Although Goa is dubbed as the party-centre of India, it is quite narrow-minded to believe that is all what a trip to Goa is worth for. This small state is also host to a treasury of multi-cultural history, architecture, festivals and food. As we edged towards the 21st century, this history took a backseat as the party scenes emerged as the focal point of tourism in Goa.
But if you are an avid fan of history and culture, fear not, because The Gomantak Times have curated down a list of museums you should definitely visit. These musems have delicately preserved the art and culture that shaped Goa over the years.
1) Ancestral Goa/ Big Foot Museum
Place- Loutolim
Ancestral Goa Museum, also known as Big Foot Museum, is located in the village of Loutolim, in the sub-district of Salcete. The founder of the museum,Maendra Jocelino Araujo Alvares, cleverly arranged the museum to educate the visitors about the history of the Goan culture , it's civilization, their traditional business and how they worked. The museum consists life-like statues which chronicles Goa's long history of tradition. Also when one enter's the museum they are asked to select the language for the audio recitation as there's an audio which tell everything about the history. If one wants to learn the history and the civilization of Goa then one should definitely visit this place.
2) Benz Celebrity Wax Museum
Place- Arpora
We do know that there are wax museum in other states but do you know about the wax museum present in Goa. Well, the Benz Celebrity Wax museum is a museum which has the statues of the several worldwide-known celebrities. It's a great place to visit with kids and click some pictures. If this isn't attractive enough for you, this next information will do the trick. The museum is a host to a 9D cinema theatre which will bring your wildest fantasy adventures to life.
3) Ulta Pulta Museum
Place- Dabolim
Want to have your world turned upside down? Then here is the stop for you. A rare type of museum in India, this gallery has quite a unique concept, in which one will fall in love with. The museum has about 7 rooms each with a different theme and it's fun to shoot pictures at this place by using your creative facility. Also the staff helps in taking pictures for you. If you are visiting Arpora side and want to have fun, then here is a stop for you.
4) Naval Aviation Museum
Place- Bogmalo
To all the military-enthusiats out there, this one is for you. The Naval Aviation museum is one of the two military Museums built in Asia around the year 1998. But did you know that the only Naval Aviation Museum in Asia is found here in Goa? You can find the museum at Bogmalo, near the Vasco-Bogmalo road which is about 6 km away from the port town of Vasco da Gama. The museum has the aircrafts on display which were used by the Indian Navy. It's a great place to roam with family and loved ones and learn various aircrafts and planes which were used by the navy in the past. One can also buy navy stickers, t-shirts and badges and key chains from this museum. If you are interested in the various aircrafts used by the navy then you should definitely visit this place.
5) The Cube Gallery
Place- Moira
This avant-grande art gallery was founded by architect Sonny Singh. The museum or rather an art gallery is dedicated to the the arts. The museum is located at a serene atmosphere and has great arts. The place itself is quite calm and soothing and the art showcases in many powerful ways. The museum has an amazing collection of Eclectic art, paintings by eminent artists, handmade pottery, statues, masks etc. If you are an art lover or interested in art then this is the place for you to go check out.
6) Ashvek Vintage World Car Museum
Place- Nuvem
If you are a fan of Vintage cars and want to know more about them then this is the place for you. Though the place is a bit small it has some good old vintage cars such as Austin7RP, Ruby convertible, a Ford convertible,Morris eight and minor convertible also a VidalL G1200 Tempo, Mercedez BenzMotor 170V, Peugeot 30 and many more. Motorcycle enthusiasts, don't shy away, there is something for you here as well. The gallery also houses plenty of vintage bikes, cycles and scooters. It is also said that some of the cars that are there in the museum used to belong to the Maharaja of Sawantwadi. If you are interested and want to learn a bit more about them then you should definitely check out this place.
7) Goa State Museum
Place- Adil Shah's Palace (Old Secretariat), Panjim
Goa State Museum which is also known as State Archaeology Museum was established in the year 1977. The museum has about 14 galleries in it and each of the gallery consists of items related to that gallery. The names of the galleries are as such: Sculpture Gallery, Christian Art Gallery, Printing History Gallery, Banerji Art Gallery, Religious Expression Gallery, Cultural Anthropology, Contemporary Art Gallery, Numismatics Gallery, Goa’s Freedom Struggle Gallery, Menezes Braganza Gallery, Furniture Gallery, Natural Heritage of Goa Gallery, Environment & Development Gallery, and Geology Gallery. The museum has a unique collection of furniture and also has quite a number of statues and herostones. Don't mistake this museum as the Museum of Goa.
8) San Thome Museum
Place- Varca
Want to know how the old gadgets and instruments looked during olden times, well then San Thome museum is for you. The San Thome museum has a lot of old gadgets and artifacts which were collected by Thomas Da Costa. The museum has a great collection such as Musical instruments, Typewriter's, Tools, Cutlery, Telephone's, Clocks and many more. This place just takes you back in time without the use of a time machine to see such wonderful gadgets and how they have evolved over time. If you want to see and learn the evolution of all the gadgets and know their history then this is the stop for you.
9) MOG- Museum of Goa
Place- Pilerne
The MOG is a 3 -storey building which was designed by Dean D'cruz and has artworks that are made by Indian and international artists. The gallery was founded by an Goan artist Subodh Kerkar. The artwork displayed here each have a unique perception, culture and lifestyle. It also shows how art has changed over the years. To go through this museum it might roughly take about 45 mins to 1 hour, but if you are a art lover and are into different types of art styles then it may take quite some time for you to explore. This place is definitely a must to visit place for all art lovers.