The National Museum Colombo first opened its doors in 1877 with just 800 exhibits, showcasing various aspects of Sri Lanka’s history and culture. This Musuem in Colombo boasts over 100,000 exhibits and houses the most important library on the island. Its growing popularity over the years prompted the Sri Lankan government to establish a new ministerial department solely dedicated to managing the museum.
Situated near the Nelum Pokuna (lotus pond) Theatre in the upscale area of Colombo 7, the National Museum and the Natural History Museum in the same premises is the largest museum on the island. The two-storied Italianate building is surrounded by a lush, well-manicured lawn with banyan trees.
Visitors are welcomed by a serene Buddha statue in the museum lobby , carved out of stone and dating back to the 4th to 5th century. This statue, one of the best-preserved ancient artifacts found on the island, is celebrated by historians as a masterpiece of sculpture.
Some of the museum’s galleries date back to its inception almost 140 years ago, showcasing a diverse array of exhibits from Sri Lanka’s earliest agricultural civilisations to the modern colonial period. These exhibits include ancient rock inscriptions, swords, jewelry, coins, frescoes, antique puppetry, demon masks and lamps. The newer galleries feature guns and breathtaking watercolour paintings of Ceylon by Englishmen who ventured to the island.
The museum’s library boasts an extensive collection of local publications amassed over 129 years. As Sri Lanka’s first legal depository, it has collected over 12 million documents. Among its vast collections are centuries-old palm leaf manuscripts written in several languages, covering subjects such as folklore, astrology, architecture, and demonology.
The museum’s library also houses a special Bronze Age collection of artifacts, frequently drawing large, appreciative crowds.
Among the museum’s most famous exhibits is the red-velvet laden throne of the King of Kandy, the last king of Sri Lanka. When this exhibit first opened to the public in 1934, the overwhelming interest led curators to extend the exhibition by two additional weeks to accommodate the nearly 750,000 visitors by the end of the month. The ornate throne continues to attract significant attention.
This cannon is part of a group of six weapons that the Dutch State returned to Sri Lanka from the Rijksmuseum’s collection in 2023. Captured by Dutch troops during the siege of the city of Kandy in 1765, these artifacts were returned to Sri Lanka and now feature as a prominent display in Colombo.
Established on September 23, 1986, the National Museum of Natural History showcases Sri Lanka’s natural heritage. Located on the same premises as the Colombo National Museum, it faces Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha in Colombo 07. Despite the numerous museums in Sri Lanka, this is the only one dedicated exclusively to natural heritage.
A highlight of the museum is its display of plants and animal specimens that are endemic to Sri Lanka, rare, or threatened with extinction. The extensive collection includes specimens of mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, fish, amphibians, various types of plants, and geological rocks. Notable exhibits include the leopard of Punani, which was captured in the Batticaloa District on August 16, 1924, after killing 13 people. Another fascinating specimen is the skull of Megacerus giganteus (the Irish elk), with its enormous antlers, displayed in the museum’s geological section. This skull, belonging to an extinct species of stag, was gifted by Lord Enniskillen in 1950.
National Museum Colombo
854 Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha,
Colombo 00700
+94 112 695366
Website: www.museum.gov.lk
Hours: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Closed on public holidays)
Tickets: LKR 1500.00 (as at June 2024)