After the tragic assassination of Mahatma Gandhi a need for a museum which could be a glance into his eventful life and work was felt. The National Gandhi Museum is the result of this urgent need for a place which could be home to the many manuscripts, photographs, journals, manuals, books and all that which could be a perfect memorial for the Mahatma.
Set in the Government hutments in early 1951, it was shifted to the old mansion at 5, Mansingh Road in mid 1957. From there it was shifted to the present place just opposite to Rajghat, Gandhi's Samadhi at New Delhi. The two storey Museum was formally inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first president of India, on January 30, 1961.The Museum was named 'Gandhi Memorial Museum' now known as 'National Gandhi Museum is one of the biggest Gandhi Museums in India.
The Museum has a very rich collection of relics, books, journals and documents, photographs, audio-visual materials, exhibitions, art pieces and other memorabilia closely connected with Mahatma Gandhi. It is also developing into a centre for the availability of Gandhian and allied literature, and for select publications, and studies and information on the 'Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi'.
The Museum has the following main sections:
 Galleries and other displays for visitors
 Library and publication
 Photo section
 Audio visual section
 Gandhi literature centre
 Special exhibition