Museums & Art Galleries

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Museums and art galleries are the treasure troves of incredibly rich cultural heritage of Goa. The collections at various museums and art galleries offer a glimpse of a glorious past. Religious, historical, social and economic developments of Goa since ancient times are carefully preserved here from destruction. We invite you to a tour of some famous Goan museums and art galleries.

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM & PORTRAIT GALLERY - OLD GOA
In 1973 Archeology & Museum unit was set up in Goa and thereafter a small Museum was opened for public on 29th Sept 1977 in a rented building at St. Inez. After construction of the present building the museum was shifted to this new museum complex at Patto which was inaugurated by the President of India on 18th June 1996.

THE ARCHIVES MUSEUM OF GOA - PANAJI
The Museum of Goa is housed at a new Building at the Patto Plaze near the ourem creek, Panaji. It exhibits ancient epigraphs, stone sculptures, bronze panels, wooden panels, miniature paintings, old manuscripts etc. The sections include Ancient History and Sculptures; Geology, Coins and manuscripts; Anthropology and Western Art. It is proposed to expand it into eight galleries by adding Picture Gallery, Agriculture, Forestry and Natural History.

THE MUSEUM OF CHRISTIAN ART - RACHOL
Asia's first exclusive Museum of Christian Art was opened at Rachol seminary, in Salcete Taluka on 24th January 1994. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation of Lisbon, Portugal has provided funds for this unique museum. Sacred art objects of Christian traditions prepared by local Hindu artists are major attractions.

RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION GALLERY
The gallery depicts religious expressions of Goa.It includes model of "Tarang", traditional musical instruments, worship utensils, palm - leaf manuscripts and paper manuscripts of different religious texts and also few old photographs of various religious ceremonies and festivals.

SCULPTURE GALLERY
In the Sculpture Gallery, the stone sculptures and bronzes of different deities, Hero stones and Sati stones are displayed. This gallery also includes inscriptions or photographs thereof dating from the 4th c. A.D. , a significant among is a copper plate inscription of Viravarma, Kadamba king dating back to 1049 A. D. An oldest object in the museum i.e. fossil bone dating 10000 B.C. is also exhibited here.