Introduction

Dating back to the late 19th century, the Government Museum and National Art Gallery is one of the oldest museums in India, and serves as a gateway to India’s rich past and colorful culture through a range of extensive exhibits. Sprawled across 16.25 acres, the museum complex has 46 galleries with exhibits on archeology, zoology, botany, numismatics, anthropology, traditional and contemporary art, in addition to a separate museum for children.

The Archeology section takes you back in time to the Indus Valley Civilization, opening up a world of domestic utensils, and memorial stones among other fascinating exhibits. Look out for the intricate artwork showcased in the South Indian, North Indian, Hindu, Jain and Amaravati sculpture galleries.

Browse the Zoology section, which has extensive galleries dedicated to the Flight in Animals, Foreign Animals, corals, fish, invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Further on, proceed to the Anthropology section that has galleries on physical anthropology, ethnology, Pre-historic artifacts, arms, folk art, puppets, and traditional musical instruments of South India. Don’t miss out the collection of ancient pottery from the Nilgiris. There is also an archeology section with galleries on industrial art and wood carvings.

The fourth building in the museum complex is the Children’s Museum home to Dolls Gallery, Civilization Gallery, Science and Technology Galleries, and a Transportation Gallery.

The fifth and sixth buildings in the museum complex are devoted entirely to art, and are must-visit for art lovers. The fifth building is the National Art Gallery which showcases an interesting collection of Indian traditional art, decorative art, and intricate Tanjore paintings. The Contemporary Art Gallery, housed in the sixth building, has displays on holographic art, modern art, British portraits, rock and cave art. Both the buildings have a dedicated gallery for the paintings of the legendary Raja Ravi Varma.

Special Attributes

One of the oldest state museums in India

Nuisance

The site is very peaceful and free of irritants.

Dressing restrictions

Dress in whatever you find comfortable

Connectivity

Cars, Buses, Auto-rickshaws

Enjoyed by

Families, especially History lovers

Exposure

You will mostly be indoors.

Avoidable Season

Open through the year

Facilities

Free guide service is available at 1100 and 1500 hours. Color picture postcards of bronze statues, paintings and butterflies are available at the museum shop at a nominal cost.

Things Not Allowed

Professional video cameras are not allowed.

Tip

Plan your trip in a way to avail the free guide service provided by the museum.

Type of site

Museum