How to Reach: Local buses, mini buses and metered taxis are readily available from various parts of the city. One can also avail he underground metro rail.

Photography / Video charges: Strictly prohibited.

Nearest Railway Station: Howrah.

Nearest Metro Station: Park Street

Nearest Functional Metro Station: Park Street

Nearest International Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

Time required for sightseeing: About 2 hours.

After India attained independence, the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru embarked upon an ambitious plan to popularize science and technology among the masses. Needless to say, Bengal played a pivotal role in that campaign topopularise science, blessed as it was by a man who many regard as an intellectual giant of his times. Yes, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the then Chief Minister of Bengal was at the forefront of this mission and it was onhis initiative that the wealthy house of the Birlas donated the present premises where India's first Science & Technology Museum was set up in the year 1959.

Initially the museum was governed by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and it was much later in the year 1978 that this one-of-a-kind museum was brought under the umbrella of a fully autonomous body - The National Council of Science Museum.

The Museum showcases various scientific disciplines and each of the disciplines have an exclusive gallery. For instance, there are separate galleries on Atom, Transport, Iron & Steel, Petroleum, Mining, Electricity, Television, Communication and Computer Science to name just a few.

The significance of this museum is the manner in which each scientific subject is represented. For instance, in the Mining Gallery, a simulated experience of going down a coal mine recreated to the utter amazement of the spectators. The mission of the museum is to present science in a manner that is visually appealing.

Ever since its inception, the museum has gradually evolved with changing times. From being venue-centric, it has gradually become more and activity oriented. The museum has made the learning process interactive and more hands-on. Over the years, the museum has spread its tentacles to even remote villages through mobile science exhibitions. It has made scientific demonstrations more dynamic in order to impress the young minds with a view to leave a long lasting impression on their minds.

On any given day, the museum hosts exciting and informative programs like scientific seminars, science fairs, telescope and sky observation programs.

One latest addition to its already exhaustive list of scientific galleries is the 210 sq.meters metal gallery where a life sized model of an ancient blacksmith working on metal tomake sickle is rather artistically depicted. As you move on, you aretransported to the mysterious world of ores and furnaces depicted through touchscreens and multimedia presentations. Not only this, the gallery depicts the fascinating history of tribal iron making method and a miniature model of an eighteenth century Udaipur furnace. Other galleries worth visiting is the stupendous Physics gallery which portrays the contribution of Physics in the last 100 years to the world of science.

All said and done, true to its pioneering zeal for the promotion of science and technology, the models that are displayed in the galleries are all conceptualized and produced in-house which speaks volumes about the kind of scientifically skilled manpower that are available at this marvelous museum.

Special Event / Annual Event

Science exhibitions, symposiums and seminars area regular feature of the Museum. Kindly check with the Museum Helpdesk for exact date and timings of such events.