The primary vision of the museum as defined by its academic branch is for educating the public. This goal of public oriented education drives the primary educational functions in the museum, including a highly popular annual Art Appreciation course where scholars are invited to lecture on different themes each year, often corresponding with the museum's collections. The museum also organizes the V.S. Agarwala Memorial Lecture and the director and assistant directors also impart lectures in the museum, although the art appreciation course enjoys a wider popularity and garners larger audiences in attendance. The museum's primary function as imparting knowledge to the public around and about the collection it houses and preserves corresponds with their efforts to engage the public "from all walks of life" to participate in the same. The museum's primary visitor, however, is the tourist or casual recreational visitor to the zoo premises, tying the role of this museum tightly with the recreational mode associated with a visit to a tourist attraction.
