The Hill Palace Museum of Tripunithura, a 49-building complex where the Maharaja of Kochi once lived, is today the largest archaeological museum in Kerala. The palace was built in 1865 on 52 acres (21 hectares) of landscaped grounds. In 1980 the Kochi royal family handed over the estate to the Kerala government, and in 1986 it opened as a museum.

The museum’s ethno-archaeological collection includes murals, sculptures, oil paintings, coins, manuscripts, furniture and other items that once belonged to the local royal family. Particularly notable is the collection of some 200 pieces of pottery from Japan and China. The surrounding gardens, recognizable from many Malayalam films, include a deer park and horse riding facilities.