Art Galleries & Museums

The Napier museum is located in the capital city of Kerala at Trivandrum. The architecture of the museum building is amazing. The best time to visit this museum is in the months of October to march.

This museum is 150 year old and was built by Travancore Maharaja in 1855. The museum has numerous collections of cultural importance, Kathakali models, traditional musical instruments, and many more vivid collections. Stone sculptures of the 8th and 18th century are exhibited. Railways, roadways and airways, all three modes are convenient to arrive at Trivandrum.

The zoo at Thrissur has a reptile park, one of the largest in India which houses the Indian King cobra, vipers, pythons etc. The zoo is open from 9 p.m to 5 a.m except on Mondays.

The Art Museum is located inside the zoo compound and displays the artistic legacy of Kerala like antique jewellery, traditional Kerala lamps, brass wares, etc.

State Museum Complex, enclosing the Kerala State Museum and Zoo, is placed aptly at the cultural capital of Kerala Thrissur. It is close to Town at Town Hall Road in Chembukavu.

The State Museum, established in a sprawling 5.5 acres of lusting green land, started functioning in 1885, The State Museum complex houses an Art Section enclosing amazing collection of sculptures, handicrafts, traditional jewelries, religious idols, Kathakali figures and traditional lamps.

Archeological Museum in Thrissur attracts thousands of people with its amazing praise worthy exhibits. It is located at the heart of the city in the Town Hall Road. The exhibits in this museum include valuable collection of murals and relics brought from various parts of Kerala.

The museum is attractive with life size structures of eminent personalities of past lived in Kerala It also displays many models of monuments and temples, artifacts from various parts of India and handicrafts of Kerala.

It is situated near the Mahe bridge. Connoisseurs can find the Malayala Kalagramam as a renowned center for arts and ideas. It houses the only Art gallery in Kannur. Courses in painting, sculpture, music, dance and pottery are offered.

The Kovalam art gallery in Kovalam displays artifacts, paintings and art works. The paintings in this art gallery consist of ancient Indian paintings related to the Sanskrit culture. Europe and Western artists and art lovers are the major visitors in this gallery even though there are other visitors also.

The Parishath Thampuran Museum is located in the actual building that was once Durbar Hall. It is called that because the Rajas of Cochrin once conducted their durbars there. This museum was built in the traditional Kerala architectural style. This particular museum contains collections of 19th century oil paintings, sculptures, old coins, exhibits from the Cochin Royal family ,and Mughul paintings. Every one of these items is worth witnessing in its own right. Imagine how valuable this collection is when considered as a whole.

The Pareekshith Thampuran Museum is a building that is chock full of history. Originally, the Rajas of Cochin conducted their durbars there. In fact this impressive edifice is located on the Durbar Hall grounds. At a later date it was converted to a museum that housed numerous archaeological findings and relics including murals, old coins, oil paintings, and sculptures. Today, this museum has been taken over by the Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy. It is now the home to the Gallery of Contemporary Art.

Kerala’s history can be dated back to almost 200 years old and is narrated to visitors here in the form an audio-visual show. The Museum is divided in two main sections- Gallery of Paintings and Gallery of Sculptures. Edappally is 10 kilometers from Ernakulam.

Devaswom museum is located very close to Guruvayur temple’s east gate. The museum has many collections of antiques, temple materials, mural paintings, musical instruments and other valuable materials. The temple devaswom museum serves as a place to store valuable offerings in the temple.