Indian museum makes entry free for school groups to boost student visits
Times of India | 10 July 2025
Students view the skeleton of a mammoth at the Indian Museum KOLKATA: The Indian Museum has made entry free for school groups to encourage more students to visit South Asia's oldest and largest museum.
While entry used to be free for student groups, a Rs 20 entry fee was introduced for visitors below 18 years in 2019. That decision was reversed at a meeting of the Board of Trustees last month following the museum's finance committee's proposal last December to waive the entry fee for student groups.
"Recognising that students are the future custodians of our cultural legacy, the Indian Museum is committed to nurturing curiosity and promoting learning from an early age. By removing entry barriers, the museum aims to encourage more educational visits and inspire a lifelong appreciation for history and culture," said Indian Museum Director Arijit Dutta Choudhury.
By transforming into a living classroom, the museum aspires to empower the younger generations across social backgrounds to ensure that every student has the opportunity to engage with and take pride in India’s rich cultural legacy, museum Deputy Director Sayan Bhattacharya explained, pointing out that the Indian Museum is not just a repository of antiquities but a place of wonder and awe.
"It is a living heritage site that sparks curiosity and imagination among students," said Bhattacharya.
Students who visit the museum are captivated by the breadth and diversity of the collections: from one of the oldest fossil specimens – Stromatolite (a 3200 million-year-old earliest specimen of life in South Asia) to Harappan artefacts, relics of Buddha, Ashokan Lion Capital, and ancient sculptures – the museum presents a seamless timeline of India’s civilisational journey. Among the most popular attractions is the 4500-year-old Egyptian Mummy, one of the first of its kind ever to be exhibited in any museum. It continues to be a major draw for students, offering a tangible link to ancient global civilisations. Equally fascinating are the dinosaur eggs from the zoological collections, the mammoth skeleton, rare botanical specimens, and exquisite ivory artefacts, all of which leave a lasting impression on young minds.
Over the last three financial years, the Indian Museum has recorded an average annual footfall of approximately 6.5 lakh visitors. The percentage of school students within this overall visitor base increased from 18.11% in 2022–2023 to 19.9% in 2023–2024, and 21.53% in 2024–2025.
Workshops, guided tours, interactive learning modules, and hands-on activities are regularly organised for students. The museum prioritises inclusivity through initiatives like “Soulful Silence”, a special programme designed for specially-abled and neurodiverse children, offering sensory-sensitive, calm, and accessible experiences. As part of the museum’s inclusivity initiative, braille script labels and 3D replicas of paintings are being installed in the galleries to enhance accessibility for visually impaired visitors.