Ta Dzong translates to watch tower. The national museum was originally built as a watch tower above the Paro Dzong. Unlike other Dzongs in the country, Ta Dzong has a cylindrical structure. The sturdy watch tower has a two and a half meter thick wall with traditional windows at every level around the structure. There are historical accounts of the watch tower being used as a prison during the times of war.
After remaining uninhabited for a long time, His Majesty the Third King commanded the restoration of the tower and was inaugurated as a textile museum in 1968. Today the museum has many ancient artifacts and natural history on display. Some of the highlights include an egg laid by a mule, a horse horn, stone axe which dates back to the Stone Age.
