Museums of Orissa are the storehouses of its great tradition and culture. Large number of tourists from all parts of India and various other parts of the world visit this Indian state to have a look into its ancient architectural designs of the stupas, temples and various other artifacts which are reminiscent of the bygone ages. While on a tour of Orissa, one can pay a visit to some of the Orissa museums in order to catch a glimpse of the rich historical past of the state. Among some of the museums in Orissa, the Orissa State Museum is the most prominent. This museum came into being as a result of the initiatives taken by Professor Ghanshyam Dash and Professor N.C Banerjee of Ravenshaw College in the year 1932. They started to gather some of the exclusive and rare items related to the ancient historical past of Orissa. At first, the museum was stationed in the premises of the Ravenshaw College and from 1938 onwards it came to be known as Provincial Museum of Orissa. The exhibits the Orissa State Museum include artifacts relating to armoury, archaeology, numismatics, epigraphy, painting, anthropology, mining and geology. From the date of its establishment and till the present time, the Orissa State Museum is working for the proper preservation and display of the source and development of the glorious sculptures and art in Orissa.

Besides these, it also puts on display a very rich and creditable assortment of archeological findings, stone inscription, stools belonging to as early as the bronze and Stone Age, palm-leaf manuscripts, rare copper plates, paintings and folk music instruments of the state. Several palm leaf manuscripts preserved in this museum are the major tourist attractions and 52 of the total manuscripts present there are published with the initiative taken by the museum authority. There are several manuscripts on display which are made up of ivory, bamboo leaf, hand-made paper, kumbhi bark and bhurja bark. These differ in shape, style and size. About four hundred manuscripts on display in the museum are grouped with regard to their monochrome and colored variety. There are exhibits of very rare epigraphic records in the Epigraphic Gallery of the museum.

Another important museum is the Archaeological Museum in Konark, Orissa. Constructed in the year 1968, this museum preserves several parts and pieces of sculptures available from the Sun Temple. The various sections and fragments put on display at this museum depict the economic and socio-religious situations of the 13th century. Konark in Orissa attracts large tourists throughout the year. But the major crowd pullers are the monuments and museums in Konark. There are four galleries in the Archaeological Museum, Konark and these galleries display about 260 antiquities which are collected from the site of excavation of the Sun Temple in Konark.

Out of the four galleries possessed by this museum, the first gallery contains 62 antiquities and these include the sculptures found from the complex of the Sun Temple. The prominent among them is the sand stone idol of Surya, scenes of incarnations of Vishnu and marriage and the discussions of the king depicted by chlorite stone sculptures. There are also several items of Khandolite and other stones. The second gallery of this museum possesses 108 works of art. These are the reconstructed wall of temple, head of crocodile, celestial nymphs and dikpals, luxuriously carved stone images of drummer, flora and fauna, etc.

The third gallery holds 45 items including the idols of Surya Narayana, celestial nymphs, the king and the troop, Gaja-Vyala, etc. There are also several erotic figures on display in this gallery. The newly formed fourth gallery of this museum bears 45 works of art. These include lion, crocodile head, elephants, man tied by the elephant trunk, a portion of the image of Surya and a dance performance being watched by a king, salabhanjikas, erotic couples, swans with garland and scroll works. The corridor of this museum in Konark presents the picture of archaeological sites and antique monuments of Orissa, focusing on the development, growth and origin of the architecture of Orissa.

The Museum of Man in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa is the capital city of Orissa. It is one of the best museums of the state which is worth visiting. This beautiful museum in the capital city of Orissa is actually a research center which possesses various facts relating to the evolution and origin of several tribal communities living in different parts of the state. It is situated near the Baramunda Bus stand. It gives an account of the art and culture of about sixty five tribal groups living in this state. The main aim in constructing the Museum of Man is to display the types of houses of the adivasis (tribal communities) living in Orissa. These adivasis are the Kondh, Santhal, Juang, Saora and Gadaba. A large number of tourists from various parts of the world visit this museum to have a glimpse of the houses made by the different tribes of Orissa. One can also get to see the picture of the tribes living in Orissa and various other details relating to them.

One of the most interesting and frequently visited museums in Orissa is the Dhenkanal Science Centre. It is an integral part of the National Council of Museams. The National Council of Museums is an autonomous society which runs under the Department of Culture, government of India. This museum started to function at the Dhenkanal district, Orissa in the year 1995. Dhenkanal Science Centre possesses several beautiful parks and galleries. It is visited by students and teachers and general public of the local area and also people from various other states and country. The Dhenkanal Science Centre is the second science museum of its kind in the state which possesses a unique science park at Kapilas. This science center is placed on the top of a hill, overlooking the Dhenkanal town. The science museum is a very suitable place of amusement for adults as well as kids and one can play musical instruments, have some fun with the mirror, etc. One can see the rise of hot air balloon, the carrying of one`s whisper by the parabolic reflectors to a long distance, the performance of acrobatics by balls, etc. The change of seasons and the end of day leading to night can be observed here. The hatching of chicks from eggs, birds in their habitats, the camouflage of a lizard and the entire life system presented in an eco pool. Dhenkanal Science Centre also arranges TTP or the Teachers` Training Programmes, science quiz, science seminars, etc for teachers as well as school children. There is a mobile Science Exhibition bus of this science center which carries the voice of science to each and every place of Dhenkanal and other districts of Orissa.

There are several other museums of Orissa which include the Berhumpur Branch Museum, Branch Museum, Cuttack, Ganjam, District Museum, District Museum Bargarh, etc.

Orissa is one of the states in East India which is full of temples and historical sites. There are several museums in Orissa which have very delicately preserved the items of rich and glorious past of the state. A visit to some of the Orissa museums will give an insight into the past cultural heritage of Orissa.