10 Most Famous Museums in Goa

Goa is the hub for tourists to come and enjoy a beautiful vacation. This small city attracts people for its beautiful beaches and the ancient culture along with the modern lifestyle. While the beaches have a different story to tell its visitors, the part of Goa that contains all the ancientness has a very different story filled with art, kings, and maybe even wars. The rich culture is preserved as several museums around Goa.

If you love history and cultural studies, then these are not to be missed. Here are some of the best museums in Goa that would make you go in awe.

1. Goa State Museum

With an impressive collection of artifacts, this is one of the museums in Goa that exhibit a wide variety of exhibits, which include paintings, furniture, sculpture, and cultural anthropology. Located in Mahatma Gandhi Road in Panjim, the museum is open from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm. The museum is divided into several galleries, out of which 12 are open to the general public. Some of the notable galleries in his museum include Banerji Art Gallery and Sculpture Gallery.

2. Museum of Christian Art

Christianity has influenced Goa and played an essential role in modernizing Goa to what we see today. Due to this reason itself, the museum of Christian art holds importance to uncovering answers related to the development of Goa and its history on the emergence of Christianity. Located in Santa Monica, the main attractions of the museum include exhibits from the time the Portuguese landed in India. You would also like one numerous paintings, metals, and ivories in the museum.

3. Houses of Goa Museum

Architecture is an essential element when it comes to the development of a region, and the architecture of the houses around Goa has played a role in its growth as a tourist hub. The houses of the Goa museum give an experience that no other museum might provide. It takes one through the journey in which the architecture developed in Goa and the evolution of houses. It shows the beautiful architecture of European and Portuguese buildings that was practiced during the colonial times.

4. Goa Chithra museum

Rated as India’s top contemporary museum by the Archeological Survey of India, the museum displays artifacts related to farming and lifestyle equipment. Located in Benaulim, the museum is a must-visit. The museum has over 4000 artifacts and objects and is still growing. The museum is just one looks helps you to identify the history of Goa along with how modern lifestyle seeped into the state. The museum has also partnered with scholars and educational institutes to do more research on these artifacts.

5. Naval Aviation Museum

This is one of the most unique museums that one might find in Goa. Located in Bogmolo, there are not just artifacts present here but various machinery that was used in the past and especially in wars. These are also dissected and opened up, and anyone who is into mechanism would love it. The museum is also divided into two sections – the indoor exhibit and outdoor exhibit. Being one of a kind in Asia, the museum is pretty impressive.

6. Goa Science center

The Goa science center takes one to the magical world of science and astronomy. Located in Miramar, the museum has hands-on interactive displays and activities not just for kids but even for adults. Visitors get to glimpse our vast universe and also get a glimpse of the beyond. With Taramandal shows and spaces to observe the night sky, 3d film shows, and even play games, the museum offers a whole experience of another level that one cannot forget.

7. Wax World Museum

Not many would know about this museum, but Goa has its own version of the Madame Tussauds. There are more than 30 giant figurines made out of paraffin wax over here that look so real that you might need to pinch yourself to make sure it’s not just a dream. One of the main attractions includes the sculpture of the last supper, which is 22 feet and weighs 500 kilos. Famous personalities from religious, historical, and cultural backgrounds have been sculpted and adorned through these hallways. Located in Old Goa, this is a must-visit.

8. Archeological Museum

The museum dates back to the 19th century and displays antiques and artifacts that date back to the medieval period. The museum is the secret window in Goa to the past, and it contains various things including ancient Persian and Arabic in scripts, portraits of governors and viceroys that ruled Goa, stamps, and even weapons. The museum is clear and engaging and riveting one. It gives us a clear understanding of Goa’s history with the Portuguese.

9. Museum of Goa

The Museum of Goa would be a heaven for those who love contemporary art. You can find wonders of arts that might transport one to another world of stories, imagination, and beyond. The three-story museum that is located in Pilerne is definitely another world away from all the other parts of Goa. With sculptures to welcome guests and various art installations, studio spaces, and art cafes around, this is a place that every art lover would fall in love with. The best part of this museum is that these installations keep changing from time to time and is not permanent.

10. Big Foot Museum

Located in Loutolim, the museum is also called as ancestral Goa. It is an open-air museum that displays life-size statues depicting the lifestyle and culture of Goa. There is a handicraft section, too, that shows the handicrafts work done in the state. One of the prime attractions of this museum is the Saint Mirabai sculptor.

Museums often showcase a different world, a different story from what is seen. These museums are no various in that aspect. Visiting these museums makes you understand Goa as more than a state.