One of the most important things on display in the Fort Museum is the museum itself. The building which houses it harks back to 1795. It was here that the Madras Bank (one of the first banks in the country) started its operations. The hallway upstairs was used as a venue for meetings and entertainment of the officers of the East India Company.

The Fort Museum in Chennai was opened on 31st January, 1948. The British Raj had just ended. It was the close of a whole chapter of Indian history and everyone seemed to be aware of that. It seemed fitting to set up a museum as memoriam to the era that had just passed.

The disbanded units of the British Army, the Madras Presidency Government, the St. Mary’s Church Authorities and others came together and contributed artefacts and other objects of interest to the museum. Today there are about 3,661 registered antiquities in the possession of the museum though only a fraction of these are on display.

Visitors to this foremost among the famous museums in Chennai will be greeted by a striking statue of Lord Cornwallis, right at the entrance. This statue was carved by the sculptor Thomas Banks and expresses British Supremacy over the Indian subcontinent. It shows the surrender of the two sons of Tipu Sultan.

The Fort Museum is a repository of all things military such as uniforms of the British Army, drawn from various ranks, medals and medallions, arms and armour. Arrows and bows, guns and mortars, cannon shots, rifles, pistols, breast plates, daggers, swords… everything seems to be on display including shells fired in the first and Second World War.

Fine china and porcelain used by the senior officers of the British East India Company as well as the legendary Nawabs of Arcot can also be admired. So can a fine selection of silverware from St. Mary’s Church and Zion Church. On display in this most popular among the museums in Chennai are portraits – of British Royalty and famous generals and officers of the company.

The coin gallery at the Fort Museum can also be a point of interest. You can view the coins issued by the British, Dutch, French and Portuguese. Another highlight is the first marriage register of the St. Mary’s Church which recorded the marriage of Sir Robert Clive.

The Fort Museum is open to the public between 10.00 am and 5.00 pm except on Fridays.