The Pazhassi Raja Museum, in a pleasantly green compound on East Hill above the city, holds the best collection of Malabar-region antiquities open to the general public: dolmens and stone-age tools, bronze figures from the Chera and Zamorin periods, and a small gallery of mural copies from Kerala's painted temples.
The adjoining Krishna Menon Art Gallery, dedicated to the local-born painter, has a representative collection of his work. Together they make for an unhurried hour, and the gardens are a peaceful break from the city traffic. Closed Mondays.