10 Museums In Bangalore To Nerd Out And Soak In Culture

NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Science) Brain Museum has over 400 brain specimens collected over 40 years. You can marvel at them at this one-of-a-kind (first-of-its-kind) museum. There are guided tours where they will walk you through the entire museum and explain the entire process. It's not just human brains that are on display, you will also find animal brains. You can also see the brain development of the human brain. There is also a line-up of brains that have been riddled with conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Cerebral Palsy. 

Google Rating: 4.4/5

Timings: Wednesday from 2.30 PM to 4:30 PM and Saturday from 10.30 AM to 4.30 PM 

Price: Free Entry 

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath is the city's premier art and culture hub, and it houses 13 museums that feature interesting and rare pieces. From traditional paintings to puppet work, and stunning paintings by Russian painters Nicholas Roerich and his son Svetoslav Nikolayevich Roerich to artwork donated by HJ Kejriwal, there's much to check out. The Dr. Krishna Reddy Museum features the printmaker's collection of artwork that features viscosity painting techniques. The Mysore Traditional Museum features over 100 artworks dating from the 19th century. Once you finish your museum visits, check out the stationery store and then visit the CKP canteen for some dosa.  

Google Rating: 4.5/5

Timings: Open all through the week from 10 AM to 7 PM

Price: Free Entry 

Located inside a sprawling space surrounded by greenery (it's such a great date spot), Bangalore’s National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is one of the finest museums and art galleries there is. It's set inside the restored, two-story colonial-style Manikyavelu Mansion. On weekends, you'll especially see art enthusiasts lounging around, sketching away on their pads, as well as Instagram Creators getting their aesthetic reels shot. There are permanent exhibits and artwork by artists such as Amrita Sher-Gil, Raja Ravi Varma, and three Tagores (Abanindranath, Gaganendranath, and Rabindranath). On our recent visit, Nandalal Bose's Haripura Panels were the ongoing exhibit. Don't forget to stop by the museum store to pick up some art prints. 

Google Rating: 4.5/5

Timings: Closed on Mondays. Open from 11 AM to 6 PM on the rest of the days

Price: INR 20 for Indian nationals 

Touted to be India's first and only interactive music museum, the Indian Music Experience Museum (IME) showcases the diversity of Indian music and its rich musical heritage. There are multimedia exhibit galleries, an interactive sound garden, a learning centre for music education, and several performance spaces. One of the exhibits includes the instruments gallery that features over 100 musical instruments from across the country, with their origins, making, and playing techniques all displayed. Look out for the peacock-shaped mayura veena and snake-shaped nagphani.

Google Rating: 4.6/5

Timings: Closed on Mondays. Open 10 AM to 6 PM on weekdays and 11 AM to 7 PM on weekends. 

Price: INR 100 upwards 

Ministry of Culture-funded Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) is in the heart of the city, and it's a landmark you can't miss. The museum is spread across multiple levels, and there's everything from a 3D mechanised Spinosaurus to a replica of the Wright Brothers Flyer suspended from the ceiling. There's a wing that features old-world locomotives with diesel and steam engines. Plus, check out the interactive displays where you can see working models of vortexes and hyperbolas while also trying your hand at making colourful liquid paintings and 3D shadows. Don't miss out on the Mars Rover and biotechnology wings as well. 

Google Rating: 4.6/5

Timings: 9:30 AM to 6 PM on all days

Price: INR 85 upwards 

The planetarium is one of the coolest places in town, and you can go stargazing and learn everything about the solar system to the universe. On weekdays, you'll see excited kids from schools out on their field trips, and on weekends, you'll mostly find parents with their kids. They play two shows—To Worlds Beyond and Journey through the Solar System and Celestial Fireworks—throughout the week, with an additional show on weekends—Dawn of the Space Age—in Kannada and English. You can book these tickets on BookMyShow or pick them up at the box office. 

Google Rating: 4.4/5

Timings: Closed on Mondays and second Tuesdays, and two shows for the rest of the days, starting at 10:30 AM 

Price: INR 75 for adults and INR 50 for kids below 16 and above 3 

The Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) is also centrally located (it's bang opposite Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum) and one of the newest museums opened in Bangalore. Spread over 44,000 square feet and several floors, aside from the continually growing collection of over 60,000 works of art from South Asia dating from now to as old as the 10th century, the museum has ongoing exhibitions and installations with the recent ones being Zobop by Jim Lambie and Outside In: Meera Mukherjee and Jaidev Baghel. Artwork aside, there's an auditorium, an art and research library, an education centre, a specialised research and conservation facility, and a terrace cafe too.  

Google Rating: 4.7/5

Timings: Open 10 AM to 6:30 PM on weekdays (closed on Mondays) and 10 AM to 7:30 PM on weekends

Price: Free entry except for exhibitions, and free entry for all exhibitions on Tuesdays from 2 to 6:30 PM

Touted to be India's first aerospace museum, the HAL Heritage Centre and Aerospace Museum is a fascinating place for anyone who loves aircraft. There are two wings, with one wing showcasing artwork and history about the evolution of aerospace from the 1940s to date. The other wing has models and displays of engines, aircraft, and helicopters used by the Indian Air Force. Plus, there are also showcases on how aircraft engines work. Outside, you have models of aircraft such as Marut, MIG-21, Kiran, and Ajeet. Look out for the spacecraft models too. Plus, there's also a basic simulator and a mock air traffic control tower. 

Google Rating: 4.4/5

Timings: Open all days from 9 AM to 4:30 PM

Price: INR 50 for adults

Museum Road got its name thanks to the Sandesh Museum of Communication, which is located at the beginning of Museum Road, which leads to Church Street and MG Road. The museum has artefacts, collections, and memorabilia that showcase the evolution of postage and communication in India. It's housed inside a heritage building built in the 1800s and is currently maintained by the Department of Post, Karnataka Circle. Amongst the collection, you will find things such as telegraphs, stamps, seals, and letters from the British era. These have been collected from various post offices across India. 

Google Rating: 4.9/5

Timings: Closed on Sundays. Open from 10 AM to 4 PM

Price: Free Entry 

Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB) is touted to be Asia’s first and India’s only member of Science Gallery International, which is an international collaboration of leading universities dedicated to public engagement through interdisciplinary art-science initiatives. SGB was established with the support of the Government of Karnataka and has three academic partners in the form of the Indian Institute of Science, the National Centre for Biological Sciences, and the Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology. The Gallery is known for its public engagement model for young adults and has seasonal exhibitions, programmes, and public events consisting of research-based engagements led by artists and scholars from diverse backgrounds. From their pop-up exhibition CARBON to Namma Oota Food Festival, there's a lot one can immerse in all through the year here. 

Google Rating: 4.6/5

Timings: 10 AM to 6 PM. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

Price: Free Entry