Government Museum, Bengaluru, Archaeological museum in Bengaluru, India

The Government Museum is an archaeology museum on Kasturba Road in Bengaluru, flanked by the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum and the Venkatappa Art Gallery. Its 1877 neoclassical building, planned by Chief Engineer Col. Richard Hieram Sankey, is painted deep red with white trim: four fluted columns with white capitals support a pediment, a tiered clock section rises above, and a low black metal fence runs across the front. Inside, two exhibition floors hold 18 galleries.

Founded in 1865, it was among the first institutions of its kind established in South India. The collections include ancient objects from earlier civilizations of the region and document their cultural development.

The museum displays traditional artworks and objects that reflect how Karnataka's communities developed over different periods. Visitors can see how crafts, artistic styles, and everyday items changed through the centuries.

The museum stands on Kasturba Road, flanked by the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum and the Venkatappa Art Gallery. It is temporarily closed for renovation, with press reports suggesting about a year of works, so check before travelling. The two exhibition floors hold 18 galleries.

The Halmidi inscription, dated to 450 CE and held here, is the earliest known Kannada inscription. The museum also keeps the Begur (890 CE) and Atakur (949 CE) inscription slabs, and a slab from Tipu Sultan's time bearing 12 Persian couplets.