Digital library, vintage café and more in store for State Museum visitors

Hindustan Times

02-07-2025

Visitors to the State Museum in the state capital will soon have access to a digital library offering research materials and reference books, to be set up in the Old Kothi building located behind the museum on the Lucknow Zoo premises. The auditorium conceptualised after renovation. (Sourced)
Complementing the library, a vintage-themed café will be developed nearby, allowing readers to enjoy a cup of coffee while they browse.
'The work for both library and café is set to begin soon and is expected to be completed in a couple of years' time at a cost of ₹ 4.87 crore. The vintage café will showcase Lucknow's heritage and culture. Besides, the rich reserve collection in the museum will also be revamped at a cost of ₹ 4.85 crore. Once renovated, the objects will be tagged in such a way that one can find them at the click of a button. The process will be completed within two years,' museum director Srishti Dhaon said.
Several other upgrades have also been planned at the State Museum to provide a better experience for visitors by the end of July. Among them is the transformation of the existing Foreign Art Gallery into an open gallery.
The 23 stone sculptures preserved in the indoor gallery will be showcased in landscaped gardens where visitors can sit and view them at leisure. The work of making pedestals and garden landscaping in the Foreign Art Open Gallery is being carried out at a cost of ₹ 1.59 crore. Besides, the Folk Art Museum is also undergoing an infrastructural upgrade for ₹ 3.03 crore, Dhaon said.
She said that the museum is also set to receive a revamped auditorium with a seating capacity of 120 people at a time.
'The work to renovate the auditorium by including all modern technology like Dolby Atmos sound and projector is underway at a cost of ₹ 1.72 crore. It will be in the form of a proscenium,' she added.
The museum is also set to receive a new augmented reality and virtual reality room where the visitors will be able to watch documentaries like the origin of Ganges, story of Kumbh, and virtual tours of Mathura, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar and State Museum.
'The 360-degree view of the museum will also be available on the official website by the end of July. These developments are being carried out with the support of culture minister Jaiveer Singh and principal secretary Mukesh Meshram,' Dhaon said.