Kerala's first heritage museum, it houses the royal collections of the erstwhile Kochi kingdom. Built in 1865, the palace complex consists of 49 buildings sprawled over 52 acres. Many fascinating royal exhibits are on display at the museum. Other exhibits include over 200 antique pieces of pottery and ceramic vases from Japan and China, kudakkallu (tomb stones), thoppikkallu (hood stones), temple models and plaster cast models of objects from Mohenjodaro and Harappa. The museum also houses a gallery of contemporary art.