This list of museums in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
contains lists of museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organisations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing.
National Museums administered by the Department of Museums
National Museums
![Kandy Tea Museum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Kandy_Tea_Museum.jpg)
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National Museum of Colombo
The Colombo National Museum, also known as the Sri Lanka National Museum, is a museum in Colombo and the largest in Sri Lanka. Founded in 1877 and maintained by the Department of National Museums, it holds collections of significant importanc ...
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National Museum of Kandy
The National Museum of Kandy in Kandy, Sri Lanka is located next to the Temple of the Tooth in part of the former Royal Palace of Kandy. The primary exhibits are housed in the ''Palle Vahala'' building, which was the former home of the King's ...
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National Museum of Galle
The National Museum of Galle (Galle National Museum) is one of the national museums of Sri Lanka. It is located in the oldest remaining Dutch building in the Galle fort, Galle, a single storey colonnaded Dutch building built in 1656 as the commi ...
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National Museum of Ratnapura
Museums of particular subjects
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National Museum of Natural History, Colombo
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Colombo Dutch Museum
The Colombo Dutch Museum is a museum that covers the history of the Dutch colonial rule in Sri Lanka.
The building
The two storey colonnaded building on Prince Street, Pettah (Colombo 11) which houses this museum was constructed during the Dutch ...
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National Maritime Museum (Galle)
The National Maritime Museum or National Maritime Archaeology Museum in Galle, Sri Lanka is situated within Galle Fort. It was first opened to the public on 9 May 1992 and is located in a 1671 Dutch Warehouse above the Old Gate of Galle Fort. Wh ...
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Independence Memorial Museum
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Folk Museum (Anuradhapura)
Museums administered by the Department of Archaeology
![Terracotta Pipes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Terracotta_Pipes.JPG)
North Central Province
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Anuradhapura Museum
Location
The Anuradhapura Archaeological Museum is located near the Ruwanwalisaya Stupa, adjacent to the Anuradhapura Presidential House in Anuradhapura district, North Central province, Sri Lanka.
History
Anuradhapura Archaeological Museu ...
(National)
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Mihintale Museum (Site)
* Veheragala Museum (Site)
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Isurumuniya Museum
Isurumuniya Archaeological Museum is a site museum located in Isurumuniya, Sri Lanka. It was established in Isurumuni vihara in 1984. The museum is maintained by Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka.
The museum exhibits some valuable pieces of ...
(Site)
* Tantirimale Museum (Site)
North Western Province
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Panduwasnuwara Museum (Regional)
* Puttalam Museum (Site)
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Rajanganaya Museum (Site)
* Yapahuwa Museum (Site)
* Dambadeniya Museum (Site)
Central Province
*Kandy Royal Palace Museum (Regional)
*Nalanda Museum (Site)
*Pidurangala Museum (Site)
Eastern Province
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Batticaloa Museum. (Site)
* Dighavapi Museum (Regional)
* Seruwila Museum (Site)
* Welgam Vehera Museum (Site)
Western Province
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Kotte Museum
Kotte Museum ( si, කෝට්ටේ කෞතුකාගාරය) is an archaeological Museum in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka. It is located at Bangala junction in Ethul Kotte, on the Borella-Pitakotte main road. The museum serves as ...
(Regional)
Southern Province
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Matara Star Fort Museum (Regional)
* Yatala Museum (Site)
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Kasagala Museum (Site)
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Mulkirigala Museum (Site)
Northern Province
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Jaffna Museum (Regional)
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Vavuniya Museum (Regional)
Uva Province
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Buduruwagala Museum (Regional)
* Maligawila Museum (Site)
Sabaragamuwa Province
* Dedigama Museum (Regional)
Museums of particular subjects administered by the institutions of those subjects
![Sri Lanka Air Force Museum (16508970775)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Sri_Lanka_Air_Force_Museum_%2816508970775%29.jpg)
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Ceylon Tea Museum,
Kandy
Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...
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Colombo Port Maritime Museum
The Sri Lanka Ports Authority Maritime Museum (වරාය අධිකාරය මූදුබඩ කෞතුකාගාරය ), commonly known as the Colombo Maritime Museum, is located at 19 Chaithya Road, Colombo, adjacent to the Colombo ...
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Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
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Currency Museum, Colombo
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Highway Museum,
Kiribathkumbura
Kiribatkumbura is a suburb of the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is in Central Province, on the A1 highway, from Kandy and from Colombo.
There is a highway museum located in the starting point of Kiribatkumbura from Colombo. The museum has Brit ...
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Hoods Tower Museum
The Hoods Tower Museum ( ta, குட் கோபுர நூதனசாலை, translit=Kuṭ Kōpura Nūtaṉacālai; si, ත්රිකුණාමලය නාවික කෞතුකාගාරය ''Trikuṇāmalaya Nāvika Kautuk ...
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Trincomalee
Trincomalee (; ta, திருகோணமலை, translit=Tirukōṇamalai; si, ත්රිකුණාමළය, translit= Trikuṇāmaḷaya), also known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee Dis ...
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International Buddhist Museum, Kandy
* Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum,
Galle
Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Souther ...
* Ambalangoda Mask Museum, Mask Museum,
Ambalangoda
Ambalangoda is a coastal town located in Galle District, Southern Province of Sri Lanka. Governed by Ambalangoda Urban Council, the town is famous for its ancient demon masks and devil dancers. Situated approximately south of Colombo, it sits o ...
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Museum of Temple of Tooth, Kandy
* National Telecommunication Museum,
Padukka
Padukka ( si, පාදුක්ක, ta, படுகா) is a town in the district of Colombo in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It has a population of roughly 8,000. Elevation 44feet.
Padukka, which is part of the Avissawella electorate is ...
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Postal Museum
A postal museum is a museum dedicated to the display of objects relating to the postal service. A subcategory of postal museums are philatelic museums, which focus on philately and postage stamps.
List of postal and philatelic museums
Afric ...
, Colombo
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Railway Museum
A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives ( steam, diesel, and electric), railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment. They may also operate historic e ...
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Kadugannawa
Kadugannawa is a town in Kandy District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. It is located along the A1 road west of Peradeniya. The town is served by Kadugannawa Railway Station and has the Kadugannawa Central ...
* S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Museum,
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
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Sri Lanka Air Force Museum,
Ratmalana
Ratmalana is a suburb in Colombo District, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is inside the administration boundary of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council. Ratmalana is situated 14.6 km south of Colombo city centre. Ratmalana Airport locat ...
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Sri Lanka Cricket Museum,
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
* Walisinghe Harischandra Museum,
Negombo
Negombo (, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in Western Province, from Colombo via Colombo - Katunayake Expressway.
Negombo is one of the major commercial hubs in the country and ...
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Wax Museum
A wax museum or waxworks usually consists of a collection of wax sculptures representing famous people from history and contemporary personalities exhibited in lifelike poses, wearing real clothes.
Some wax museums have a special section dubb ...
, Polonnaruwa
See also
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Tourism in Sri Lanka
Tourism in Sri Lanka is growing rapidly. For centuries, Sri Lanka has been a popular place of attraction for foreign travelers. The Chinese traveler Fa-Hien visited Sri Lanka as early as the 410's AD/CE, and in the twelfth century, Italian explo ...
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Culture of Sri Lanka
The culture of Sri Lanka mixes modern elements with traditional aspects and is known for its regional diversity. Sri Lankan culture has long been influenced by the heritage of Theravada Buddhism passed on from India, and the religion's legacy ...
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List of museums
A museum is an institution that cares for (conserves) a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temp ...
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Department of National Museum (Sri Lanka)
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Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka)
The Department of Archaeology ('','' ) is a non-ministerial government department in Sri Lanka responsible for managing the archaeological heritage.
History
In 1868, seven years after the establishment of the Archaeological Survey of India, Gover ...
References
External links
Department of national museums
{{Museums in Sri Lanka , state=collapsed
Museums
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
Museums
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
Museums
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...