Shimla State Museum

Shimla State Museum (Himachal Pradesh State Museum) is the main museum of Himachal Pradesh, located in a colonial-era mansion at Chaura Maidan in Shimla. The museum houses an extensive collection of Pahari miniature paintings, sculptures, bronzes, textiles, archaeological artefacts, arms, and coins documenting the cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh from ancient times to the 20th century. The Pahari miniature painting collection is among the most comprehensive in India and represents the distinctive artistic tradition that flourished in the hill courts of Himachal. The museum building itself — a colonial mansion — is an architectural landmark.