Visiting a Museum is not merely about learning something knew or enhancing your knowledge: it is also about investing in experiences that enrich your way of thinking whilst inspiring ideas. Museums also have the added benefit of providing a portal for innovative education as one learns through examples and illustrations rather than in a classroom environment. Furthermore, National Museums occupy a special place as these Museums focus on preserving the national and cultural heritage of a nation and a visit to a National museum will always enrich one’s stay in a particular state.
Therefore, Sri Lanka tours will be woefully incomplete without a visit to the National Museum of Sri Lanka and such a tour can be easily co-ordinated with the assistance of Walkers Tours Sri Lanka. The National Museum located in Colombo has the distinction of being the largest in the country and displays a number of unique exhibits that recount the intriguing history of this plentiful isle.
Established in 1877 by the then British Governor Sir William Henry Gregory, the building which houses the National Museum was designed by J. G. Smither. The Italian style that was adopted in the 19th century has survived and the formidably impressive structure stands proud, clad in white, to this day. With the establishment of the Museum, a library was also created and at present, it holds a number of private collections such as that of Mr. Hugh Neville and H. C. P. Bell. Due to rigorous cataloguing the Museum Library boasts of over twelve million documents and books whose history can be traced back centuries. The Library can be accessed by academics, researchers and students who can utilise its reference services to their heart’s content while it also facilitates the provision of copies of photographs and other documents. Given its history and heritage as well as the history that dwells within its walls, the National Museum is truly an iconic attraction to visit in Colombo.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.