Museums of Uttar Pradesh exhibit various items that are instrumental in comprehending the by-gone eras. Whether it is about the state`s art, culture, history or heritage, these artifacts provide ample light on all such aspects. Moreover, Uttar Pradesh had always been renowned for its heritage and history and the museums at this north Indian state play an important role in showcasing its cultural richness. Most of the well-known museums in this state are owned by the Government apart from a very few which are taken care of by some private organisations. While discussing the major museums of Uttar Pradesh, the first that comes to the mind is Jal Mahal, a museum located within Taj Mahal. Established in 1982, it comprises weaponry, manuscripts, Mughal paintings and miniatures, marble pillars, the planned lay out of Taj Mahal, government orders and others.

Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, is also the storehouse of the past culture, history and heritage of the state. The city was one of the active centers of the 1857 revolt or the First War of Indian Independence against the British rule. This city possesses two important museums which are widely known for their exclusive storage of facts and information. Museums in Lucknow are also known for their collection of lavish possessions, including jewellery, of the queens which they used to wear. Previously, the State museum in Lucknow was a storehouse for items related to the habits, customs and mythology of India. Gradually, with the addition of more and more things, the museum started to get bigger and incorporated within itself the historic pieces from Piparahawa, Kapilavastu, where once Buddha grew up.

In the contemporary times, the State Museum in Lucknow is regarded as the most significant museums in the city which possesses paintings, sculpture, bronzes, natural history and anthropological specimens, textiles, coins and decorative arts. Several rare and valuable objects are on display in the museums including the adorned wine jar bearing the name of Aurangzeb Alamgir dating back to the 17th century, an emerald chamakali dated 1036 AD with the name of Jahangir on it, the wooden tomb and the Egyptian mummy and dated 1000 BC. Another major tourist attraction of Lucknow is the 1857 Memorial Museum. It is specially constructed and designed to put on a visual display the 1857 freedom struggle. It consists of a model of the Residency, lithographs, old photographs, paintings, documents, period objects like shields, guns, swords, rank badges, musketing cannons, medals and a number of other items. This museum enthralls the senses of the viewer and takes him/her to the bygone British period. Bal Sangrahalaya is a widely-known children`s museum in Lucknow, housing paintings, scientific models, sculptures, etc.

Uttar Pradesh is home to a large number of holy cities as well and most of them have a rich historical past. Varanasi, Mathura, Ayodhya, Kushinagar and Sarnath are the holy places in the state, associated with one or the other religion. These places also possess beautiful museums which are considered to be the rich repositories of an extensive selection of arts and artifacts. These museums are not only the storehouses of some valuable collection of bygone era but also display the major skills possessed by our craftsmen. One of the most prominent among the museums of Uttar Pradesh is the museum at Allahabad. It has a collection of items dating back to the prehistoric period. Exquisite sculptures, gold coins, rare manuscripts, century`s old terracotta objects and magnificently carved pillars in its 18 galleries. Various other museums are there in Jaunpur, Faizabad and Gorakhpur.

The Archeological Museum of Sarnath is one of the well-known museums in Uttar Pradesh, having a huge collection of artifacts and a number of other things associated with Buddhism. A number of sculptures and bronzes belonging to the period of Gautama Buddha add up to the glory and importance of this place as a must-visit archaeological tourist destination. The Government Museum in Mathura is one more renowned places of interest in Uttar Pradesh. Despite its limited scope to preserve various items of the past because of the localized character, this museum bears a most vibrant collection of the sculptures of the Mathura School.

Some of the other museums of Uttar Pradesh are: Archeological Museum, Varanasi, Maharaja Banaras Vidya Mandir Museum, Varanasi, Archeological Museum, Haridwar, Ram Katha Museum in Ayodhya, Botany Museum in Faizabad, Commerce Museum in Gorakhpur, Dr. Raj Bali Randey Puratatva and Kala Sangrahalaya, Allahabad Planetarium, Ram Nagar Fort and Museum in Varanasi, Army Service Corps Museum, Bareilly, Crafts Museum, Lucknow, Ganganath Jha Kendriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha Museum, Plants (CIMAP) Museum, Lucknow, Birbal Savitri Sahni Memorial Museum, Chacha Nehru Gyan Pushp, Aligarh, Bundelkhand Chhatrasal Museum, Banda, etc.

The museums in Uttar Pradesh echo the charm of ancient era that the state has witnessed from the period of the Mughals and the British rule in India. They are the storehouses of information which gives a deeper insight into the incidents of the past and proves to be one of the leading tourist attractions in Uttar Pradesh. Thus, a tour of Uttar Pradesh is incomplete without paying a visit to these places of historical importance. It is nourishing experience for the art lovers as well as the general tourists visiting Uttar Pradesh.