As the name indicates, it is a museum, which is the oldest one in the state. It is also called as the government central museum. This museum focuses on art and history of Jaipur.
Where Albert Hall Museum is Located ?
This museum is located inside Ram Niwas Garden. It is locate right outside the city wall, near the New Gate. You can find cabs, buses and autos from any part of Jaipur to near Ram Niwas Garden. Once inside the garden, you need to walk on foot to the museum.
Best Time to Visit in Albert Hall Museum ?
The museum is open from 9 in the morning to 5 in the evening and from 7 in the evening to 10 in the night. The museum is closed on every Tuesday from October to March for maintenance. From April to September, every Monday is closed for maintenance. During Holi festival, the museum is closed.
If you are planning to get composite ticket, the ticket is valid for entry to Hawa Mahal, Sisodia Rani Garden, Amer fort, Albert Hall Museum and Vidhyadhar Garden for two days. The cost of composite ticket is as follows.
Foreign visitors – INR 1000 per head.
For evening entry, the ticket cost is INR 100 per head for all kinds of visitors. Children below the age of 7 are free to enter. No ticket cost is charged on World Tourism Day (Sep 27), World Museum Day (May 18), Rajasthan Day (March 30) and World Heritage Day (April 18).
The foremost attraction is the architecture of the museum. During night, the hall will be lit with numerous lights and it would be a grand view. People buy night tickets to watch the museum at night. The museum has many collections of weapons, arts, sculptures and artifacts. There are numerous galleries in the museum and every month, a special gallery is put together for the public. Top galleries inside the museum are ivory works, miniature painting, metal arts, International art, pottery, jewels, coins, garments and textiles of the past, sculptures, ancient furniture, royal carpets, clay art of the past and others.
Top items to spot are Mahabharat vessel, Persian hukkah of 19th century, perfume box with compass, water vessel of the past, toilet box, Jain incense burner, ancient anklets, hairpins, scarf pins and others. There are various types of swords and shield in the weapon gallery.
This museum was initially a hall, which was named after Albert Edward. Albert was a Prince of Wales who became King Edward VII. He visited India in 19th century and King Ram Singh named the hall after him. During the time of laying the foundation stone, the king had no plans of how to use the hall. He planned it to be a town hall but his successor, Madho Singh II built it as a museum. He took up the idea presented by Dr. Thomas Hendley who was very interested in Indian art works. In 1881, a small museum was built in the place of Albert Hall and it displayed the work of local artisans. Later, in 1887, the current Albert Hall was completed in Indo-Saracenic style. Rudyard Kipling has visited this museum in the past. Hendley had written to the ruler about the hall getting an annual attendance of quarter million people in an old record.