Discover Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, usually shortened to CSMVS, is Mumbai's major art, archaeology and natural-history museum. The institution was formerly called the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India; its current name should be used for contemporary visits.

The collection contains more than 60,000 objects, while the domed Grade I heritage building is itself a central work of Mumbai's Indo-Saracenic architecture. George Wittet designed it after an open competition, and the museum opened to the public in 1922.

A good visit chooses a collection thread rather than attempting every gallery. Current closures matter: the operator notes that some galleries may be unavailable during work.

A central dome anchors the composition. It rises above a symmetrical stone building whose projecting bays, arches and smaller domed forms are partly screened by garden trees.

Indo-Saracenic design brings several traditions into one civic museum. Wittet combined an Islamic dome and arches with regional Indian detail and a plan suited to galleries around a central hall.

The building mediates heat and light. Deep openings, verandah-like transitions and high interior volumes make the architecture part of the museum experience rather than a shell around exhibits.

A public competition produced George Wittet's design for a civic museum on the edge of the Fort district. Construction used a central hall and dome to orient galleries while integrating architectural references from western India and wider Indo-Islamic traditions.

The building was ready by 1914, but war changed its first use. It operated as a hospital before collections could occupy the intended galleries, finally opening in 1922.

Subsequent gallery work, services and conservation have adapted the historic structure to modern museum conditions. The operator's current closure notice reflects this continuing evolution rather than a completed once-for-all interior.

Is this the Prince of Wales Museum?

It is the same institution, but the current name is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, or CSMVS.

When did it open?

The museum opened on 10 January 1922.

Who designed the building?

George Wittet.

What are the current hours?

The operator listed 10:15 a.m.–6:00 p.m. daily when checked on 19 October 2026.

Are all galleries always open?

No. The museum currently warns that some galleries are closed during work.