The Tibet Museum sits at the southeastern corner of Norbulingka park and provides the standard state-curated overview of Tibetan history, prehistory and material culture. The collection — bronze Buddhas, thangkas, ritual objects, costumes, agricultural tools — is genuinely strong, and the layout is clear and well lit by Chinese provincial-museum standards.
The historical narrative is unmistakably Beijing's: Tibet is presented as having been an inseparable part of China since the Yuan dynasty, the 1950 invasion is the "peaceful liberation", and the 1959 exile of the Dalai Lama is absent. Visit it for the objects, not the captions. The thangka collection on the upper floor is the highlight — some of the oldest surviving examples of the form, lit well enough to study the brushwork. Free admission, passport required at the door.