Albert Hall Jaipur | Timings, Ticket Price, History

Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur Overview

Situated in the Ram Niwas Garden of Jaipur, the Albert Hall Museum is the oldest museum in Rajasthan. Built in 1876, it was initially envisioned to be a concert hall and resembles the architecture of the Victoria and Albert Hall Museum in London, hence, the name. It is a standing example of the Indo-Saracenic architecture and is also known as Government Central Museum. Albert Hall Museum has an extensive collection of artefacts brought from the different regions of the world that are divided over a whopping 16 art galleries! The museum takes on a whole new facade as the night falls and the entire building glows with yellow lights, which looks extremely beautiful. You can relax in the gardens with the stunning view of Albert Hall in the backdrop. It is certainly a great place to get a peek into the history and ancient culture of India.

Flanked by lush green gardens, the foundation of Albert Hall was laid on 6 February 1876 when Albert Edward visited India. The galleries of the museum have a collection of antiques and artefacts from the past that will blow away your mind. The ancient coins, marble art, pottery, carpets and especially the Egyptian mummy are a treat to the eyes of history buffs. The building itself from the outside has an alluring architecture. The Indo - Saracenic inspired domes and intricately carved arches constructed from sandstone is mesmerizing.

History of Albert Hall Museum

The foundation of Albert Hall was laid during the visit of the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward to Jaipur in 1876. It was not sure how the building would be used. On the suggestion of Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II in 1880, a temporary museum was built in 1881 to display the products of local craftsmen. The Albert Hall was completed in 1887 by the architect, Samuel Swinton Jacob, Director of Jaipur PWD. The temporary museum, whose artefacts were collected from several parts of India and its neighbours were shifted in the new museum.

The building became a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. The corridors were decorated with murals in a variety of styles and European, Egyptian, Chinese, Greek and Babylonian civilizations were portrayed to enable the visitors to develop their knowledge of art and history. Thus, Albert Hall became a centre for imparting knowledge of the history of civilizations, inspiring artisans to enhance their skills and preserving & developing traditional Indian arts, crafts and architectural forms.

Gallery Collections at Albert Hall Museum

The Albert Hall Museum has different amusing galleries which showcase antiques and treasures from the nineteenth century. Some of them are-

1. Carpet Gallery- The collection has the 'Persian Garden Carpet' which is the best example of Persian garden carpets in the world. Purchased at the time of Mirza Raja Jai Singh I in 1632 A.D, the carpet depicts the scene of a Persian garden. It is divided into four parts which are sub-divided into many sections. Each part with different colours makes the carpet look magnificent. Fishes, birds, turtles and other Chinese animals can also be seen. The gallery also has doormats, circular carpets with Mughal and floral patterns.

2. Clay Art Gallery- This gallery houses exquisite clay models from the 19th century depicting yogic postures, sociological themes, craft-making etc.

3. Coin Gallery- In this interesting gallery, you will see a wide range of coins used by Mughals and Britishers. Punch-marked coins are believed to be the earliest in the history of coins. Many Mughal period coins belonging to Akbar, Jehangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb's reigns were discovered in various parts of Rajasthan. It is fascinating to see the evolution of currency.

4. Jewellery Gallery- It has all the inexpensive ornaments which were worn by peasants in the 19th century. They were made of silver and brass. Some of the items you can see are- anklets, rings, hair pins, bracelets and necklaces.

5. Musical Instruments Gallery- This gallery has antique Indian musical instruments like Shehnai, Dhap, Pungi Ravan Hatha etc.

There are other exciting galleries like garments, textiles, marble art, pottery, sculptures, metal art, arms and armour.

Albert Hall Museum Timings and Entry Fees

Albert Hall Museum is open on all days of week 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Following are the categories of tickets available for visitors:
1. General entry ticket
Indian visitor: INR 40
Overseas visitor: INR 300
The above tickets are available only at the premises.

2. Composite entry ticket
This ticket is valid for two days for visiting all or any of the following sites - Amber Fort, Albert Hall, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort, Vidyadhar Garden, Sisodia Rani Garden & Isarlat or Sargasooli
Indian visitor: INR 300
Overseas visitor: INR 1000
Composite entry tickets are available only at the premises of Amber Fort, Albert Hall, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar.
Indian visitor: INR 100
Overseas visitor: INR 100

3. Night visit entry ticket (7:00 PM to 10:00 PM)
There is no entry fee for children below seven years. Entry of all visitors is free on Rajasthan Day, World Heritage Day, World Museum Day and World Tourism Day

Photography

allowed

Best Time To Visit Albert Hall Museum

Winters are best to explore Jaipur. November to February give you an ideal opportunity to visit the city. The days are balmy with soothing sun rays. Avoid visiting during summers which start from March and lasts until August. The temperature reaches 45 degrees Celsius, and it is extremely hot.

When it comes to the best time of the day, night time could be preferred as the building looks stunning when it is lighted up with yellow lights.

How To Reach Albert Hall Museum

The Albert Hall is located near Ajmeri Gate, in Ramniwas Bagh, Jaipur. The easiest way to reach the hall is to grab an autorickshaw or a taxi. Be careful with the auto drivers as they tend to charge higher from foreigners. Cabs can also be easily booked in Jaipur.