The Indian Museum is the oldest museum in India and one of the most comprehensive museums in Asia.

The museum is the offspring of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, which was founded in 1784. The question of the storage and preservation of the various antique exhibits received from its members came up before the Society as early as 1796 , and in 1814 the Society resolved to establish a Museum in its own premises.

 The Museum started with two sections:

geological and zoological. In 1840 a Museum of Economic geology was opened in the Society's rooms which was housed on the premises until 1856, after which it moved to No. 1 Hastings Street, where the Geological Survey of India had been recently established.

The Museum is divided into six sections dealing with Archaeology, Art, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Industry including Botany and is controlled by a Board of Trustees for the co-ordination
of the various sections.

The picture Gallery started when Sir Richard Temple, the then Lieutenant Governor of Bengal Viceroy, carried out the wishes of Lord Northbrook, the then Viceroy. In 1876, three buildings immediately adjacent to the Government School of Art were secured, which formed the nucleus of the Art Gallery for the housing of its exhibits. The Gallery was formally inaugurated on April 6, 1876, by Lord Northbrook.

In 1905 late E. B. Havell, the then Principal of the Government School of Art, persuaded the Govt. to dispose of a collection of European pictures belonging to the School and use the proceeds for buying examples of Indian sculpture and painting. Thus the Art Gallery in its present form was established in calcutta. Subsequently, the "Art Ware Court" and the "Art Collection" of the Museum were amalgamated with those of the Art Gallery belonging to the School of Art. The amalgamated collection was placed in the Chowringhee extension of the Main Museum building under the control of the Principal, Government School of Art (now Govt. College of Art and Craft).

 Other Museums

Nehru Children's Museum

Named after India's first Prime Minister, this is a wonderfully entertaining place for the children. The museum is located at Jawaharlal Nehru Road (formerly Chowringhee Road). The stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have been depicted nicely with the help of the animated dolls. Some science models are also on exhiibition; a must-see for kids.