The history of Napier Museum dates back to the 19th century when its foundation was laid by the erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore, Ayilyam Thirunal Maharaja. However, not many know that before the establishment of the Napier Museum, there stood a museum built by the Maharaja Uthram Thirunal in 1857. As the old museum’s building was not enough to display an array of objects collected, it was pulled down to build the present-day Napier Musem. The Napier Museum has been named after the former Governor-General of Madras. The museum is a doorway to understanding Kerela’s cultural heritage and is a melting point of the historical significance and traditional aspects of the region.

Napier Museum is a marvelous blend of Indo-Saracenic architecture, designed by Mr. Robert Chisholm, the then consulting Architect of the Madras Government. This 142-year old museum is the city’s landmark and is noted for its unique ornamentation and architectural style filled with gothic roofs and surrounded by minarets. The Napier Museum architecture seems to be largely influenced by the Indian, Chinese, Kerala, and Mughal Schools of Architecture. The museum houses a bandstand, with concealed speakers and special acoustics, where the band of the Travancore Nair Brigade would play there every Friday. The museum is surrounded by a garden that has a variety of flowers and trees and is said to shelter one of the oldest living rubber trees in Kerala.

The Museum is a gateway to the erstwhile culture and traditions of Kerala, and one can make the best out of their visit by doing the following activities there - 

• Witness the rare collections - Visitors can soak in the cultural and traditional aspects of the museum by looking at the unique collection of artifacts, bronze idols, wooden and ivory carvings, and more.
• Take a guided tour - Visitors who are looking for deeper knowledge can take a guided tour of the museum.
• Stroll in the garden - The Museum’s garden has a variety of flowers and trees, and also houses the oldest living rubber tree in Kerala.

• The Napier museum compound houses a zoological park and another museum. Hence visitors must plan their visit accordingly to cover these.
• If you plan to visit the city during the summer months, carry a bottle of water to stay hydrated in the humid climate.
• The museum and the nearby places can be covered by walking, hence visitors are advised to wear comfortable footwear.

Although the city is a year-round destination, if you want to avoid the hot sun and humid climate, the best time to visit is between October to March. During this period, the humidity is at the mean level, and it is pleasant and cool. The indoor museum can be visited at any time at your convenience. However, if you are to visit the city during the summer months, you can visit the museum in the evenings.

• Zoological Gardens and Museum
• Sri Chitra Art Gallery
• Puthe Maliga Palace Museum
• Shri Padmanabhasvamy Temple

• The museum was designed by the great architect, Robert Chisholm who was the then consulting Architect of the Madras Government.
• The museum is named after the then previous Governor of Madras, Lord Napier, and was rebuilt in 1874.
• Works of Raja Ravi Varma can be found in the art gallery.
• The museum houses one of the oldest zoological parks in the country.
• The exhibits in the museum are more than 500 in number and encompass a wide variety of artifacts on display.