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Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum is one of the highly feature-rich archaeological museums in Sri Lanka. It has located in the old administration building in the sacred city of Anuradhapura.
It lies between two prominent historical landmarks – the Brazen Palace and the Ruvanvaelisaya Stupa. Former Director General Dr. Senarath Paranavithana established the museum in 1947.
It is the archaic and largest museum that belongs to the Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka.
The museum used to exhibit antiquities from various regions of Sri Lanka. Such as Buddha statues, inscriptions, drawings, puppets, coins, jewelry, Beads, and other miscellaneous things. Among these antiquities is a model of the Thuparamaya Vatadage and a relic chamber found at Mihintale Kantaka Chetiya Dagoba.
From immoderate collections of artworks, mintage, weapons, and more – all belonging to the old era of Sri Lanka – this is an area well worth visiting if you want to know about Anuradhapura’s rich culture and history.
Its building was once valued by the British.
You’ll be able to view everything from scriptures and tabloids that date back centuries to more recent colonial relics.
These range from majestic Buddha statues to Hindu deities and even evidence of ancient pagan worship.
Some of the most exciting exhibits in the museum include dioramas of notable historical locations in Anuradhapura. These reconstructions make these sites look like they once did during their heyday.
For anyone touring through Anuradhapura, saying in all the cultural sights and landmarks, a journey to the museum can assist put everything in perspective as you know about the rise, heyday, and decline of Sri Lanka’s great kingdoms.

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Useful Information

  • The entry ticket includes all the historical sites except Maha Bodhi & Isurumuniya.
  • The museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm except for Tuesdays and every Poya day.

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