National Museum is the first public museum of Nepal which was not opened till 1938 to general public. It was an arsenal museum and repository of weapons as well as a private collection of Royal family and Rana Prime Ministers. It was accessible to the general public in 1938 AD and was named as “Chhauni Silkhana“.It was renamed as Nepal Museum in 1942. It was formally named as National Museum (Rastriya Sangrahalaya) in 1967. Ever since its inception, the museum has collected thousands of pre-historical, archeological , history and culturally important objects and thus occupies as very prominent position as a repository of ancient Nepalese art, culture, sculpture and painting.
Opposite the National Museum in an army compound, this will likely appeal only to fans of military history. Lined up on parade outside the museum are a two-person tank, Nepal’s first ever Rolls-Royce, gifted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1961, and a Sky van transport plane.
