The museum was founded in 2011 with the co-operation of the Departments of Archaeology, Archives and Tourism in a building named Park View, which was the residence of the Chief Secretary during the rule of the Travancore dynasty. The first interactive museum in South India, it has eight galleries which lays out to the visitor the stages of evolution in Kerala, beginning with the Stone Age and the Bronze Age, and finally leading to the traditional history of the state. It is thus a walk through the history and culture of the state. The replicas found here require special mention as they include one of the Naalukettu house, the traditional house of Kerala, along with the kitchen of the Naalukettu with all its associated artefacts, and an excavation trench from a megalithic site in Kollam. The art forms of Kerala like mural paintings, Kolamezhuthu, and so on are also housed by the museum.