Timings : Monday to Friday – 9.00 AM to 4.30 PM Sunday and Public Holidays – 10.00 AM to 4.00 PM
Time Required : 2-3 hours
Entry Fee :For residents of Mauritius: Children: INR 25 Adults: INR 50 For non-residents of Mauritius: Children: INR 90 Adults: INR 90 - INR 150
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Mauritius Postal Museum, Mauritius Overview
The origin of postal services in Mauritius date back to the early 17th century in the form of a series of letters exchanged between the island and other parts of the world. It started happening right after people set foot in Mauritius for the first time, namely the Dutch. Quite evidently, the post office in Mauritius holds an essential position in defining the country’s history; so is the Mauritius Postal Museum that stands within an old building adjacent to the post office of Mauritius that is located near the Port Louis Waterfront.
Mauritius Postal Museum Source The Mauritius Post opened the Mauritius Postal Museum in 1995 that exhibits various stamps and miscellaneous articles from all over the world. The latest addition to the display in the museum includes the history of Mauritius Post, and it is portrayed through photographs and other visual displays. The Mauritius Postal Museum was declared as a specialised museum in 2000.
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Contact Details
Telephone - +230 211 3266/+230 213 4812
Website - www.mauritiuspost.mu
Opening Timings:
· Monday to Friday – 9.00 AM to 4.30 PM · Sunday and Public Holidays – 10.00 AM to 4.00 PM
Price
For residents of Mauritius: · Children (0-10 years) – Free · Children (11-17 years) – INR 25 · Adults (up to 60 years) – INR 50 · Senior Citizens – Free · Family Fare (2 adults and two children) – INR 135 · Group Fare (10-14 adults) – INR 45 per person · Group Fare (more than 15 adults) – INR 40 per person
For non-residents: · Children (0-7 years) – Free · Children (8-17 years) – INR 90 · Adults (up to 60 years) – INR 150 · Senior Citizens – INR 90 · Family Fare (2 adults and two children) – INR 440 · Group Fare (10-14 adults) – INR 135 per person · Group Fare (more than 15 adults) – INR 120 per person
In today’s world full of social media and E-mails, the significance of letters has gone downhill quite drastically. The Mauritius Postal Museum gives you a chance to get in touch with the origin of it all. So if you want to take a break from this fast growing world of technology, visit the Mauritius Postal Museum and go on a journey back in time!
Brief History
The present museum building was built in around 1865 under the supervision of General Morrison and was inaugurated in 1870. The location was near the harbour next to the Customs Building, and it was initially the main post of Mauritius known as the General Post Office.
Before that, the Post Museum was housed inside a hospital building which dates back to the British colonial period. After being listed as a National Monument in 1958 and being moved beside the Central Post Office, the Mauritius Postal Museum got a whole new dimension with a spacious setting for exhibiting the collections in a dynamic and modern way.
Visit the Museum
The tour of the Postal Museum is full of anecdotes related to the history of Mauritius’ postal tradition. It tells you stories about the men involved in the postal sector. And it goes way back to major events related to the origin of postal services in Mauritius dating back to 1772. The museum also records the significant milestones achieved by the postal services in the island.
St Louis Mauritius Telegraphy Station Source There are four rooms inside the museum with different displays including a temporary exhibition area and a philatelic gallery. The exhibition area is generally empty except for twice in a month when display events are being held.
The first room showcases information and posters about the origins of postal services in Mauritius. Some of the rarest stamps including the famous Red and Blue Penny stamps with Queen Victoria’s face imprinted on it can be found in the Blue Penny Museum inside the Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis.
Mauritius 1847 Post Office IV Source The second room has a collection of letters that were delivered to different parts of the island via trains. It’s mainly a visual display featuring equipment and uniforms those were used at that time for the delivery process. It also exhibits a big map showing the railway tracks on the island; you can hear the sound of a running train in the background that gives a realistic feel to the entire setting. The display of equipment continues in the third room where you can find old letterboxes and old scales, automatic stamp machines, etc.
The fourth and final room is upstairs which contains all the anecdotes, stories and information about the contemporary postal services of the island along with the structure of a postman and a bicycle. The uniform worn by the statue has quite a lot of resemblance with the one that is worn by postmen in the present day across the island.
The Postal Museum is a very informative place to visit in Mauritius, especially for kids as there is a minimal amount of interaction and they can read and understand a lot about the different historical events. To keep it even more interesting for the kids, there are variously illustrated captions that are easy to read, and it summarises all the significant information. The tour of the museum takes about an hour at least, but you are always welcome to take as much time as you need to read the information and watch the different types of equipment closely.
It takes you about 5 minutes from the centre of Port Louis to reach the Postal Museum. You have to walk towards the M2 Motorway or the Trunk Road and then take the Farquhar Street. Then turn left and heads towards the Waterfront Underpass. Take the pedestrian tunnel, take another left onto Quay Street and you will reach the Mauritius Postal Museum.
