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Pondicherry Museum:

  The puducherry Museum is located on Saint Louis street and is open on all days except Mondays and national holidays between 1000-1700 hrs. The museum is located in the former Law Building. The museum has a collection of rare bronzes and stone sculptures from the Pallavas and Cholas dynasties and artifacts excavated from Arikanmedu (an ancient port just 7 kms. from city that had trade links with the Roman empires).

The Foyer and Courtyard have various stone statues and a fossilized tree trunk. On the ground floor, the major attraction is the central space with 3 curious transport mechanisms - a coach, a palanquin (sedan chair) and a pousse-pousse (an earlier version of the rickshaw) which required two attendants, one to steer and one to push.

The bronze gallery displays the images of gods and goddesses together with a wide collection of temple lamps; used across different dynasties down the centuries.

Pre-Christian relics which you will find here, such as remnants of Greek and Roman jars, pieces from the Tsung Periods in China and beads made from glass and precious stones were dug out from the Arikanmedu site, just south of puducherry.

The museum also has a Geology room, a shell and fossil room and a collection of handicrafts, coins, church relics and French furniture.

Ananda Ranga Pillai Museum :

Anandarangapillai was the celebrated dubash of Duplex, the governor of puducherry while it flourished under the French glory. Pillai's compilation of diaries serve as a storehouse of information on the 18th century French India.

His mansion, completed sometime in 1738, is one of the oldest surviving buildings on the west side - then known as "Natives Quarters". Its architecture represents a curious mix of French and Indian styles.

Bharathi Memorial Museum :

Subramanya Bharathi (1882-1921), Bharathiyar to all, was a Tamil poet-patriot who arrived in puducherry in 1908 a fugitive from British India. The Free French air brought the best in Bharathi and some of his finest patriotic and romantic compositions were born here. Bharathi home also known as Bharathi Museum, on No. 20, Easwaran Dharamaraja Kovil Street, is almost a place of pilgrimage today for the Tamil people.

Bharathidasan Museum :

  The Bharathidasan Museum, on No. 95 Perumal Koil Street, is the former house of the renowned puducherry born poet and playwright - Bharathidasan (1891-1960) (meaning "Disciple of Bharathi"). Bharathidasan's poems compare with Bharathi's in literary achievement and poetic fervor. He also wrote scripts for films on issues such as Dravidian culture and the rights of women.

Children’s Museum :
A small museum located next to the Botanical Gardens, it has a good collection of snail shells from the puducherry region.

JAWAHAR  Museum - situated next to  the Raj Niwas behind roman rolland library, houses an interesting collection of excavated artifacts from Roman Times and heritage from the French Period. Towards the east, hidden behind a thick wall and huge trees lies the former French bandstand on which the French Army Band used to play. On the southern side are the puducherry Art Gallery, Hotel Qualithe and the Chamber of Commerce, all built with a street front in colonial style. The UCO bank is surrounded by its own garden premises. A mighty stair invites you to the interior of a traditional bank. Past the General Hospital on the western side are the Legislative Assembly and the Circle de Pondicherry. Turning back towards the Raj Nivas on the left is beautiful Villa Aroma, which houses the Ashram Dining Room. 

Located next to the old lighthouse on Goubert Avenue, the museum is open on all days except Monday.  This rater unusual museum has a collection of over 120 dolls, each one dressed in costumes from different Indian states. Also on display is a little ‘fairyland’ with a tiny Ganesha watching over all the proceedings.