The Himachal State Museum is housed in a large Victorian-era mansion at Chaura Maidan. It displays collections of Pahari miniature paintings, wood carvings, traditional jewellery, temple bronzes, sculptures, manuscripts, coins, arms and cultural artefacts from across Himachal Pradesh. For visitors, it’s a compact way to understand the state’s folk culture, temple art and historical evolution – from ancient stone sculptures to colonial photos and ethnographic displays. The quiet lawns and old building itself add to the charm.
About this place
History & highlights
The building, originally known as Inverarm, was a Victorian house constructed in the 1860s as a summer residence for senior British officials like Lord William Beresford and later Sir Edward Law. After Independence, the Himachal government acquired the property and in 1974 established the Himachal State Museum here, renovating the house to hold galleries and archives. Over time the museum has grown into a key repository for the region’s cultural heritage, preserving fragile miniature paintings, ritual bronzes and folk items that might otherwise have been lost. It therefore acts as Shimla’s intellectual counterpart to the hill’s many temples and churches, telling the story of everyday Himalayan life and art.
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