Napier Museum

The very idea of a Museum in Travancore was the brain child of the erstwhile King, Uthram Thirunal. The Museum in its current form was started in the year 1855 by him. In order to build the museum a society was formed in the same year with Sri Uthram Thirunal as Patron, the British Resident General Cullen as President, Elaya Raja as Vice-President, and J. A. Brown, the then Director of the Trivandrum Observatory as Secretary and Director. The Museum was opened to the public in 1857 CE.

This old museum established by Sri Uthram Thirunal, was demolished during the reign of Ayilyam Thirunal as it was not large enough to display the immense collection of artifacts and therefore the present Napier Museum was built. The main motto behind the formation was to provide instruction and encouragement in arts and crafts exhibiting specimens of interest in natural history and products of art and industry, both native and foreign.