The Conservatory of Padangpanjang, ASKI, is a national institute specializing in the Minang Kabau music, songs and dances. It is also possible to follow courses here in music, dancing and language. The students are regularly giving performances in traditional and modern style, that are open to the public.

In Padang Panjang you can also find the Minang Kabau Information Centre. There is a nice historical photo exhibition and a large library of historical books and documents about the area. There are e.g. old studies in Dutch, about the Minang culture. The centre is housed in a beautiful traditional house, Rumah Gadang. An open-air museum shows the differend styles of achitecture from the minang.