We investigated the effects of chronic administration of different extracts of ginger rhizome [pet ether extract (PE); toluene fraction (TF) of pet ether extract] on anxiety models: the elevated T-maze (ETM) (for inhibitory avoidance and escape measurements) and the open field test. Ondansetron (1 mg/kg), FE (10, 30 &100 mg/kg) and TF (10 & 30 mg/kg) were administered orally for 15 days. On the $14^{th}$ day mice were previously exposed for 30 min to one of the open arms of the T-maze, 24 h before the test. On $15^{th}$ day mice had two exposures to the enclosed and open arm of the ETM followed by exposure to the open field apparatus. The number of line crossings in the apparatus was used to assess locomotor changes. Cumulative Concentration Response Curve of 5-HT was plotted using rat fundus which were pretreated in a similar way. Treatment with Ondansetron (1 mg/kg), PE (100 mg/kg), TF (10 mg/kg) and TF (30 mg/kg) significantly (P<0.05) impaired inhibitory avoidance performance but did not impair escape latency. Concentration response curve of 5-HT was shifted towards the right with suppression of maxima in rats treated with PE and TF. The results suggest that PE and TF of Ginger rhizome exerts anxiolytic like behaviour in a specific subset of defensive behaviour, particularly those related to generalized anxiety disorder.