Government Museum

The Government Museum in Salem occupies a colonial-era building and covers the district's archaeological finds, natural history, and crafts. The sculpture gallery holds pieces from nearby temple sites, some dating to the 9th and 10th centuries — the quality is uneven but the best pieces are genuinely fine. The natural history section includes local fauna and mineral samples from the surrounding hills.

For a mid-sized Indian city museum it is reasonably well maintained. Admission is minimal. It is closed on Fridays and national holidays. The museum is most useful for context — spending an hour here before heading to Yercaud or exploring the surrounding district gives a better picture of what Salem and its hinterland have been through.

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The museum's collection includes stone sculptures from the early Pallava and later Chola periods found during excavations across Salem district, as well as a natural history section with geological samples from the Eastern Ghats. The geology wing is unexpectedly interesting given that Salem sits in one of India's more significant mineral belts.