Hyderabad is possibly one of the best cities to be in if you love history or just have a penchant to discover new things in Indian museums. From historical museums that stock some of the oldest antiques in the world to whimsical ones, these top museums in Hyderabad are ideal to discover leisurely.

Here Are The Best Museums In Hyderabad
Salar Jung Museum

The most iconic museum in Hyderabad, Salarjung Museum houses the world’s largest one-man collection of antiques collected by Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III, the former Prime Minister of the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad. It houses an extensive collection of antiques including weapons, crockery, and art collected from all around the globe. One of the main attractions of the place is the Grand Clock which is run mechanically; the clock has puppets that get activated at specific times during the day.

Another piece of art you cannot miss is the Veiled Rebecca acquired from Rome — the statue is carved in a way that looks like a woman is covered in a thin piece of cloth, it is stunning to say the least. The craftsmanship is par excellence, which makes Salarjung a must visit.

Google rating: 4.4/5

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM

Entry Fee: INR 50 per adult, INR 20 per child

How To Reach: Get down at the Charminar metro station

Nizam’s Museum

If you’d like to get a taste of royal life and experience how the Nizams lived, we highly recommend visiting the Nizam’s Museum in Purani Haveli, the erstwhile residence of the rulers. This famous museum in Hyderabad contains everyday objects that were used by the royals like the throne, beds, clothing, and even the longest closet in the world. You will also find a charming manually operated elevator here that was used back in the day.

Google rating: 4.2/5

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM, Friday closed

Entry Fee: INR 100 per adult, INR 15 per child

How To Reach: Get down at the Charminar metro station

Telangana State Archaeology Museum

The Telangana State Archaeology Museum houses Ajanta paintings, bronze artefacts, armours, numismatics, stone sculptures, manuscripts, modern paintings, and textiles. You will also find Buddhist and Hindu sculptures belonging to the Chalukyan and Vijayanagara period. One of the coolest additions to the museum is an Egyptian mummy of the daughter of the sixth pharaoh of Egypt. There’s also a copy of the Holy Quran with the seal from Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.

Google rating: 4.2/5

Timings: 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Friday closed

Entry Fee: INR 10 per adult, INR 5 per child

How To Reach: Get down at the Assembly metro station

YK Antiques Museum

This home museum in Hyderabad contains an extensive collection of antiques that were used back in the day. Personal care items like combs, mirrors, and kitchenware in brass and cast iron as well as other artefacts are on display. It is a must visit if you’d like to get a taste of traditional South Indian homes and how they operated.

Google rating: 4.9/5

Timings: 11 AM to 8 PM

Entry Fee: INR 100 per person

How To Reach: Get down at the Parade Grounds metro station

Sudha Car Museum

Possibly one of the most amusing and famous museums in Hyderabad you will ever visit, the Sudha Car Museum set up by Sudhakar Yadav, houses over 150 varieties of cars. The difference? The car maker is known to create quirkily shaped cars including ones that look like a condom, a camera lens, toilet, helmet, handbag, and even a stiletto! All the cars are handmade, complete with information on the make and manufacture, the manufacturing time, and their average velocity. There are several vintage cars on display as well.

Google rating: 3.9/5

Timings: 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM

Entry Fee: INR 100 per adult, INR 80 per child

How To Reach: Get down at the Malakpet metro station

Chowmahalla Palace

A must visit place, Chowmahalla Palace also has a famous museum in Hyderabad that houses pictures of the erstwhile Nizams, a few documents, paintings, and a fully set-up study room exactly the way it was kept back in the day. The coolest part of the Palace is their car museum with some of the best vintage cars including a 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.

Google rating: 4.4 stars

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM

Entry Fee: INR 100 per adult, INR 40 per child

How To Reach: Get down at the Charminar metro station

Nehru Centenary Tribal Museum

If you’re fascinated by how various tribes in India live in harmony with nature, then you must make a visit to the Nehru Centenary Tribal Museum in Masab Tank. The two-storey Indian museum showcases the simple yet vibrant lifestyle of tribes from Andhra Pradesh like Kondareddi, Bagata, Lambadas and Chenchus.

Stories here are depicted through pictures, literature, and an audio-visual experience. You can also browse through a variety of tools they used back in the day like bird, rat, and fish traps, bows and arrows and other hunting equipment. Several wooden musical instruments and depiction of scenes of tribal dances are on display as well.

Google rating: 4.2/5

Timings: 10:30 AM to 5 PM, Sunday closed

Entry Fee: Free

How To Reach: Get down at the Lakdi Ka Pul metro station

Surendrapuri Mythological Museum

Take a long drive to Surendrapuri to witness all the mythologies we’ve heard growing up, live in action. The Surendrapuri Theme Park/Museum has live scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharatha depicted through statues and life-size structures. You will also find a host of Hindu temples around the museum.

Google rating: 4.5/5

Timings: 9 AM to 7 PM

Entry Fee: INR 350 per adult, INR 300 per child

How To Reach: Fastest way is to reach via car/cab

Rail Museum

If you’ve got a ‘Sheldon Cooper’ in your gang who is obsessed with trains, a visit to the Rail Museum, one of the best museums in Hyderabad, should be on your bucket list. The museum houses various aspects and interesting facts about the history of railways in India, how the coaches and bogies evolved over the years and various tools used in the railways. The museum is fun to visit, especially with kids, to educate them on one of the most reliable and affordable forms of transport in India.

Google rating: 4.1/5

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM

Entry Fee: INR 100 per adult

How To Reach: Get down at the Kachiguda metro station

Health Museum

This one’s not for the faint-hearted, but if you’re an anatomy enthusiast then head to the Health Museum in Lakdikapul. Aside from the various facts on health and how to maintain your body, the museum also has various organs like the brain, a human foetus and others on display. The place was inaugurated in 1948. And even though the museum is not super well-maintained, go here if you’d like to take a look at all the human organs and even a skeleton on display.

Google rating: 4.3/5

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM, Friday closed

Entry Fee: Free

How To Reach: Get down at the Lakdi Ka Pul metro station

BM Birla Science Center

A museum that doubles as a planetarium and a dinosaurium, BM Birla Science Museum is an interesting place for adults as well as children. Located on a hilltop in the center of the city, there’s lots to explore here, including the amazing view of the city. The entire museum is divided into an interactive science section where you can put all the theories and laws of physics to test, archaeology section, dolls exhibit, Dwaraka Diorama, Nobel Gallery, Antarctica Diorama where you can see the geographical landscape of the pole, and yes, the dino section which gets the most attention.

From fossils and their history, dinosaur eggs, marine shells to a 160-million year old skeletal dinosaur standing tall, the BM Birla Science Museum is a fascinating place. While you are there, don’t forget to check out the art gallery in the same premises. It houses some of the most applauded contemporary, abstract and Indian paintings dating back many centuries.

Google rating: 4.4/5

Timings: 10:30 AM to 8 PM

Entry Fee: INR 150 for the science museum, INR 250 for combo [planetarium and science museum]

How To Reach: Get down at the Assembly metro station

Village Museum Shilparamam

Not just shopping and cultural shows, Shilparamam also houses a village museum that gives us city-goers a sneak peek into how the village life was back in the day. From goshalas to kaccha houses with traditional art on the walls, this place makes for a gorgeous photo backdrop. When we last visited this museum in Hyderabad, it felt like we were walking through an actual village street where villagers were doing their own thing. Sounds interesting, right?

Google rating: 4.5/5

Timings: 10:30 AM to 8 PM

Entry Fee: INR 60 per adult, INR 20 per child

How To Reach: Get down at the Hi-tech City metro station

Centenary Heritage Museum

Centenary Heritage Museum is one of the lesser known museums in Hyderabad but a must-visit for history buffs. Smaller than most of the other names mentioned on this list— this is a simple museum displaying archeological relics, stone statues, carvings and other prehistoric art. From religious sculptures to cave paintings, pottery and arches, every piece displayed here is either restored by experts or maintained the same way since the day they were excavated.

Google rating: 4.2 stars

Timings: 10:30 AM to 5 PM

Entry Fee: Free

How To Reach: Get down at the Khairtabad metro station

Mint Museum

Tucked away in the back lanes of lower tank bund, the Mint Museum is one of the best museums in Hyderabad. It’s a fascinating place that’s all about something we love and need, money! Yes, you can see how the technology of making coins and currency evolved, and learn more about the concept behind every note and coin, old or new. Have you ever seen a one rupee note? You can see that, 50 paise coins, 20 anna coin, Mughal era coins, Nizam era currency and lots more here. It’s quite interactive as well and with your friends or family, you can easily spend 3-4 hours here.

Google rating: 4.4/5

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM

Entry Fee: Free

How To Reach: Get down at the Khairtabad metro station

Aftab Mahal

Tucked away inside the Chowmahalla Palace complex, Aftab Mahal is a lesser known spot in the city that will instantly transport you to a much quieter, opulent time. Built in the 19th century for the sixth Nizam’s wife with European-style architecture. Now, this might not be a conventional museum but the palace interiors are peppered with antique furniture, vintage photographs and regal memorabilia of Hyderabad’s forgotten past. While you’re admiring the history, pay attention to the marble staircases, chandeliers and high-arched ceilings, a rare sight to see in this day and age.

Google rating: 4.3/5

Timings: 10 AM – 5 PM, Friday closed

Entry fee: INR 100 per adult, INR 40 per child

How to reach: Get down at the Charminar metro station

The Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art

This is a hidden gem in Himayathnagar that art lovers and history buffs shouldn’t miss. Established in 1976 by artist couple, Jagdish and Kamla Mittal, this museum houses their personal collection that includes over 2,000 artefacts dating all the way from the 1st century BCE to the 19th century CE. Intricate miniature paintings, exquisite bronze sculptures, textiles, manuscripts and calligraphy, this museum truly shows India’s artistic heritage.

Google rating: 4.1/5

Timings: 10 AM – 5 PM

Entry fee: INR 100

How to reach: Get down at Chikkadpally metro station

Moolagundam Art Gallery

Founded by art connoisseur Krishna Moolagundam, this museum bridges the gap between India’s rich artistic heritage and contemporary expressions. Once you’re inside, you’ll be surrounded by traditional and modern masterpieces by renowned artists like Birju Maharaj and Anjolie Ela Menon. But that’s not it! Walk towards a library filled with art books and sit in a cosy nook to dive deeper into the world of art.

Google rating: 4.4/5

Timings: 11 AM – 5 PM, Sunday closed

Entry fee: INR 150 onwards

How to reach: Get down at Jubilee Hills Checkpost metro station

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is a hidden gem tucked inside the Nehru Zoological Park that takes you on a journey through the ages. It has lifelike models of extinct animals, preserved specimens and dinosaur replicas that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a time machine. An interesting museum for children, it brings the story of life on Earth to vivid reality.

Google rating: 4.2/5

Timings: 8 AM – 4 PM, Monday closed

Entry fee: INR 100 per adult, INR 50 per child

How to reach: Get down at MGBS bus stop