Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

Founded in 1922 as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India and renamed in 1998, the CSMVS is the principal museum of Mumbai. The building, designed by George Wittet (also architect of the Gateway of India), is the most accomplished example of Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture in India — a Bijapur-inspired central dome rising from a basalt-and-yellow-stone facade set in formal gardens. The collection spans roughly 50,000 objects across three principal sections: the Art Section (Mughal and Rajput miniatures, decorative arts), the Archaeology Section (Indus Valley terracottas, Gandhara sculpture, Chalukyan and Hoysala stonework), and the Natural History Section. Notable holdings include the Wadhera collection of Nepali and Tibetan art, an unmatched run of Mughal jade objects, and a rotating gallery of European paintings donated by Sir Ratan Tata. The audio guide is available in multiple Indian languages and is genuinely well-produced.