Hotels near Independence Memorial Hall

Independence Memorial Hall went up in 1953 at Torrington Square to mark the end of British rule in 1948. The open-sided pavilion copies the Royal Audience Hall of the Kandyan kings, raised on a platform ringed by 60 carved stone lions. A statue of D. S. Senanayake, the first prime minister of Sri Lanka, stands at the head of the approach. Entry is free and the site never closes.

The surrounding lawns fill with joggers at dawn and again after 5pm, and the arcade underneath houses a small independence museum plus a row of shops. Twenty minutes is enough to see it properly, which makes it a natural stop between the Colombo National Museum and the quiet residential streets of Colombo 07. The stonework takes light best in the last hour before sunset.

Pro Tip: The underground museum in the north wing opens 9am to 5pm and is usually deserted. Skip 4 February, when Independence Day ceremonies close the whole site to the public.