The Government Museum of Pondicherry occupies a colonial building on Saint Louis Street in the French Quarter. It covers the archaeology of the region — particularly finds from the Roman trading settlement at Arikamedu, a site 3 km south of Pondicherry where Roman amphorae and glass have been excavated, confirming that this coast was engaged in direct trade with the Mediterranean world two millennia ago.
The collection also includes a section on French colonial furniture and artefacts, and a natural history room with the typical dusty specimens of the era. The museum is small enough to cover in an hour and is worthwhile mainly for the Arikamedu material, which is not well displayed elsewhere. Admission is low; it is closed on Mondays and public holidays.