The main Residency building at Lucknow was constructed by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah and was made available to the British Resident in 1780 for being the guest of the Nawabs. This museum is known as Residency which is reminiscent of the uprising of 1857 in Lucknow. The artefacts were received here in 1920. The museum was established with a view to mark the importance of First War of Indian. Independence which is housed in an annex of the main Residency building, earlier used for displaying a model of the Residency complex.

The complex in 1857 had more than twenty-five large and small buildings, many of which were destroyed by the onslaught of canon fire and mining activities of the Indian freedom fighters. The canon holes are still preserved in their place so as to acquaint visitors with the history of Indian independence.

The buildings in the form of ruins in the Residency complex include the main building which was originally three storeyed and had hexagonal towers on the east and west corners, the Banqueting Hall, Dr. Frayers House, the Treasury House, Begum Kothi and the Baillie Guard gateway. All these buildings were made in the European style. It also has the memorials of Sir Henry Lawrence, Major Banks and others killed in the compound during the struggle of 1857-58. There are two buildings in the complex, an Imambara which is 150 years old and a mosque constructed in the traditional Indo-Sarcenic style. The main Residency building at Lucknow was constructed by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah and was made available to the British Resident in 1780 for being the guest of the Nawabs.

About the collection: The museum, designed to present visual accounts of the freedom struggle of 1857, consists a model of the Residency, old photographs, lithographs, paintings, documents, period objects such as guns, swords, shields, mustering cannons, rank badges, medals and other items. Dioramas and paintings on canvas showing battle at the Residency and other areas relating to the theme, also from the display.