The architectural style of the palace is a bit traditional but exceptionally gorgeous. Spread in a huge area of 54 acres, the Hill Palace complex comprises 49 buildings. Within the complex are archaeological museum, deer park, heritage museum, children’s park and prehistoric park. The museum campus has a lot of medicinal plants of the rarest species. The museum has fourteen categories of exhibits that include crowns and ornaments of the kings of the Kochi’s royal family, paintings, weapons, inscriptions, coins and sculptures in stone and marble. Various historical attractions beckon tourists in large numbers. The profit that accrues as a result of tourists’ entry fee of the museum is given to the royal family of Cochin. There is a gold crown inside the museum that is embedded with precious stones, in addition to, a lot of ornaments, valuable coins, samples of epigraphy, and majestic beds. One can find a plethora of artefacts in the museum. The exhibits of the countries of Japan and China reflecting art and pottery of the bygone era are at display. These are shops within the complex that sell local products and imitations of historical artefacts.
The Archaeology Department of Kerala had acquired Hill Palace from the royalty in 1980 AD and, after thorough renovation, opened it as a museum for public. The entry fee is nominal. It is open on all days except for Mondays. It also remains closed on national holidays. The visiting time of the palace for the tourists is from 9 AM to 12.30 PM and then from 2 PM to 4.30 PM. The park for the children remains open till 6 PM. Photography is not allowed inside the palace. A large cache of tourists visit the Hill Palace to enjoy and let the vibe of the place sink within them. Two hours are sufficient to explore the treasure of the palace. The palace is at a distance of about 10 kms from the city centre. The place has been popular amongst the tourists as well as amongst the movie makers. The very famous movie Manichitrathazhu was also shot here. Other films those have been shot here are Moonnam Mura, Pingami, Dreams, Kaliyoonjal, Chhotta Mumbai etc. There are a lot of tourist attractions in the museum like the deer park, cultural museum, well maintained park, and gardens. The best time to visit Hill Palace is the winter season - from October to March. The number of tourists dwindles greatly during summer and monsoon seasons. The winters make for a pleasant sightseeing around the town. It’s 10 km away from Ernakulum. The museum is 35 km from Cochin airport. It’s an amazing place for the history buffs. There are also various cafes outside and around the museum to keep the tourists hooked. Photographers can have a gala time here as they can click tonnes of pictures against various backdrops.