National Museum of Colombo Tourism

Museum4.0(1,343 reviews)

About National Museum of Colombo

The National Museum of Colombo, also known as the Sri Lanka National Museum, is the largest museum in Sri Lanka. It is situated in Colombo, the capital city, and is renowned for its extensive collection representing Sri Lankan history and culture. Established by the British colonial governor Sir William Henry Gregory on January 1, 1877, the museum is housed in a two-story classical building, featuring Italian architecture style. Inside, one can find an array of historical artifacts including ancient coins, sculptures, fine arts, and antique furniture. The museum also boasts an impressive natural history section. The highlight is the regalia of the country, including the throne and crown of the Kandyan monarchs. The museum's library, established in 1877, holds a rare collection of documents, with palm leaf manuscripts being particularly noteworthy. With several galleries and exhibitions to explore, visitors can gaze upon everything from prehistoric items to colonial-era relics, making it an excellent place to gain insight into the rich tapestry of the island's heritage.

Top 5 Reviews on National Museum of Colombo

David-Dibs-Bishop
3.0
Wrote on 21 Jun 2024
Some interesting exhibits but some parts were pretty bland
We visited as part of our tour of Sri Lanka We were told no photography which wasn't a problem. We were shown around by our guide which was useful as he added his own insights and views. The museum itself is an impressive building with pretty impressive grounds. We wandered in and it was pretty warm, there were fans set up to try and keep the building a bit cooler. There were a lot of different artifacts however there was a lot of seemingly repetitive and underwhelming items on display too. There seemed a lot of coins and the like as well as a whole section devoted to masonry with carvings and while there were probably people wanting to see them it seemed like an awful lot of similar items. There were collections various collections. Some more interesting than others. There was an animatronic display which was quite good too. This for me was very much a one visit location. Highlight was the Ice cream we had during our visit. as well as a Leopard photography display. We popped in and while it was a bit warm with no air con this was actually quite interesting.