Built to commemorate the 25th year of Queen Victoria, this monument is an accredited creative marvel of Lord Curzon, who was also the Viceroy of India at that time. After the revolt of 1857, the Queen had become a great figure and the main head of the British Raj in India. After the demise of the queen in January 1901, Lord Curzon wanted to build a monument that the coming generations would see and learn the lessons & greatness of history laid down by Queen Victoria. 

He raised the funds from the people of India and the Prince of Wales laid its foundation stone in 1906. After 15 years of rigorous construction, this eye-pleasing monument was finally established in 1921 for the native people of India and the British population. 

William Emerson was the chief architect of this monument. And we must say, this memorial is an amazing architectural gem given by him to the Indian subcontinent, built in the Indo-Saracenic revivalist style. The architectural design of the monument encompasses a blend of British architectural style with the fusion of Egyptian, Venetian, Deccani, Mughal, and other Islamic styles. 

The lush green gardens have been built by Scottish physician and botanist Sir David Prain and Lord Redesdale. The credit of building the bridge of the north aspect goes to Vincent J. Esch. Messrs.This white opulent marble monument is built from the Makrana marble brought from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Portraits illustrating the life of Queen Victoria and depicting various historical moments have been laid in the galleries and museums.

• With more than 25 galleries, including the Royal Gallery, the National Leaders Gallery, the Sculpture Gallery, and the Portrait Gallery, the Victoria Memorial Kolkata has a notable collection of works of rare and antique books and paintings.
• There are more than 30,000 artifacts to see inside the victoria memorial dating back to the British Raj.
• The memorial conducts a light and sound show known as “Son-et-Lumiere” only from October to June. This show does not showcase on Mondays, the Holi festival, national holidays and also remains closed from July to September.
• People come for a morning walk in the lush green gardens of Victoria Memorial. Also, you can witness the myriad of sculptures present of various historical administrators of colonial rule in the garden.
• It is an abode of splendid collections of weapons, textiles, coins, and stamps and also you can find a few possessions of the Queen like her writing desk, chair, and scrapbooks.

• Photography is prohibited inside the main building so refrain from using your cameras. 
• For those who are not interested in visiting the galleries, there is a "garden-only" ticket option available in case you just wish to stroll around. The details for it can be asked at the ticket counter outside of the monument.
• There are carriages available at the entrance of the Victoria Memorial, just like the historical ones, for the visitors to enjoy a ride near the roundabout. 

Summers of Kolkata is hot and balmy so it is recommended to avoid the months of May-August. The best weather to visit Victoria Memorial is from September- to March. The weather is pleasant, cool, and soothing. It is not too cold in Kolkata, as it is a coastal city. Therefore the autumn and winter months have been advised as the best ones. 

• P. Birla Planetarium
• Paul’s Cathedral
• Elliot Park
• Netaji Bhawan
• Tipu Sultan Shahi Mosque
• Fort William 
• Kalighat Temple 

• Lord Curzon raised funds from people of India to build the monument, the total collected cash is reported to have been 5 lakh rupees in that time. 
• The total amount paid to construct this building was about Rs.1,05,00,000.
• The place where the memorial is standing today was formerly the location of Presidency jail which had to be demolished to make a suitable area for the memorial. The staff and the jailed people were later transferred to Alipore.
• The monument was painted black overall in 1943 during World War II. This was done to prevent it from being a target of Japanese air raid bombings.