The Prince of Wales Museum of Western India is one of the best-known Museums of the Country. This magnificent heritage building, situated on the famous ‘Crescent Site’ on the way to the Gateway of India, is a landmark of south Mumbai. Prince of Wales Museum is the erstwhile name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya of Mumbai.
The museum was built between 1904 and 1914 and was used during world war 1 as a hospital. It was designed as a museum by the architect George Wittet in 1909. The full-fledged museum was inaugurated by Lady Lloyd in 1923 and thrown open to public.

The museum can be spotted from a distance on account of its large central marble dome that sparkles in the sunshine. Architecturally it is an exquisite example of the Indo-Saracenic style made of basalt stone, surrounded by a beautiful garden. It is named after the prince of Wales who came to India and laid the foundation of it in 1905. This grand structure houses a priceless collection of art, sculpture , chinaware and much more. Carefully preserved, the museum is a pleasure to visit and gardens surrounding the building adding to its charm.

Art, Archaeology and  history are three exclusive sections in the museum. It houses some of finest collections, ranging from ancient Indus Valley relics to the artifacts from the Gupta and Maurya Periods. There are scores of interesting artifacts from foreign countries like Tibet and Nepal. It has one complete gallery comprising the exquisite tankha scrolls of the Buddhists.

Another gallery is devoted to bronze castings and sculptures. In case intricate paintings happen to be your interest, you will be delighted to see the compilation of more than 2,000 miniature paintings from the different art schools of India.

Next to the Museum is the Bombay Natural History Society, which has an extensive collection of local flora and fauna.

What are the museum timings?

The museum is open from 10:15am to 6:00pm. It is closed on Mondays.