The oldest and perhaps the best of the Government Museums is the Central Museum at Nagpur also known as Ajab Bangla. This museum which was established in 1863 was the State Level Museum of the C.P. & Berar till the reorganization of the States. (Ajab Bangla was originally established by the British when Orange City was part of the Central Provinces.)

About the collection: The museum is multi-disciplinary showcasing an extensive collection of archaeological artefacts, handicrafts and articles of day-to-day use from ancient times. The Central Museum boasts of an enviable collection of rare antiquities, ancient inscriptions, sculptures, coins, paintings and prehistoric artefacts, some of which have been excavated from the Indus Valley. This storehouse of natural and cultural heritage, though, remains little known. The museum has an anthropological gallery with a dedicated section on birds, reptiles and mammals, which have been stuffed and preserved in their original shapes and sizes. The museum not only depicts the history of Central India but also has a wide collection of flora and fauna from Central India. The Nagpur Central Museum also has an art gallery, which houses some unique paintings from the Bombay School of Art.