Government Museum

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The Government Museum in Chennai is one of the most well known destinations in the capital. Highly visited by history buffs & historians alike, the Government house displays an exquisite and rare collection of some of the finest bronze artifacts. Located on Pantheon Road in Egmore, it was established in 1857 and is now one of the best museums of India.

A variety of arms & ammunitions, rare coins, antiques to vintage stamps apart from a wide variety of artifacts are on the museum’s famous display. During the colonial period, a group comprising of a group of British citizens known as Pantheon Committee used to control and manage the Museum. Their objective was to improving the social life of the British living in Chennai. Post independence, the building was recognized and renovated as a museum.

Famous attractions within the Museum complex include a Museum Theatre, an Art Gallery, Department of Natural History and Connemara Public Library. Overall, the museum has been divided based on specific sections like devoted to anthropology, geology, botany, numismatics, archeology, zoology and sculpture. A collection of South Indian musical instruments, exquisite carvings, a good collection of jewelry, arms & ammunitions and even remains from the Stone and Iron ages adorn the museums rich collection.

Chennai being a city with deep cultural & mythological roots has its chief characteristics displayed through the museum collection as well. Relics from the 2nd century AD Amravati Buddhist site, the bronze of Ardhanariswara - an incarnation of Lord Shiva and the prehistoric South Indian remains are some of the most priced collections of Government Museum.

Government Museum is open for public on all the days from 9:30am to 5pm and is certainly one of the must visit places in the capital city.