List of Museums in Port Blair, Andaman Islands
Andaman islands have a very good historical background and there is a lot to learn and to understand about the islands. Museums at the islands help us connect with the past of the islands and to understand things that are very unique to Andaman. Now, this page is concentrated towards the various museums in the Andaman archipelago. The major musuems are mainly in Port Blair. For family and kids a visit to the various museums in the islands should be in your to do list. The visit to the museums will not take much time as well as it will educate you further about how the islands came into its existence.
Chatham Saw Mill
The Chatham Government Saw Mill established in 1883 is one of the oldest and the largest operational saw mill in Asia. The age of this saw mill, the functioning and the way it presents itself to the visitors, is amazing and makes the visitor get awestruck by these facts. The Chatham Saw Mill is a place holding historical importance but this is of course a fact for almost all the museums, the thing that makes it stand out from other museums in Andaman is that it is a perfect combination of Wood, Art & Culture.
It has a museum called the Forest Museum inside the mill which exhibits several decorative Padauks, Marble, Peauma, Gurjan, Satin Wood and wooden furniture, etc.
One can easily spend 45 minutes- 1 Hour staying engaged in the details offered in the museum, there is a Bunker made by Japanese during the World War-II which is still preserved and maintained by the government. You can also see the bomb pit which was struck during the Second World War. While visiting this saw mill, you get to experience and see how the huge trees are transformed into logs and wooden planks. The mill is open from 8 AM to 2 PM and is weekly closed on Sundays. It can be reached via road from Port Blair to Chatham Island.
Museum at Cellular Jail
The Cellular Jail earlier known as Kalapani was built by the British in the late 18th century to imprison the Indian freedom fighters. It now stands as a national memorial and shows how the freedom fighters were brutally tortured and the sufferings they had endured. The jail was constructed as a seven wing prison and had a total of 663 cells with one prisoner in each cell. Today, the jail has just three wings others were damaged and destroyed at various times. The jail today stands as a mute testimony of the barbarous treatment the Indians underwent when they were fighting for their rights. A light and sound show about the agony of the Indian freedom fighters will be displayed to the visitors, which will give them chills as they see how the Indians were treated during the pre-independence period.
The museum timings are from 09:00 AM to 01:00 PM & 02:00 PM to 05:00 PM (entry closes at 04:00pm) and the show timings are 05:15 PM, 06:20 PM, 07:25 PM. The light and sound show is displayed in Hindi and English Languages. The jail is closed on all Mondays and is located in the Atlanta Point.
Zonal Anthropological Museum a.k.a Tribal Museum
This anthropological center was established in the year 1975, it all about the life and culture and of the native Andaman tribes. The museum showcases the tools, clothes, handicrafts, art & crafts, pictures, and the other tribal items on display for the tourists. It gives information about all the 6 tribes who have inhabited this island ages ago and how they still live with little or no contact with the rest of the world. Since there is not much exposure to the tribal areas of Andamans and if you want to know more about the Andaman tribes this is the perfect place to know about their lives and history.
The museum timings are from 09:00 AM to 01:00 PM & 01:30 PM to 04:30 PM and the (entry closes at 04:00 PM) and it is kept closed on Mondays & Government holidays.
Fisheries Museum
The fisheries museum hosts 350 species of marine life. It showcases specimens of various aquatic creatures from small fishes to big sharks and whales. A variety of shells, corals and skeletal remains of marine creatures are displayed at the museum. The remains and samples are preserved in glass and chemicals and it is advisable not to touch any of the items displayed in the museum.
The museum is open from 09:00 AM to 01:00 PM & 02:00 PM to 04:45 PM and the entry closes at 04:00 PM It is closed on all Mondays and is located near the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex.
Samudrika Naval Marine Museum
This museum has a wide collection of shells, fossils, corals and a few species of colorful fishes of the sea around the islands. It is run by the Indian Navy and has five galleries concerning the history, geography, marine life and the anthropology of the Andaman Island.
The museum is open from 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM and the entry closes at 04:00 PM, the museum is closed on Mondays and is located in Haddo.
Kalapani Museum
This is a privately owned museum. This museum has exhibits exploring the history of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands through photos, paintings & models. A short film on Veer Savarkar is shown at the end of the museum tour. The museum shows the history of the British Rule and the Japanese occupancy during World War II.
This museum is open from 9.00 AM to 6.00 PM and is open every day.
Science Centre
The Science Centre has many exhibits fostering an environment of fun-filled learning, with a playground with little slides and swings within its compound. A place suitable to keep school going children fascinated. The center displays scientific facts in a modern way which is will be fun to watch.
The museum is open from 10 AM to 5.30 PM and is closed on Mondays. This museum is situated in the Good Will Estate, on the way to Corbyn’s Cove Beach.
