Kandy National Museum - History, Timings & Entry Fee

At a distance of 2 km from Kandy Railway Station, the National Museum of Kandy is a museum located next to the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Once a part of the Royal Palace of Kandy, it is one of the popular museums in Sri Lanka and among the prime places to visit as part of Kandy Tour Packages.

The National Museum of Kandy is housed in the Palle Vahala building. The Palle Vahala or Lower Palace was constructed during the Sri Wickrama Rajasingha era and was used as a palace where the Queens of the king lived. This building has been built according to the architectural features of the Kandyan period. Earlier, it was used as a depository for historical artifacts made by the Kandy Art Association and artisans of Matale. It was opened to the public as Kandy National Museum in the year 1942.

Maintained by the Department of National Museums, the museum houses over 5,000 artifacts depicting the history and culture of Kandy and of the British era Sri Lanka. The artifacts include a heap of royal relics, thrones, scepters, and customary swords plus weapons, jewelry, coins, bric-a-brac, and tools. It is noticed that most of the items belong to the 17th and 18th centuries. One can also see a copy of the 1815 agreement that handed over the Kandyan provinces to British colonists at the museum. On the grounds of the museum is a statue of Sir Henry Ward a former Governor of Ceylon (1855-1860). One can also get a glimpse of old leaf manuscripts, pots of varied shapes, sizes and materials, masks and even their traditional costumes of the contemporary period here.

For better guidance inside the museum, hire the guide at the entrance of the museum.

Timings: 9 AM - 5 PM, Closed on Sundays, Mondays and all public holidays

National Museum Entry: LKR. 50 for Adults & LKR. 20 for Children for Locals, and LKR. 600 for Adults & LKR. 400 for Children for Foreigners