The Complete List of Important Museums in India

India is a country that is rich in heritage and culture and thankfully there are a number of places across the nation that has preserved these symbols. From museums dedicated to the arts to those on aerospace and vehicles, there is something for every interest.

If you’re looking for an informative and culturally-charged trip to India, then you must add some of these museums to your list of places to visit.

Important Museums in India: Mumbai

1. Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya

This is one of the city’s best museums to visit. Built-in 1905 to honour the Prince of Wales who was visiting (who it was named after until 2000), the museum boasts of three sections: the archaeology wing, a natural history section, and art showcase. Apart from this it also has the Maritime Heritage Gallery and a forestry section.

• • Location: South Mumbai

• Timing: 10.15 am to 6 pm (closed on public and national holidays)

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2. Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum

This museum was known as Victoria and Albert Museum but was named after Dr Bhau Daji Lad to honour his inputs in the fields of art and heritage.

This old museum is well-maintained and boasts of a number of art collections and artefacts. A walk through this museum will give you glimpses into the city from more than a decade ago. It is a must-visit for art and history buffs.

• • Location: South Mumbai

• Timing: 10 am to 6 pm (closed on Wednesday)

3. National Gallery of Modern Art

This arts museum was opened to the public in 1996 and is home to the country’s largest and most comprehensive collection of modern art. Some of the works on display those by M.F. Hussain, Rabindranath Tagore, and Raja Ravi Varma.

It also takes visitors through a journey through the expanding art scene of Bombay, Delhi, Chennai, Shantiniketan, and Kolkata through the years.

• • Location: Fort, South Mumbai

• Timing: 11 am to 6 pm (closed on Monday and national holidays)

Important Museums in India: Delhi

1. National Museum

This famous museum is a must-visit for art and history lovers. This is one of the largest museums in the city and showcases over 200,000 works of foreign and Indian art.

Some of the stand-out areas include the departments of archaeology, rare manuscripts, prehistory archaeology, paintings, arms and armour and lots more. You should spend at least 2 hours here and, post that, enjoy a break at the café.

• • Location: Janpath, New Delhi

• Timings: 10 am to 6 pm (closed on Monday)

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2. National Gallery of Modern Art

This is Delhi’s flagship art gallery and is a must visit if you’re interested in the progress of Indian art from the mid-19^th century till date.

Here you will find stunning art such as the ‘Company Paintings’ created by Indian artists to please their British rulers, and art by the legendary Rabindranath Tagore. You can easily spend a few hours here taking in the vast collection of 14, 000 works.

• • Location: Jaipur House, New Delhi

• Timings: 11 am to 6.30 pm (closed on Monday and national holidays)

3. Gandhi Smriti

This is a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi and it is also the site where he spent the last months of his life, before his assassination in 1948. Here you can walk around the area and see the rooms preserved as they were.

You can get a detailed and insightful look into his life. Some of the other items you can see here include Gandhi’s walking stick, spectacles, a spinning wheel and sandals.

• • Location: New Delhi

• Timings: 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Monday)

Important Museums in India: Kolkata

1. The Indian Museum

This large museum has one of the most extensive and diverse exhibits here which includes fossils, remains, artefacts, paintings and much more. Here you will find areas according to categories such as Art, Botany, Archeology and so on.

It’s a great place to visit with children too as it is educational. Do look out for the Egyptian mummies, as it is possibly the only museum in India with them.

• • Location: Taltala, Kolkata

• Timings: 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Monday)

2. Victoria Memorial

This museum was built to honour Queen Victoria during the British Rule. This stricter is worth seeing from the outside as well as the inside. The immense structure is awe-inspiring and showcases the heritage of the City of Joy.

The museum inside boasts of pictures, statues and even a library. However, many people come to relax in the beautiful gardens here too.

• • Location: Queens Way, Kolkata

• Timings: 10 am to 5 pm

Important Museums in India: Ahmedabad

1. World Vintage Car Museum

If you love cars then you must visit the World Vintage Car Museum in Ahmedabad. This museum boasts of the car collections of Pranlal Bhogilal Patel and family. Here you will be treated to the sight of a 1906 Minerva and even a 1972 Lincoln.

This museum also has vintage cars from Mysore, Indore, Jaipur, Baroda, Jamnagar, Jhansi, Chettinad, and Hyderabad, as well as British and American vehicles.

• • Location: Kathwada, Ahmedabad

• Timings: 8 am to 9 pm

2. Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum

This museum is located on the campus of L D Institute of Indology and has a large collection of Indian sculptures, manuscript paintings, miniature paintings and drawings, woodcarving pieces, ancient coins and some exquisite beadwork on offer.

There is a large collection on early Jain literature as well. This is a great place to learn about India’s rich history.

• • Location: Gujarat University Clock Tower, Ahmedabad

• Timings: 10.30 am to 5.30 pm

Important Museums in India: Hyderabad

1. Salar Jung Museum

This museum, which is located close to the Musi River, showcases items that go way back to the 1^st century! Here you can see stunning pieces, including a Quran, made entirely of gold and silver.

There are also over 43,000 historical items and 47,000 books as well as stunning paintings, sculptures, textiles, artefacts, carvings, etc., from China, Nepal, North America, Japan and Egypt.

• • Location: Salar Jung Road, Darulshifa

• Timings: 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Friday)

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2. The Nizam’s Museum

This museum opened to public visitors in 2000 and here you will find a vast collection of memoirs, gifts from all across the globe.

This space was created for the seventh Nizam, Asaf Jah VII, and lets us into their vibrant world. Here you can also see vintage cars such as the 1930 Rolls Royce, Packard and a Jaguar Mark V.

• • Location: Purani Haveli, Pathar Gatti

• Timings: 9.30 am to 4.30 pm (closed on Friday)

Important Museums in India: Bangalore

1. Government Museum

This museum was built in 1865 and is quite large as it is spread over two floors and boasts over 18 galleries.

Some of the stands out areas include those that are dedicated to archaeological and geological artifacts, including inscriptions, coins, terracotta, 84 sculptures from different periods, Neolithic pottery, 70 paintings from various ancient kingdoms and stunning artifacts that date back 5000 years.

• • Location: Sampangi Rama Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka

• Timings: 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Monday)

2. HAL Heritage Center and Aerospace Museum

This is a great museum to visit for those who are interested in aerospace as it has a great collection of information about the history and growth of the Indian Aviation industry.

Here you can see a collection of helicopters, aircraft, fighter planes, a flight simulator and a mock Air Traffic control tower. This is  a must visit for children too.

• • Location: Marathahalli, Bengaluru

• Timing: 9 am to 4.30 pm

India shows off its rich culture in a number of museums across the country. Let us know about which ones you liked the most in the comments section below.