Gass Forest Museum
| Place | Coimbatore |
|---|---|
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Virtual Museum | No |
| Year of Establishment | 1902 |
| Museum Type | Natural History / Forestry Museum |
| National Importance Museum | Yes |
| Address | Cowley Brown Rd, R.S. Puram, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641002 |
| Visiting Time | 09:00 AM – 01:00 PM & 02:00 PM – 05:00 PM (Monday–Friday) Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and Central Government Holidays. |
| Entry Fee | ₹40 (Adults) ₹20 (Children) ₹200 (Foreign Nationals). |
Museum Introduction
Established in 1902 by Horace Archibald Gass, the then Conservator of Forests, the Gass Forest Museum is a prestigious institution located within the Forest College Campus in Coimbatore. It is housed in a magnificent British Gothic-style red stone building (completed in 1915) and serves as a primary center for showcasing India's rich forest wealth and biodiversity.
General Collections
The museum houses over 10,000 exhibits categorized into wildlife, botany, timber, geology, and ethnology. It features an extensive range of forest products, including rare wood samples, non-timber products (resins, oils), and a comprehensive entomology section with over 1,200 insect specimens.
Unique Historical Collections
456-Year-Old Teak: A massive cross-section of a teak tree with a girth of 5.7 meters. Sandalwood Giant: A 10.2-meter tall sandalwood tree weighing 1.75 tonnes. Stuffed Indian Gaur: A full-grown male bison presented in 1956 by the Maharaja of Mysore. Elephant Foetuses: Rare 4-month and 14-month elephant foetuses gifted by the renowned "elephant doctor" V. Krishnamurthy.
Additional Information
| Archaeological Survey of India | No |
|---|---|
| Notes | During World War II (1942–1947), the museum was closed to house evacuees from Greece and Malta. The building is architecturally unique for its earthquake-resistant design and iron pillars specifically imported from Britain. A modern 3D diorama was added in 2015 to enhance the visitor experience. |
| Artifacts | Stuffed leopard and Chinkara; Elephant skeleton; 16-foot long tiger spears; Tribal jewelry and ornaments; Meteorite fragments; 600+ timber panels; Rare butterfly and moth collections; Carboniferous sandstone specimens. |
| Highly Descriptive | Yes |
| Contact Details |
+91 422 245 0307 +91 422 248 4100 |
| Email ID | dir_ifgtb@icfre.org |
Artifact Gallery
