Perceived authenticity of the Pancasila Sakti Museum by high school students

This paper will extend authenticity into heritage management by examining the production of perceived authenticity of the Pancasila Sakti Museum among high school student visitors in Indonesia. The Pancasila Sakti Museum is a historical site commemorating one of the most significant events in Indonesian political history. The museum management responds to the changing political climate in Indonesia by employing strategies aimed at promoting the authenticity of the site. Visitors, however, who are exposed to alternative narratives visit the Museum with their interpretations. Based on interviews with 27 high school visitors, this study shows that despite the visitors’ skepticism and conflicting narratives, the site’s integrated content that is supported by documentation and verification by historians confirms the site’s perceived authenticity among high school student visitors. Thereby, this paper unmasks the state’s symbolic legitimation as a significant determining attribute of visitors’ authentic experience in visiting heritage sites.