Started in 1964 as the Naga Institute of Culture, the State Museum was established in 1970 with an ethnographic gallery and in 1973 a natural history gallery was added. There are 8 galleries in total including wood and sculpture, dress and ornament, bamboo wall pattern, outdoor display, art, ethnological, textiles and metal.

About the collection: It is an ethnographic collection with rare artefacts of all the 16 tribes that inhabit the state. Some of the artefacts exhibited in this museum are clan motifs, precious stones, necklaces, traditional attires and inscriptions.

The two main collections are the textile section which covers all the different tribes of Nagaland. The social standing of a tribe/ community or a person is woven into the pattern of the textile, as Nagaland does not have any proper written language this collection becomes very important.

The collection on wood carvings is another unique collection in the museum