Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya: a visitor guide

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya sits on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Fort, close to the Gateway of India. The museum’s address is 159–161 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort, Mumbai 400023, and it is a domed Grade I heritage building in the Indo-Saracenic style.

The Gateway of India is another nearby landmark, while the National Gallery of Modern Art and Jehangir Art Gallery are also within walking distance.

The museum’s history begins with the foundation stone laid by the Prince of Wales on 11 November 1905. The building was completed in 1914 and opened to the public on 10 January 1922.

Architect George Wittet designed it in the Indo-Saracenic style; CSMVS describes it as a Grade I Heritage Building. CSMVS is about a 14-minute walk from Strand Hotel Colaba.

CSMVS holds approximately 70,000 artefacts, with collections ranging from archaeology and sculpture to paintings, decorative arts and natural history. The range gives you several ways to shape a visit, whether you want to focus on Indian art or move across different periods and regions.

Named galleries include Indian Sculptures, Jain Art, Buddhist Art, Chinese and Japanese Art, Himalayan Art, Indian Miniature Painting, Jewellery, Money, Indian Textiles and Costume, Arms and Armour, Mumbai, and Natural History. The collection also includes Indus Valley finds, European works, and Chinese and Japanese porcelain and ivories.

For more art in the same part of Mumbai, Jehangir Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Modern Art are nearby. A guide to Mumbai art galleries near Colaba covers both alongside other gallery stops.

Opening hours run daily from 10:15 am to 6:00 pm, with the ticket counter closing at 5:45 pm. The museum is closed to visitors on Republic Day, Maharashtra Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti. A few galleries are closed to visitors due to work, and the museum does not identify which galleries or give a reopening date.

Ticket choices vary by age, visitor category and whether you add an audio guide. Indian adult admission for visitors above 15 is ₹200, or ₹250 with an audio guide.

Indian senior citizens with valid ID, defence personnel with service ID and college students with valid ID pay ₹100, or ₹150 with an audio guide. Groups of 15 or more pay ₹150 per visitor.

Children aged 5–15 and school students through 10th standard pay ₹40, or ₹90 with an audio guide. The economy ticket for BPL visitors or visitors with special needs is ₹30. Foreign adult admission for visitors above 15 is ₹700, and foreign child admission up to 15 is ₹200; audio guides are complimentary for both foreign ticket categories.

Domestic visitors can get an audio guide for ₹100; a handheld camera without a tripod requires a ₹500 pass, and a video camera requires a ₹5,000 pass. Mobile photography is free for personal, non-commercial use.

Tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed, and commercial photography or professional video shooting requires prior permission. Ticket prices and visitor arrangements can change, so check the official site before you go.

Wheelchairs are available at the ticket counters and at the museum entrance near the Key Gallery. The Education team also organises special tours and workshops for groups with disabilities. School groups can write to the Education Department two weeks before a visit to arrange interactive sessions or informative guided tours.

Laptop bags, backpacks, large bags and luggage must be deposited at the luggage counter near the entrance. The visitor-centre baggage counter also accepts items such as umbrellas and raincoats.

You cannot eat or drink in the galleries, touch artworks or display cases, or smoke or vape on the museum campus. Prohibited items include ammunition, sharp materials, inflammables, tobacco products and liquor.

The museum’s location makes it practical to combine a visit with other South Mumbai cultural landmarks. The Gateway of India and the National Gallery of Modern Art are nearby, while Jehangir Art Gallery offers another art stop in the same part of the city.

If you are planning around the waterfront landmark, the Gateway of India visitor guide covers access, history and what to see.

At the end of your museum visit, you can continue through Fort or head towards the Gateway of India.

What are the opening hours at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya?

Open daily. Its ticket counter closes at 5:45 pm. It closes to visitors on Republic Day, Maharashtra Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti.

What can you see at CSMVS?

Its collection includes approximately 70,000 artefacts, with galleries devoted to subjects such as sculpture, Jain and Buddhist art, miniature painting, textiles, arms and armour, and natural history.

Can you take photographs inside the museum?

Personal, non-commercial mobile photography is free. Tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed, and commercial photography or professional video shooting requires prior permission.