State Museum and Zoo

It is hard to believe that the State Museum and Zoo is located just two kilometres away from Thrissur town, spread across 13.5 acres of forest.

At a minimal fee, it is an enriching experience while in Thrissur, as the compound also houses a botanical garden and an art museum. The zoo, one of the oldest in the country, inaugurated in 1885 in Chembukavu, is one of two main zoological parks in the state and sees heavy footfall from visitors, tourists and researchers. The multi-purpose museum is at the entrance with the crowd-puller here being the mounted skeleton of an elephant named Chengalloor Ranganathan.

The Natural History Museum, established in 1964, is a great way to delve into the history of the natural habitats of the creatures that we share the planet with. The existing zoo offers a glimpse into the diversity of the animal kingdom, housing hippos, tigers, lions, reptiles and exotic birds. A new zoo is in the offing, at an amazing 306 acres, at Puthur close to Peechi Dam.

The Natural History Museum has various sections of zoological, paleontological and ornithological studies from different continents including the works of the famous ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali on display. The art museum, a renovated residential building, is located in the midst of the zoological park. It houses artworks by prominent artists.