Kolkata Museum

Indian Museum

  • Location : 27, Jawarharlal Nehru Road, Calcutta, West Bengal
  • Timings : 10.00 to 17.00 (March – November) & 10.00 to 16.30 (December – February). Opens on all days except Mondays and recognized holidays

Indian Museum was established in 1914. First of its kind and still the largest in the country. The Museum has six sections : Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology, and Industry (Economic Botany). The Art Section comprises Tibetan temple banners, metal images, enamelled wares, bidriwares, ornaments, silver wares, glass wares, pottery, ivory and bone work, wooden sculptures, leather objects, lacquered toys. The Archaeological Section displays stone-age artifacts from India and abroad, pre-historic antiquities from Mohenjodaro, Harappa

The Anthropological Section displays numerous objects of material cultures of both tribal and non-tribal peoples of India.

The extensive Geological Section has over 80,000 specimens, displayed in four galleries showing varieties of meteorites, precious stones, ornamental building stones, rocks and minerals and fossils.

The Zoological section, is rich with innumerable specimens of insects, fish, reptiles, mammals and birds. The industrial Section has several thousand botanical specimens bearing upon medicine, forestry, agriculture and cottage-industry. The Museum has a publication unit and a library.

Victoria Memorial Museum

  • Location : Queen’s Way, Calcutta, West Bengal
  • Timings : This museum is open daily except Monday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and until 4:30 in summer

The impressive Victoria Memorial houses a collection of the British colonial period. Visitors are greeted by a life-size statue of young Victoria (By Sir Thomas Brock). There are enormous oil paintings in the Royal Gallery, illustrating episodes from queen Victoria’s long, eventful life and reign and a large painting titled “The Entry of King Edward VII into Jaipur in 1876″(by a Russian artist). Also on display are books on the ‘Raj’, sculptures of Clive and other Governor Generals and a superb collection of paintings.

Birla Academy of Art and Cultural Museum

  • Location : 108-109, Southern Avenue, Calcutta, West Bengal
  • Timings : 16.00 – 20.00 (Weekdays), Closed Tuesdays, Sunday hours : 13.00 – 20.00

Birla Academy of Art and Culture Museum was established in 1966. Collections include paintings of the mediaeval period as well as modern art and some archaeological specimens. The Museum holds regular exhibitions of modern Indian sculptors and painters.

Birla Industrial and Technological Museum

  • Location : 19A, Gurusaday Road, Calcutta, West Bengal
  • Timings : 10.00 to 10.00 – 17.30. (Tuesday to Sunday)

Birla Industrial and Technological Museum was established in 1956 It was built by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research; deals with basic science and technology: has large number of exhibits, designed, prepared and fabricated at its own workshop. Galleries cover models showing Electricity, Nuclear Physics, Iron and Steel, Optics, Motive Power, Communication and Mining. The Optics Gallery has since been converted into a Popular Science Gallery. Popular activities of the Museum include films shows, demonstration-lectures, hobby activities, periodical programs of sky-observation through telescopes. Runs several mobile units for the rural areas. Regional Science Museums at Malda and Purulia operate under this body.

Crafts Museum

  • Location : 9-12, Old Court House Street, kolkata, West Bengal
  • Timings : 10.00 – 17.00 on Weekdays

Crafts Museum was established in 1950.(Formerly of the Indian Institute of Art in Industry). Collections include rural arts and crafts of different regions of India including ivories, metal objects and textiles from West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Maharashtra, U.P, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karanataka and Tamil Nadu. Maintains a good library and photographic records.

Rabindra Bharti Museum

  • Location : 6/4, Dwarkanath Tagore Lane, kolkata, West Benagal
  • Timings : 10.00 -19.00(Weekdays): 11.00 – 14.00 (Sundays and holidays; 19.00 – 20.00 on special occasions)

Rabindra Bharati Museum was established in 1961. Located in the ancestral house of Rabindranath Tagore and attached to the Rabinda-Bharati University. Depicts the Renaissance Movement of Bengal in the 19th Century and the role of the members of Tagore family therein. A major section deals with the life and works of the poet. Has a rich collection of books, original paintings, mauscripts, photographs and other items related to the leading personalities of the 19th century such as Iswar Chanda Vidyasagar and Dwarkanath Tagore. Sells nicely printed sets of cards.

Ethnographic Museum

  • Location : New Secretariat Buildings, 1, K. S Roy Road, West Bengal
  • Timings : 10.30 – 17.00 only Weekdays

Ethnographic Museum was established in 1955 It was built by the Cultural Research Institute, Govt. of West Bengal. Objects on view include hunting tools and equipment, fishing gears, dresses and ornaments, utensils, furniture, spinning and weaving aids and also objects relating to art, religion and ‘magic’. Stores photograph and tape-records of folk music depicting life-style of the tribes of this state.

Government Industrial and Commercial Museum

  • Location : 45, Ganesh Chandra Avenue, West Bengal
  • Timings : 10.00 to 10.30 – 17.30 only on Weekdays, Saturday: 10.00 -13.00 hrs

Government Industrial and Commercial Museum was established in 1939. Collections include handicrafts, cottage and small-scale industry products of West Bengal. Distributed over eight sections covering textiles, dolls and toys, handicrafts, commercial products, models and statistical charts. Runs a library and a free reading room. Activities include exhibitions guide-lecture services and symposia.

Nehru Children’s Museum

  • Location : 94/1, Chowringhee Road, West Bengal
  • Timings : 12.00 – 20.00. Closed on Monday

Nehru Children’s Museum was established in 1972. Collections include puppets depicting the Ramayana and the Mahabharata dolls wearing national costumes from different countries. Miniature working models of railway crossings and other novelties and an elementary science gallery.

Netaji Museum

  • Location : 38/2, Lala Lajpat Rai Sarani, West Bengal
  • Timings : 16.00 – 20.00 (Weekdays); 09.00 – 12.00(Sundays)

Netaji Museum was established 1961. Collections kept in the ancestral house of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose include personal effects, photographs, letters of Netaji and other documents. The Bureau also sells books written on Netaji. Has a good collection of photographs and documents on India’s struggle for freedom.