Colombo National Museum
Founded in 1877, this is the largest museum in Sri Lanka, set in a white colonial building in Cinnamon Gardens. Its collection covers the island's cultural and natural heritage, and its prize is the regalia of the Kandyan kings, including their throne and crown.
- Where
- Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 6.9100, 79.8608
Get the Colombo National Museum stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Colombo National Museum. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Western Province volume with your photos and a note.
Near Colombo National Museum
Viharamahadevi Park 0.4 km
Colombo's oldest and largest park, 45 acres of lawns and shade trees facing the colonial Town Hall. Laid out by the British as Victoria Park, it was renamed in 1958 after Queen Viharamahadevi, mother of King Dutugamunu, whose statue stands inside.
Gangaramaya Temple 0.8 km
One of Colombo's most important Buddhist temples, finished in the late 19th century beside Beira Lake. It mixes old temple architecture with modern buildings, and its halls are crowded with statues, relics and gifts left by devotees over the years.
Independence Memorial Hall 1.0 km
A national monument in Independence Square, Cinnamon Gardens, built to mark the end of British rule on 4 February 1948. Its open, pillared hall is modelled on the royal audience halls of old Kandy, and beneath it sits the Independence Memorial Museum.
Seema Malaka 1.2 km
A small temple standing on platforms in Beira Lake, a few hundred metres from Gangaramaya, to which it belongs. It is used for meditation and rest rather than worship, and its present form, with rows of seated Buddhas around open pavilions, was designed by the architect Geoffrey Bawa.
Lotus Tower 1.9 km
A 351.5 metre communications tower shaped like a lotus bud, the tallest self-supported structure in South Asia. Beyond its broadcasting work it holds an observation deck and leisure spaces, with views over Beira Lake, the port and the whole city.
Beira Lake 2.3 km
A man made lake in the centre of Colombo, ringed by offices and hotels, which still carries its Portuguese name. Once more than twice its present size, it was linked to canals that carried goods across the city in colonial times.
Galle Face Green 2.7 km
A five hectare strip of lawn running 500 metres along the sea in the heart of Colombo. Governor Sir Henry Ward laid out the promenade in 1859, and it once hosted horse races, golf and cricket; today families come at sunset for kites, sea air and street food.
Old Parliament Building 3.1 km
A colonnaded colonial building in Colombo Fort, facing the sea across Galle Face. It housed the island's legislature for 53 years until the new parliament opened at Sri Jayawardenepura in 1983, and is now the Presidential Secretariat.
More hidden gems in Western Province
Questions
Where is Colombo National Museum?
Colombo National Museum is in Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Viharamahadevi Park (0.4 km), Gangaramaya Temple (0.8 km), Independence Memorial Hall (1.0 km).
How do I get the Colombo National Museum stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Colombo National Museum and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Western Province volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Colombo National Museum before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Western Province volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.