Visit a museum in Kolkata- Have a deeper understanding of its past!
A museum is more than an artwork or history. Instead, it’s a repository of vanished cultures and lives. Thinking about fascinating museums in Kolkata? These fascinating museums have led us to Kolkata. You may wonder why? Kolkata is a kaleidoscope of Bengal culture, tradition, and history.
The city still reverberates with Rabindra Sangeet and Bengali delicacies. Kolkata has maintained its own and the country’s legacy through its museums.
Top 10 museums in Kolkata that are a must-visit
1. Indian Museum
Indian Museum in Kolkata is one of India’s oldest and largest museums, with 1 lakh items. It was established in 1814. Locals name it “Jadughar,” which means House of Magic. It has antiquities that illustrate the country’s rich heritage. More than 60 galleries cover art, zoology, archaeology, geology, anthropology, and economic botany.
The Indian Museum in Kolkata showcases India’s history and culture while featuring modern artwork, Buddhist relics, antique sculptures, and Egyptian mummies.
This Indian Museum in Kolkata portrays the Mughal era through paintings, armor, decorations, fossils, and skeletons and is designated an Institution of National Importance by the Indian government. Visit the Indian museum in Kolkata to witness Shahjahan’s goblet, human embryos, and meteorite fragments.
Entry fee: 20 INR (entry free for infants)
Timings: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed on Mondays)
2. Raja Ram Mohan Roy Museum and Memorial
This museum in Kolkata was opened in 1999 and featured reproductions of numerous objects that formerly belonged to Raja Rammohan Roy. Simla House is located at Raja Rammohan Sarani and was the home of Raja Rammohan Roy and his two sons. Rammohan bought the land from Francis Mendes in 1815 for Rs. 13,000.
He hosted early Brahmo Samaj meetings at this residence. In 1972, on the bicentennial birth anniversary of Rammohan Roy, Rammohan College moved to buy the building.
Some photos and models remember significant moments in his life – a treasure of information for anyone who wishes to learn more about the man who prohibited the ritual of Sati.
Timings: 1 AM – 4 PM from Tuesday to Sunday (Closed on Mondays)
Entry fee: Indian children (up to 11 years) 5 INR, Indian adults 10 INR, Foreigners 50 INR
Photography: Permitted against a fee of 50 INR
3. Nehru Children’s Museum
Unless you’re an art or history enthusiast, museums are boring. A trip to the Nehru Children’s Museum dismisses such beliefs. It’s a unique museum in Kolkata that teaches youngsters Indian and international history in an interactive method. The Jawaharlal Nehru Museum was established on November 14, 1972.
Nehru Children’s Museum’s Doll Gallery has dolls from 92 nations with an extensive collection of Indian dolls and miniature models of Ramayana and Mahabharata scenes. Full of children’s classes, exhibits, and contests, this museum in Kolkata is excellent for a family excursion.
Timings: 11 AM to 7 PM (on weekdays) and 10 AM to 7 PM (on weekends)
Days closed: Monday and Tuesday
Entry fee: 20 INR (for 16 years and above) and 10 INR (for children under 16 years)
4. Victoria Memorial
The British Raj created this museum in Kolkata to honor Queen Victoria. After Queen Victoria died in 1901, Lord Curzon helped set up this memorial. Museum gardens, statues, and images portray Indian history. Locals call it the “Taj Mahal of Kolkata” for its beauty.
Victoria Memorial is situated on the Hooghly River and includes 25 galleries filled with paintings, manuscripts, and relics. Kalighat paintings and Mughal artwork thrill art lovers. Look at Shakespeare, Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, and the Arabian Nights. The museum is flanked by landscaped gardens open from early morning until sunset for a charge.
Timings:
- Memorial – 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Monday Closed)
- Gardens – 5:30 AM to 6:30 PM (Mar-Sep) and 5:45 AM to 5:30 PM (Oct-Feb)
Entry fee: 30 INR (Memorial) and 10 INR (Gardens)
5. Smaranika Tram Museum
The Tram Museum in Kolkata is virtually mandatory to include in the list of Kolkata museums because Kolkata is one of the few cities worldwide, and the only one in India, where trams still run on roadways, much to the joy of tourists. Kolkata’s history with trams warrants a tram museum.
This museum in Kolkata is called Smaranika and is located next to the CTC Terminus. This 1938 tram, now a museum, preserves its gloss and previous splendor.
The museum-cum-tram has wooden furnishings. In one of the tram’s two compartments, tram-related artifacts, including conductor hats and uniforms, antique tickets, and coin exchange machines, are displayed. The second chamber has wooden seats and framed Tagore quotations and poems. The museum’s entry ticket is also a tram ticket, which is fantastic.
Timings: 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Entry fee: 5 INR
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6. Birla Industrial and Technological Museum
The museum, often known as Birla Museum Kolkata, was founded in 1959. The Birla Museum showcases the scientific side of humanity. The museum has Physics, Biotechnology, Transportation, Motive power, Life Sciences, Metals, Electricity, and Electronics sections. The museum’s model coal mine is a must-see.
The museum contains a well-stocked library for anyone interested in the exhibits’ science. Science seminars, quizzes, fairs, theatrical competitions, hobby camps, and film festivals are held here. Birla Science Museum in Kolkata provides teaching materials to numerous educational institutions and hosts sky observation days, talks, and conferences.
Timings: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM (closed on Kalipuja and Doljatra)
Entry fee: 10 INR to 40 INR (depending on group size)
7. Mother’s Wax Museum
Wax Museum in Kolkata would thrill and amaze tourists. The museum has statues of prominent icons and personalities. On one side is a realistic figure of Amitabh Bachchan, while on the other is Rabindranath Tagore. The two-storey museum is separated into sections with sculptures of local personalities.
The museum has at least one notable individual from every sector, including sports, literature, spirituality, Hollywood, Bollywood, Bengali Cinema, national leaders, scientists, and cartoon characters.
The museum has rules for the wax sculptures’ safety. One of the museum’s rooms features a tattoo light show.
Timings: 12:00 PM to 7:30 PM (Monday Closed)
Entry fee: 250 INR ( Entry free for children below 3 years)
8. Jorasanko Thakurbari
It’s well known as Rabindra Bharati Museum.
Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore has a distinct position in Bengal’s history and culture. The majestic Jorasanko Thakurbari, the Tagore family’s ancestral residence, is not to be missed on any journey to Kolkata. This is the place where the famous poet was born, raised, and passed away. The Tagore family conserved the old building, which is now a museum.
The museum is a must-see for Tagore fans, containing photos, stories, artwork, handwritten letters, and literature from worldwide. This museum in Kolkata offers unique insights into Bengal’s past. Foreign students even have it on their list of the Indian museums in Kolkata to visit.
Timings: 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM (Tuesday to Sunday)
Days closed: Monday
Entry fee: 20 INR (for Indian adults), 10 INR (for Indian students), 150 INR (for foreign adults) and 100 INR (for foreign students)
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9. Birla Planetarium
The M. P. Birla Planetarium, a unique museum in Kolkata, India, is modeled after the Buddhist Stupa at Sanchi. Also known as Taramandal, the Planetarium opened in 1963.
Birla Planetarium in Kolkata is Asia’s, and the world’s second-largest and so is among India’s most famous planetariums. Its astronomy exhibit features paintings and celestial models by prominent astronomers. The planetarium contains an astronomical observatory with Celestron C-14 Telescope, ST6 CCD camera, and sun filter.
A landmark in the city of Kolkata, with Cosmic collision being a favorite. There are Bengali, Hindi, and English shows available.
Timings: 12.30 PM to 6.30 PM
Entry fee: 120 INR
10. Marble Palace
The white exterior of Marble Palace has aged beautifully and has become more attractive over time, captivating tourists. The palace’s marble walls and columns have exquisite, detailed sculptures. Part of this museum is still the owners’ home, but Raja Rajendra Mullick, an art collector, transformed the remainder into a museum in the 18th century.
Paintings by John Opie, Titian, Ruben, and Murillo, international sculptures, Victorian furniture, medieval chandeliers, clocks, and mirrors take you to the ancient ages. This museum in Kolkata is one of a kind.
Timings: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Entry fee: Free (Visitors must obtain permits from the West Bengal Tourism Information Bureau at least 24 hours in advance).
During your next trip to Kolkata, visit these museums in Kolkata, as they believe in educating through experience. Get your grip on history and imagine a past for a better future only at these museums in Kolkata, as they are the footprints of generations gone and generations to come.
