Thiruvananthapuram Museums & Zoo owe its origin to the joint efforts of Mr. J.A. Brown, former Director of Thiruvananthapuram Observatory, and General Cullen, a former British Resident. A committee was formed in 1855 with the Maharaja of Travancore as patron, General Cullen as President, the Elaya Raja as Vice President and Mr. Allen Brown as Secretary of the Committee and the Director of Museum. This Museum was thrown open to the public in September 1857. But the Museum by itself could not attract the people much, and therefore a Zoo and a Park known as public gardens were started in 1859. By 1880, a new building designed by Robert Chisholm, (Architect to the Governor of Madras), was constructed and the Museum collections was shifted to the present architectural beauty.

The new museum was named after Lord Napier, the then Governor of the Madras Presidency. The adjoining Sree Chitra Art Gallery was established in the year 1935, the Natural History Museum in 1964 and the K C S Panickar Art Gallery in 1979. The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo and Museums Complex was initially established as to provide a means of recreation for the public. However, after the concerns of natural and environment degradation came to prominence, conservation became the catchword in all circles. The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo and Museums Complex, situated in 55 acres of land, right in the heart of Thiruvananthapura City, is at the forefront of such efforts, especially since the whole complex is wide spread in a large botanical garden. Today, the zoo houses over 100 species of indigenous and exotic animals. The number of species of flora in the entire botanical garden is much higher.

Kozhikode Art Gallery and Krishna Menon Museum” is situated at the top of the beautiful hill in “East Hill”. The existing museum building in East Hill, Kozhikode was the official bungalow and the office of the Malabar Collectors during the British rule. British collectors, including William Logan, the author of “Malabar Manual”, used this building as their residence. This 200-year-old majestic building continued as “Collector’s bungalow” up to the 1960s. In the museum some belongings of former Indian politician V. K Krishna Menon are exhibited. In the Art gallery Ravi Varma paintings are displayed.