Museums of Uttar Pradesh exhibit various items that are instrumental in comprehending the by-gone eras. Whether it is about the state`s art, culture, history or heritage, the artifacts in these museums provide ample light on all such aspects. Moreover, Uttar Pradesh had always been renowned for its heritage and history and the museums in this north Indian state play an important role in showcasing its cultural richness. Most of the well-known museums in this state are owned by the government. Some museums are also taken care of by private organizations.

Museum of Agra
Agra serves as a home to Jal Mahal, a museum located within Taj Mahal. Established in 1982, this museum comprises of weaponry, manuscripts, Mughal paintings and miniatures, marble pillars, the planned lay out of Taj Mahal, government orders and others.

Museums of Lucknow
Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh was one of the active centers of the 1857 revolt or the First War of Indian Independence against the British rule. This city possesses two important museums which are widely known for their exclusive storage of facts and information. Museums in Lucknow are also known for their collection of jewellery of the queens which they used to wear. Previously, the State Museum in Lucknow was a storehouse of items related to the habits, customs and mythology of India. Gradually, with the addition of more and more relics, the museum started to get bigger and incorporated within itself the historic pieces from Piparahawa and Kapilavastu, where once Lord Buddha grew up.

In the contemporary times, the State Museum in Lucknow was regarded as the most significant museum in the city. It possesses paintings, sculpture, bronzes, natural history and anthropological specimens, textiles, coins and decorative arts. Several rare and valuable objects are on display in the museum including the adorned wine jar bearing the name of Aurangzeb Alamgir dating back to the 17th century, an emerald chamakali dated 1036 AD with the name of Jahangir on it, the wooden tomb and the Egyptian mummy. Another major tourist attraction of Lucknow is the 1857 Memorial Museum. It is specially constructed and designed to put on a visual display the 1857 freedom struggle. It consists of a model of the residency, lithographs, old photographs, paintings, documents, period objects like shields, guns, swords, rank badges, medals and a number of other items. This museum will take one to the bygone British period. Bal Sangrahalaya is a widely-known children`s museum in Lucknow, housing paintings, scientific models, sculptures, etc.

Archaeological Museum of Sarnath
The Archaeological Museum of Sarnath is one of the well-known museums in Uttar Pradesh, having a huge collection of artifacts and a number of other relics associated with Buddhism. A number of sculptures and bronzes belonging to the period of Gautama Buddha add up to the glory and importance of this place as a must-visit archaeological tourist destination.

Government Museum of Mathura
The Government Museum in Mathura is one more renowned places of interest in Uttar Pradesh. Despite its limited scope to preserve various items of the past because of the localized character, this museum bears a most vibrant collection of the sculptures of the Mathura School.

Other Museums of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh serves as a home to a large number of holy cities, most of them having a rich historical past. Varanasi, Mathura, Ayodhya and Kushinagara are the holy places in the state, associated with one or the other religion. These places also possess beautiful museums which are considered to be the rich repositories of an extensive selection of arts and artifacts. These museums are not only the storehouses of some of the valuable collections of the bygone era but also display the major skills possessed by our craftsmen. Some of these museums are Archeological Museum, Maharaja Banaras Vidya Mandir Museum, Ram Katha Museum, Botany Museum, Commerce Museum, Dr. Raj Bali Randey Puratatva and Kala Sangrahalaya, Ramnagar Fort and Museum, Army Service Corps Museum, Crafts Museum, Ganganath Jha Kendriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha Museum, Birbal Savitri Sahni Memorial Museum, etc.