Indian Museum
ভারতীয় জাদুঘর
Also known as Jadughar.
India’s oldest and largest museum, founded in 1814.
About Indian Museum
The museum was founded by the Asiatic Society in 1814 and moved into its present Italianate building on Chowringhee, designed by Walter Granville, in 1878. Kolkatans call it Jadughar, the house of magic. Among its treasures are the carved railings of the Bharhut stupa, Gandhara sculpture, a gallery of Mughal painting, an Egyptian mummy, meteorites and vast halls of fossils and animals.
Why visit
A day’s worth of galleries, from the second century BCE to the dinosaur age.
What to see and do
- The Bharhut gallery
- Gandhara and Pala sculpture
- The Egyptian mummy
- The courtyard and its colonnades
Plan your visit
- Area
- Park Street, Central Kolkata
- Nearest landmark
- Chowringhee at Sudder Street
- Best time
- Morning or afternoon. October to March is the most comfortable time of year.
- Time needed
- About 2½ hours
- Cost
- Usually under ₹100 a head
- Entry
- Open to the public with a ticket. Ticket prices differ for Indian and foreign visitors; current prices and hours are not currently verified.
- Metro
- Park Street (Blue Line), about 5 minutes’ walk
- Walking
- Some walking
- Photography
- Photography is fine with some care. A camera fee may apply.
Tip
Generally closed on Mondays. It is large: pick three or four galleries rather than trying them all.
Nearby and related places
- New Market (Hogg Market): A Victorian market hall of 1874 with a clock tower.
- Park Street: The city’s dining street, and its Christmas street.
- Nehru Children’s Museum: The Ramayana and Mahabharata told in miniature clay models.
- Flurys: The 1927 tea room on Park Street.
- Oxford Bookstore: A Park Street bookshop that has been open since 1920.
- South Park Street Cemetery: A walled garden of obelisks and pyramids, opened in 1767.
More guides
- Places in Park Street
- Heritage places in Kolkata
- Museums and galleries in Kolkata
- Family-friendly places
- Things to do on a rainy day
- Places near a metro station
- All places to visit in Kolkata
Last checked on 2026-10-02. Each place was checked to exist and its position confirmed. Timings, closing days and ticket prices are shown only where known and can change: confirm before you travel.