Delhi has long been a center of art and culture. So it is natural that the city must be home to a large number of museums and galleries. It also boasts many fine small private collections. The range of art and artifacts is massive, and the tourist will have no difficulty spending long hours enthralled.

Below is a list of Museums & Galleries in Delhi, the national capital of India and a much sought-after travel destination.


National Museum
The National Museum on Janpath is a rich showcase of antiquities. Built in 1960, it has a splendid collection of the antiques representing the entire span of Indian civilization from the Harappan Period. Its galleries include artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization, excellent bronze sculptures belonging to the Chola period, manuscripts, the largest collection of miniature paintings in the world, a Buddhist Gallery, including relics of the Buddha from Piprahwa, the unique Jewelry Gallery, the Anthropological Gallery of tribal art; galleries devoted to decorative and applied arts, Maritime Heritage and Pre-Columbian art, and the Central Asian Antiquities, Gallery of Auriel Stein's finds along the ancient Silk Route.


The National Gallery of Modern Art
Once the residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur, the widespread National Gallery of Modern Art is housed in Jaipur House, near India Gate, is prime storehouse of Indian contemporary art. On permanent display are many outstanding exhibits, including works of the "Bengali Renaissance" artists Abanendranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose, the great poet and artist, Rabindranath Tagore, and Jamini Roy, whose work, reminiscent of Modigliani, reflects the influence of Indian folk art. Also on exhibition are Company School paintings of the 19th and early 20th centuries. There is also an Art Reference Library, which has a large collection of art books, journals and periodicals.


The Rail Transport Museum is a must for rail buffs. Its vintage display includes the oldest locomotive in the world-still working, the Viceregal Dinning Car (1889) and the Prince of Wales Saloon (1876). Children can enjoy a ride on the miniature rail track.


The Nehru Memorial Museum
Built in 1930 as the residence for the British commander-in-chief, the Museum is at Teen Murti House. It later became home to India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, Its unique charm lies in the fact that the rooms have been intact as they were. Adjacent to the museum is the Indira Gandhi Memorial where you can get a glimpse of the life of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.


The Crafts Museum
Directly north of Purana Qila on Bhairon Road, the Crafts Museum is a uniquely charming exhibition of the rural arts and crafts of India. Mud huts with thatched roofs and painted walls, terracotta horses recreating village shrines, courtyards add to the rural ambience of the place.