Kerala, also known as ‘God’s Own Country’, is a beautiful place to visit. Its location has plenty of greenery, a long shoreline, beaches, backwaters, hill stations, and wildlife. Besides this, it is home to many museums, making it a perfect vacation destination for the history enthusiast.
Museums are a great way of learning about the history and culture of a place. It lets you explore that place through paintings, artefacts and other valuable items that hold stories within themselves. When in Kerala, you will get too many options to explore. Not just this, all these museums are well-maintained and have beautiful architecture.
Here is a list of 10 museums that you must visit in Kerala:
1. Indo-Portuguese Museum, Kochi
Portuguese has been an integral part of Kochi’s history. The Indo-Portuguese Museum showcases the cultural relationship between India and Portugal’s built-in Portuguese-style architecture. It is located in Fort Kochi. It is divided into five different sections.
2. Napier Museum, Thiruvananthapuram
Another museum with visually appealing architecture is the Napier Museum in Thiruvananthapuram. It got its name from John Napier, former Governor General of Madras. It is made with an Indo-Saracenic system. It has rare archaeological and historic artefacts, bronze idols, a temple chariot, ivory carvings and ancient ornaments. It also houses the Sree Chitra Art Gallery. The construction of this museum was completed in 1880.
3. Archaeological & Art Museum, Thrissur
The Archaeological & Art Museum is located in Thrissur. Earlier it was located in the Kollengode Palace building, but it has been shifted to the Shakthan Thampuran Palace. It contains some unique items like Herostones known as ‘Verakullu’, temple models, Manuscripts written on dry palm leaves called ‘Olagrandhangal’ and megaliths.
4. Museum of Kerala Arts and History, Kochi
As its name suggests, the Museum of Kerala Arts and History displays the history of the state of Kerala from its early days to the present time. Located in Kochi, it contains 38 tableaux that look real. All of them portray different events in Kerala’s history. It also houses a gallery with more than 200 paintings from prominent Indian painters.
5. Kuthiramalika Palace Museum, Thiruvananthapuram
‘Kuthiramalika’ means ‘Palace of Horses’, precisely what this museum is about. The Kuthiramalika Palace museum in Thiruvananthapuram is located near the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. This museum has two stories and is made in Kerala-style architecture, which has used teakwood, rosewood, marble and granite for its construction. Its main attraction is 112 smiling wooden horses. Besides, it has white marble idols and scriptures, Kathakali figures, Belgian mirrors and paintings.
6. Hill Palace, Kochi
Built around 1865, the Hill Palace in Kochi is known to be the most significant archaeological museum in Kerala. Before turning into a museum, it served as the Imperial Administrative Office and official residence of the Maharaja of Cochin (Kochi). It consists of 49 buildings with an archaeological museum, a heritage museum, a deer park, a pre-historic park and a children’s park.
7. Tata Tea or KDHP Museum, Munnar
Within the Nallathanni Estate of Tata Tea in Munnar, the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP) Museum is located. Being a one-of-its-kind museum, it tells you about the history of tea plantations in the town of Munnar. Starting in 1876, it has photographs and artefacts and a miniature tea factory to make its visitors aware of the tea plantation process and its history.
8. Science and Technology Museum, Thiruvananthapuram
The Kerala Science and Technology Museum in Thiruvananthapuram was founded in 1984. It has galleries based on electricity, electronics, power, motion mechanics, science, mathematics, automobile, etc. It also has a planetarium, science park, 3D theatre and a well-equipped library, among other interesting things.
9. Kumarakom Craft Museum, Kumarakom
From woodwork, antiques, and decor items to paintings and portraits, the Kumarakom Craft Museum in Kumarakom is heaven for craft lovers. The antiques and traditional handicrafts are preserved with the most care. Moreover, this museum has a Local artwork and craftwork shop. From here, you can purchase souvenirs for your loved ones.
10. Kerala Folklore Museum, Kochi
With around 4000 artefacts preserved for a long time, Kerala Folklore Museum in Kochi is a cultural hub in the true sense. It contains wooden and bronze sculptures, ancient terracotta, Stone Age objects, tribal and folk art, woodwork, utensils, masks, musical instruments, jewellery, paintings, etc. It houses a ‘Face Art Gallery’ that showcases Art & Antiques, a ‘Folklore Theatre’ for live performances of traditional art and cultural activities, a ‘Space Art Cafe’ to experience Kerala’s traditional taste, and a ‘Souvenir Shop’ to buy gifts.
