Rail Transport Museum

 This museum at Chanakyapuri will be of  great interest to anyone who becomes fascinated by India's exotic collection of railway engines. The exhibit includes in 1855 steam engine, still in working order, and a large number of oddities such as the skull of an elephant that charged  a mail train in 1894, and lost. See the boxed Graining section in the Getting Around chapter for more details.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30 am to 5 pm and there's a small admission fee.

National Museum

Located on Janpath just sough of Rajpath, the National Museum has a good collection of Indian bronzes terracotta and wood sculptress dating back to the Mauryan period , exhibits from the Vijayanagar period in sough India, miniature and mural paintings, and costumes of the various tribal peoples. The museum is definitely worth visiting and is open Tuesday to Sunday form 10 am to 5 pm. There are film shows most days of the week.

right next door is the Archaeological Survey of  India office. Publications available here cover all the main sites in India. Many of these are not available at the particular sites themselves.

National Gallery of Modern Art

This gallery stands near India Gate at the eastern end of Rajpath, and was formerly the Delhi residence of there Maharaja of Jaipur. It houses an excellent collection of works by both Indian colonial artists.
It is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm; admission is free.

Nehru Museum

Located on Teen Murti Rd near Chanakyapuri-the residence of the first Indian prime minister, Teen Murti Bhavan has been converted into a museum. Photographs and newspaper clippings on display give a fascinating insight into the history of the independence movement.

During the tourist season there is a sound & light show about his life and the independence movement. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission in free

Tibet House

This small museum has fascinating collection of ceremonial items brought out of Tibet when the Dalai Lama fled following the Chinese occupation. Downstairs is a shop selling a wide range of Tibetan handicrafts.

There are often lecture/discussion sessions. The museum is in the Institutional Area, Lodi Rd, and hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm and 2 to 5 pm. Admission is free.

International Dolls Museum

This museum in Nehru House on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg displays 600 dolls from 85 countries. Over a third of them are from India and one exhibit comp rises 500 dolls in the costumes worn all over the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5.30 pm

International Dolls Museum

This museum is Nehru House on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg displays 600 dolls from 85 countries. Over a third of them are from India and one exhibit comprises 500 dolls in the costumes worn all over the country. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5.30 pm.

Crafts Museum

Located in the Aditi Pailion at the Pragati Maiden Exhibition Grounds, Mathura Rd, this museum contains a collection of traditional Indian crafts in textiles, metal, wood and ceramics. The museum is part of a Village life' complex where you can visit rural India without ever leaving Delhi Opening hours are daily from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. Admission is free.

Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum

The former residence of Indira Gandhi at 1 Safdarjang Rd has also been converted into a museum. On show are some of her personal effects, including the sari (complete with blood stains) she was wearing at the time of her assassination Striking a somewhat macabre note is the crystal plaque in the garden, flanked constantly by tow soldiers, which protects a few brown spots of Mrs. Gandhi's blood on the spot where she actually fell after being shot by two of her Sikh bodyguards in December 1984.

Other Museums

The Museum of Natural History:- is opposite the Nepalese Embassy on Barakhamba Rd. Fronted by a large model dinosaur, it has a collection of fossils, stuffed animals and birds, and a 'hands on' discovery room for children. It's open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.