Although a truly national museum, the displays are ordered in a different manner on the two floors. Worth taking in are the Kandyan regal collection, which came back to Ceylon from the British Museum and now form the centrepiece of the collection. The olio of natural history and cultural exhibits leaves a somewhat mixed impression. By themselves they may hold... More

A must see place in Colombo, ofcourse after the Kollupatti beach, dutch hospital and the old parliament buildings. Here you get understand the history and culture of the country and its people. Do not hesitate to talk to other stranger visitors here. They will help you share and compare culture and history of their country as you walk along the... More

When we visited there was a lot of renovation work going on so the actual displays were very limited and there were really only 2 galleries, though they say there are more as they count each gallery as 2 or 3 by including subdivisions. There were some interesting artefacts but the overall impression was boring. It was rather hot and... More

Situated at Albert Crescent, Colombo 7 and is good to visit to gain some knowledge of the culture and history of Sri Lanka.

Not too pricey (200 RS I believe). Very quite on the day I visited. Not always a lot of explanations to go with the artifacts. Has a bit of a dark and dusty feel to it but there are some pretty things hidden among the rest.

This museum is a perfect introduction to a tour over the lovely island of Sri Lanka. Some galleries are a bit oldfashioned but the overall quality of the objects shown and the information given on the history and art forms is very good

There is a lot of great history here that helps explain to new comers about Sri Lankan history. There are some great relics here including Buddhist and Hindu artwork, the Sri Lankan national throne, crown and scepter taken by the English and then returned, a great collection of ancient stone carved pillars, religious figures and (yeah get this:) squat loos.... More

If you dont have time to go and see the ruined cities in Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa you may at least go and see what you can see in those places. Also if you wish to see the throne and the crown of the last Sri lankan King dont miss this place. If you are a foreign traveler on a short... More

The museum is only covering the Buddhist Sri Lankan kingdoms but nothing else. It is therefore not complete as the last 2 hundred years are only mentioned very briefly. The main focus is on Buddhism. I did expect more than that. Also the rooms are not air conditioned and we had to rush through as our baby had problems with... More