Natural History Museum, Thiruvananthapuram

The museum traces its origins to 1853, when a collection of rocks from Travancore was kept in a section of the residence of John Allan Broun, at that time director of the Trivandrum Observatory. Through the 19th century the natural history material formed part of the Art Museum, and as it expanded it was given its own building, known as Shankumukhom.

Today it is counted among the most extensive natural history museums in India. Its galleries cover the animal world across a wide range of scale, from insects such as ants to whales, and many specimens are set in dioramas that recreate their habitats. Displays also explain aspects of wildlife and conservation.