The Lower Saxony State Museum (Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover), located opposite the New Town Hall, houses many important collections of antiquities. 

The most popular is the State Gallery (Landesgalerie), with its collection of European art from the Middle Ages period right up to the 20th century.

 In addition to major works by the likes of Rembrandt and Rubens, there's a sizeable collection of German Old Masters and Impressionist works. 

Also of note are its archaeological and ethnological collections — Germany's oldest, boasting more than 20,000 artifacts — as well as numerous species of fish and reptiles.