Napier Museum & Sri Chitra Art Gallery at Thiruvananthapuram

By George On

Napier Museum at Trivandrum in Kerala is an art and natural history museum.

Napier Museum
Napier Museum at Thiruvananthapuram

This Museum has a vast collection of archaeological and historical artifacts. There is a good collection of ancient ornaments, bronze idols, etc. A temple chariot is there in the Museum. Ivory carvings are another feature of this Trivandrum museum.

This Museum also houses the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, which was opened in 1935. Works of Renowned painters like Raja Ravi Varma, Nicholas Roerich, and Svetoslav Roerich (son of Nicholas Roerich) along with some of the contemporary painters are exhibited here. Mural painting copies from original works are also on display here. Art and Paintings of Mughal, Tanjore, Bali, Rajasthani, etc, also find a place at Sri Chitra Art Gallery.

This museum is one of the oldest museums in India, established in 1855. In 1874, construction for a new building was started and was completed in 1880. This museum in India was named after Lord Napier, who was the Governor of Madras (now renamed Chennai) from 1866 to 1872.

This Museum is situated inside the Zoological Garden compound. This Zoological garden at Trivandrum was established in 1857 and is spread over 55 acres of land. It is one of the oldest Zoological gardens in India,

How Do I Go to Napier Museum?

Napier Museum is situated inside the Museum and Zoo campus at three kilometers from the Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station at Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala state. Roads, trains, and flights to other parts of the country well connect Thiruvananthapuram. There is an International airport at Thiruvananthapuram, nine kilometers from this museum.

Museum Timings & Entry Charges

Museum Timings are 10:00 a.m. to 04:45 hrs on all days except Wednesdays and Mondays. On Wednesdays, the museum timings are 13:00 – 16:45 hrs. This museum is closed on Mondays.

The museum charges an entry fee of Rs 20 for those above 12 years. Rs 10 is charged for those within the age bracket of 5 to 12. there is some discount for families and group of students with teachers.