BSIP Museum of Palaeosciences
by Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP)
See real fossils with scientists
Guided fossil museum and research laboratory visits at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow.
Mode
In-Person
Fee
Free
Participation format
Individual
Duration
Single visit. About an hour in the display halls, longer when the research laboratories are included.
Eligibility
Open to school and college students, teachers and members of the public. The institute publishes no age or grade restriction. Visits are made with the permission of the Director, and student groups are usually arranged through their school or college.
- Age range
- Open to all ages
- Eligibility region
- Available nationwide across India
See if your child qualifies.
Benefits
- Free entry to a national fossil plant collection
- Fossil halls explained by institute scientists
- Geological Time Clock showing Earth history across 24 hours
- Mawmluh Cave stratotype, the global marker for the Meghalayan Stage
- Tour of amber, radiocarbon and electron microscopy laboratories
Skills your child builds
Key dates
- Enrollment
- Open all year
Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
How to apply
- 1Send a visit request to the Director at director@bsip.res.in
- 2Schools and colleges request a group visit for their students
- 3Confirm a weekday slot within working hours of 9:30 am to 6:00 pm
- 4Report at the institute on University Road, Lucknow, on the agreed day
Rules and guidelines
- Visits require the permission of the Director
- Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
- Photography is permitted inside the museum
- Laboratory visits are guided by institute scientists
About this opportunity
The BSIP Museum of Palaeosciences is the fossil museum of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, an autonomous research institute of the Department of Science and Technology. It opens its display halls and research laboratories to visiting students and citizens.
The halls hold the fossil plant collection assembled by Professor Birbal Sahni along with type and figured specimens added by institute scientists. Displays include fossilised tree trunks of Triassic and Tertiary age, the institute Foundation Stone with fossils of several geological ages embedded in a marble block, a Geological Time Clock that compresses the history of the Earth into 24 hours, and the stratotype speleothem section from Mawmluh Cave that serves as the global reference point for the Meghalayan Stage.
Institute scientists and museum staff brief visiting groups on what the fossils mean, and many school and college groups continue into the research laboratories to see amber and fossil resin work, radiocarbon dating and scanning electron microscopy. Schools, colleges and university departments make these visits through the year.
The museum is open on weekdays during institute working hours and stays closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Under the institute public disclosure, citizens may visit the museum with the permission of the Director, so a visit is arranged with the institute rather than by walking in. Around National Science Day on 28 February the museum also holds lectures and activities for school and college students.
What your child will do
- Guided walk through the fossil display halls
- Viewing the Foundation Stone and the Geological Time Clock
- Briefing on fossil specimens by institute scientists
- Visits to the amber, radiocarbon and electron microscopy laboratories
- Lecture sessions held around National Science Day
Mentors and faculty
Visits are led by BSIP scientists and museum staff. Dr. Hukam Singh, Senior Scientist and Convener of the Museum Committee, has introduced visiting students to fossil resin and insect inclusion research at the Amber Laboratory.
Languages
Academic details
Difficulty: Introductory
What's covered
A guided walk through the fossil display halls, followed for most groups by visits to the institute research laboratories.
Frequently asked questions
How is a visit to the BSIP Museum arranged?
Requests go to the Director of the institute. The museum is open on weekdays during working hours of 9:30 am to 6:00 pm and stays closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
What do students do during a visit?
Institute scientists and museum staff take visitors through the fossil display halls and explain the specimens. Most school and college groups also tour the amber, radiocarbon and electron microscopy laboratories.
Which age groups visit the museum?
The institute publishes no age or grade limit. Its 2024 to 2025 record lists visits by school groups, inter colleges and university departments, with 15 institutions visiting in that year.
How long does a museum visit take?
Visitor listings record under an hour in the display halls. A visit that also covers the research laboratories takes longer, which is how most school and college groups plan it.
Does the museum hold activities beyond regular visits?
Yes. Around National Science Day on 28 February the museum holds lectures and activities for school and college students, and it takes part in Earth Science Week and national science festivals.
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