The National Museum is part of the Sultan Park, which is the small public garden.

The Sultan Park was previously part of the southern side of the Royal Palace, of which you cannot now see much. The Park itself is mainly a considerable collection of various tropical flora, and also exhibits some animal life.

The surviving palace building within the park is today the National Museum. Opened on 19 November 1952, the museum displays a large and varied collection of artifacts showing a glorious bygone era including stone objects from the pre-Islamic period; royal antiquities like thrones, palanquins, royal sunshades, costumes and shoes, coins, and ornaments, arms and armor. Coral stone sculptures, lacquered wooden containers, miniature hand-written Qur'an (Koran), hookahs, traditional log drums from the Royal Palace used in the popular music of Bodu Beru, and the very interiors of the museum - retained from the days of the Sultanate - are the added attractions. Two of the most significant items on display are the coral stone head of Lord Buddha, an 11th century piece from Alifu Thoddoo and a 13th century engraved wooden panel from Hukuru Miskiiy.

The attractiveness of the museum may be summarized in three words: it is different. It is certainly not the kind of museum that you would expect to see in the capitals of the developed countries: it has its own charm and beauty and tells tales of times that are strange even to us Maldivians.

The National Museum is open between 9 AM and 3 PM, the museum is also closed on Fridays and public holidays.