Coffee Museum

The Coffee Museum in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, is a dedicated museum established by the Coffee Board of India in the town known as the birthplace of coffee in India. Located in the district headquarters, it documents the history, cultivation, processing and grading of coffee through exhibits, photographs, maps and audiovisual displays. The museum highlights Chikkamagaluru's role in introducing coffee to India and serves as an educational centre for visitors interested in coffee heritage.

Visitors can expect a small, indoor museum with curated galleries explaining the origin, cultivation, harvesting, processing and grading of coffee in India. Exhibits include photographs, maps, charts, equipment models and audiovisual presentations on coffee history and the Coffee Board's research. The setting is within the Coffee Board premises in Chikkamagaluru town, with guided explanations, informational panels and a souvenir area where coffee products are displayed. The visit is educational and focused on coffee heritage rather than a plantation walk.

Chikkamagaluru is recognized as the place where coffee was first introduced to India when Baba Budan brought seven coffee beans from Yemen and planted them in the Baba Budangiri hills in 1670. The Coffee Museum, set up by the Coffee Board of India, documents this history and the subsequent development of coffee cultivation, research and industry in the region, which became the centre of coffee production in India.

The museum reflects the cultural identity of Chikkamagaluru as the coffee land of Karnataka and the birthplace of coffee in India. It preserves and presents the heritage of coffee growing communities, plantation culture and the economic importance of coffee to the Malnad region, serving as an educational resource for visitors to understand local agrarian traditions.