The Shimla State Museum was set up in 1974 to protect and preserve the hill-out and cultural wealth of Himachal Pradesh. Artefacts and art objects in the museum exhibit collections pertaining to art, archaeology and cultural anthropology of Himachal Pradesh.There are 10,000 objects in the museum. The institution is segregated into galleries exhibiting different eras and periods like Pre-historic, Indian Archaeology, Woodcarvings, Arms Gallery, Gandhi Gallery and Himachal Archaeology.There are separate galleries for Pahari Miniature Paintings, Philatelic, Anthropological Monuments, Bronze artefacts, Photographs, Rajasthan paintings, Numismatics, Contemporary Art & Wall Paintings.These galleries have coins, photographs, local handicrafts and other items in the form of artefacts. Besides, the regional gallery displays a vast collection of Himachali bridal and tribal dolls along with paintings. The museum also features Mughal and Rajasthani miniature paintings.Among other highlights of the museum are the 6th to 11th century Gupta sculptures, 8th century stone images from Masrur and Bajaura. Temple bronzes, jewellery, textiles and masks from Kullu are also on display in the museum.Located on the Mall Road at a distance of around a kilometre, west of the Scandal point, the colonial State Museum building is set in spacious lawns at Chaura Maidan.