Museum-Srilanka

Sri Lanka is indeed a Small Miracle, a country offering travellers with a
number of unforgettable experiences. What is essentially that much more
special is the country’s rich heritage, from a culture that dates back
to around 125,000 BC. Numerous excavations and digs have unearthed the
remnants of a colourful and sophisticated culture including stone tools
unearthed date back several tens of thousands of years. The oldest trace
of modern man in Asia, Balangoda Man,
and the earliest evidence of steel-making in the ancient world, were
uncovered here. Many of these historical artefacts and national treasures
are displayed at the varied museums scattered across the island. The
National Museum is in Colombo and displays a variety of ancient royal
regalia, Sinhalese artworks (carvings, sculptures et al.), antique furniture,
Chinaware, and Ola manuscripts (ancient parchments). Other popular museums
are situated in Galle, Anuradhapura and Koggala.

National Museum,Colombo (Closed on Fridays)
Situated in Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 7, it is the first public
museum to be established in Sri Lanka (1877). It is best known for its
collection of antiques and objects displaying the cultural heritage of
Sri Lanka, the museum national treasures and artifacts from all parts of
the island. A section of the first floor houses the Puppetry and Children's
Museum. It also houses a library with a collection of about 500,000 books
and more than 4,000 ancient palm leaf manuscripts.
http://www.museum.gov.lk/

National Museum of Natural History(Closed on Fridays)
Situated in the same premise as the National Museum, it is also accessible
from Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7. It displays the Natural
Heritage of Sri Lanka. At the museum there are sections dedicated for each
area. In the Discovery Room, you can find the mounted skeleton of an
elephant.
(Tel: + 94 11 2694767-8)
http://www.museum.gov.lk