get to keep the pewter dish and will be presented with a personalised certificate for their one-off masterpiece.

Displaying true Malaysian hospitality, visitors to the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre will be served with welcome drinks and taken on a guided tour of the Gallery and Factory.  To top it all, visitors can expect excellent service from well-trained customer service representatives at the Retail Store.

Expect to be overwhelmed at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre as all exhibits are designed to bring the visitor closer to the beauty and versatility of pewter and the rich history of Royal Selangor.

The Centre is open 7 days a week including public holidays, 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and is a must see destination for people from all walks of life.  It is a perfect stop for tourists, travellers, incentive and special interests groups, school children and families alike.  There is no admission charge and guided tours are complimentary.

For more information, please visit www.visitorcentre.royalSelangor.com

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