This museum was initially maintained in a part of a hospital located near Sri Maha Bodiya and Ruwanwalisa in Anuradhapura.

But later on due to lack of facilities, Paranavithana constantly insisted on the necessity of establishing the museum in a new place.

According to the reports, in 1948, this collection of goods, which was kept on the south side of the Anuradhapura department building, was organised as a museum with the contribution of S. Shan Muganathan and G. D. Ranasinghe.

Officially, Anuradhapura Archaeological Museum was established under the prime effort of former Director General, Dr. Senarath Paranavithana.

[2] The museum is used to exhibit antiquities found from various regions of Sri Lanka such as Buddha statues, Relic caskets, drawings, puppets, coins, jewelries, Beads and other miscellaneous things.