Jaipur is one of the most famous and loved cities in India. The heritage that the city houses, the vibrant colours, mouth-watering cuisine – everything about Jaipur is simply enchanting. The locals are very friendly and hospitality is something that they know the best. It is almost every day that Jaipur welcomes visitors from all across the world, giving tourists a time that they would remember for life. While the Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Amber Fort, and other such historical forts and palaces are the key attractions of the city, Albert Hall Museum is one of the most breathtaking beauties that one must visit during their trip to Jaipur.
A place like the Albert Hall, Jaipur gives you a sight to behold. The grandeur in its architecture, the reflection of fine craftsmanship in its artwork – there is not a single reason to skip this gorgeous attraction during your visit to the city. One of the oldest museums in Rajasthan, which also acts as its State Museum – Albert Museum stands beautifully in the premises of Ram Niwas Garden. The museum is one of the finest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture in India, alluring visitors with its mesmerising beauty.
More About the Albert Hall Museum
Designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob and assisted by Mir Tujumool Hoosein, this gorgeous façade was open for visitors as a public museum in 1887. The museum is named after King Edward VII i.e. King Albert Edward. King Edward VII laid the foundation stone of the museum on 6 February 1876, as the then Prince of Wales. Initially, Maharaja Ram Singh wanted to make this museum in Jaipur a town hall but Madho Singh II, his successor, decided to make it a museum as it reflects the art of Jaipur. The museum is the home to an exclusive collection of artefacts that talks about the artwork of different regions of the world. The museum has 16 art galleries to house these unique artefacts. Apart from these, marble art, pottery, ancient coins, carpets, and other such beauties from the bygone era are placed in the museum. It also has the Egyptian Mummy, treating your eyes with the history of the astonishing times. The Indo-Saracenic inspired architecture of Albert Hall, Jaipur, comprising of the huge domes and carved arches that are constructed from sandstone is simply alluring. At night, this majestic façade glows in yellow lights that looks extremely beautiful and mesmerising. You can click pictures with the Albert Hall as the backdrop, relax in the Ram Niwas Garden, explore ancient India’s astounding culture, and much more.
What to See in the Albert Hall Museum?
Albert Hall, Jaipur has 16 art galleries where artefacts from different parts of the world, parts of India’s ancient history, and so on are placed. The treasures from the 19th century are marvellous and make your trip to the museum worth it. Here’s a glimpse of a few art galleries where you should definitely make a stop –
Clay Art Gallery
Enticing your art with exquisite clay models from the nineteenth century, the sculptures in the Clay Art Gallery of this marvellous museum in Jaipur depicts yoga postures, craft-making, sociological themes, and much more.
Coin Gallery
This gallery in the Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur, Rajasthan will take you to a world of coins where you can see an extensive range of coins that were used by the British and Mughals respectively. You can also see the punch-marked coins that are said to be the earliest coins used. Mughal period coins that belonged to the reigns of Jehangir, Shahjahan, Akbar, and Aurangzeb are also kept in the coin gallery. The coin gallery fascinates you with the evolution of currency.
Carpet Gallery
Another classic gallery in the Albert Hall Museum is the Carpet Gallery. It has a gorgeous collection of kaleen (carpets) from ancient times. One of the most attractive carpets here is the Persian Garden Carpet, which happens to be the best example of Persian carpets in the world. It was bought in the time of Mirza Raja Jai Singh I somewhere in the 1632 A.D; the carpet is crafted with a scene of a Persian garden, which makes it more appealing to the eyes. The carpet is divided into four parts that are further sub-categorised into many sections. Each part of the carpet is adorned with different colours, taking its magnificence to a whole new level. The Carpet Gallery also houses circular carpets with Mughal styles, floral patterns, etc. as well as doormats from ancient times.
Musical Instruments Gallery
Yet another gallery in Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur where you would have a time of your life exploring is the Musical Instruments Gallery. It has antique Indian musical instruments like the Dhap, Pungi, Ravan Hatha, Shehnai, and so on. You would be getting to know about some musical instruments that are alienated in today’s millennial world.
Jewellery Gallery
Housing ornaments that were worn by the peasants back in the 19th century, in the Jewellery Gallery, you will get to see unique accessories that were made of silver and brass. Anklets, hairpins, bracelets, necklaces, rings, and so on are some of the examples of the antique silver and brass ornaments of the bygone times. Exploring the Jewellery Gallery is one of the things to do in Jaipur that you cannot skip.
Other than these galleries, you also have to explore the garment gallery, textiles, marble art, metal art, arms and armour, pottery, etc. during your visit to the museum.
Albert Hall Museum: Entry Fees
The entry fee to this museum in Jaipur is divided into the following categories:
General Entry Ticket for Albert Hall Museum
- For Indians: INR 40 per person
- For Indian students: INR 20 per person
- Foreign tourists: INR 300 per person
- Foreign students: INR 150 per person
The tickets are available at the premises exclusively.
Composite Entry Ticket Price for Albert Hall Museum
- For Indians: INR 300 per person
- Indian students: INR 40 per person
- Foreign tourists: INR 1000 per person
- Foreign students: INR 200 per person
The speciality of the composite entry ticket is that it is valid for two days and you can visit all or any of the following sites along with Albert Hall, Jaipur –
- Amber Fort
- Hawa Mahal
- Jantar Mantar Observatory
- Nahargarh Fort
- Vidyadhar Garden
- Sisodia Rani Garden & Isarlat (Sargasooli)
The composite entry tickets are available at the premises of Albert Hall, Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, and Jantar Mantar (Observatory).
Entry Fee for Night Visit
- For Indian tourists: INR 100 per person
- Indian students: INR 100 per person
- Foreign tourists: INR 100 per person
- Foreign students: INR 100 per person
NOTE: For children below 7 years, entry is free.
Free entry for all visitors on the following days
- Rajasthan Day - 30 March
- World Heritage Day - 18 April
- World Museum Day - 18 May
- World Tourism Day - 27 September
The museum also offers an audio guide. For foreign visitors, it is available at INR 171 and for domestic visitors, it is priced at INR 114.
Albert Hall Museum: Timings to Visit
Albert Hall is one of the best places to visit in Jaipur. The museum is open for a visit on all the days of the week. From Monday to Sunday, the timing to visit the museum during the daytime is 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For night visits, the timings are 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM throughout the week. For student groups, it shall be free every day from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on the respective institute’s recommendation.
Additional Information for Visiting Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur
- Photography is allowed inside the premises of the museum.
- The museum remains closed on the occasion of Holi and on the maintenance days. From October to March, the last Tuesday of every month is maintenance day and from April to September, maintenance is done every Monday.
- The average duration to explore the museum is around 1-2 hours.
- Facilities inside the museum for the tourists include – cafeteria, locker room, parking, wheelchair friendly, restroom, garden and picnic area, guided tours, and library and archive services.
Location of the Hall: Government Central Museum, Department of Archaeology and Museums, Albert Hall, Department of Archaeology and Museums, Ram Niwas Bagh.
Book your Jaipur sightseeing package today to experience this grandeur architecture, located in the lap of royalty.
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