Patna Museum Museum

Address: Patna Museum, Patna, Bihar, India

Patna Museum is a state-run museum in Patna, Bihar, established in 1917 and known for its archaeological and historical collections. The museum occupies a prominent early 20th-century red-brick building on Buddha Marg.

The collection includes coins, sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, arms and armour, and ethnographic objects that illustrate Bihar’s ancient and medieval history. Exhibits are arranged to show regional art and archaeological finds, with notable stone sculptures among the highlights.

The museum was founded during the British colonial period and expanded over the 20th century to incorporate regional archaeological discoveries and ethnographic material. It has served as the main repository for artefacts recovered from sites across Bihar.

The museum sits in central Patna, on Buddha Marg close to administrative and cultural institutions in the city. It is accessible by road from Patna Junction and other local transport hubs.

• Didarganj Yakshi: Houses the famous Didarganj Yakshi, a polished stone sculpture considered one of the museum’s signature objects.
• Location tip: Located on Buddha Marg in Patna, within easy reach of the city centre and other civic museums and offices.

Patna Museum is in central Patna and is served by the city’s local bus routes and taxis. Patna Junction railway station is the nearest major rail hub and is a short taxi or auto-rickshaw ride (a few kilometres) from the museum; Jay Prakash Narayan Airport is also a short drive from the city centre. Once in central Patna the museum is on well-known roads and easy to reach by local transport.

• Plan your visit for a weekday morning when the museum is least crowded and you'll have quieter access to the archaeological and regional history displays.
• Check the museum's opening hours before you go (timings and closures can change) and ask at the ticket desk for a map to prioritise the galleries you want to see-many visitors rush and miss smaller but important local collections.
• Spend time with the archaeological section on the ground floor; visitors who only glance at the highlights often miss locally significant artefacts and inscriptions on display.