The Best Museums In Pune Will Help You Rediscover The City

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"What to do in the city?" – is a question that’s most commonly heard when relatives are visiting, or our group of friends is bored. Strangely enough, visiting a museum never seems to be one of the top answers to that question. However, museums offer you the chance to travel back in time and see the city from a totally different point of view.

As it happens, Pune is home to a few unique museums that will enthral you and your companions if you do decide to pay them a visit! Not only do they offer hours of knowledge and entertainment, but they also make for a fun change from the usual outdoor activities that we all seem to end up doing. So, here’s a list of the best museums in Pune that are definitely worthy of your valuable time, and will let you view the city in a completely new light!

These Museums In Pune Make For A Fun-Filled Day Out!

Vikram Pendse Cycle Museum

If you’re interested in cycles, motorbikes, and all things two-wheeled, this is one of the best museums in Pune for you to visit. Located in a beautiful bungalow, motorbike and bicycle aficionado Vikram Pendse has been collecting cycles and various artefacts since the last 15 years. The museum is a multi-storied, swanky new museum designed by artist Anil Gujar and is at par with many international museums. Split into three floors, the first and third floors are dedicated to bicycles and their accessories. The second floor houses different household artefacts along with fascinating scale models and toys for kids. The highlight of the museum is a replica of a cycle shop from the 1940's complete with vintage cycle ads, spare parts, tyres and nuts and bolts! His vast collection which includes not just bicycles, but also children’s tricycles, hopping scooters, pedal cars and many other fascinating artefacts.
Where: 22, Harsha Bungalow, Sahawas Society, Karve Nagar
When: 11 am to 7 pm, Closed on Tuesdays
Price: Rs 150
Contact: 850418517

Farid Shaikh's Camera Museum

Whether you’re a passionate photographer, someone with a love of antique gadgets, or even someone who just likes to explore new things, Fardi Shaikh’s Camera Museum is one of the best places to visit in Pune. With Asia's largest collection of cameras in store, Mr. Shaikh and his passion for cameras is a treat for photography lovers. That probably is one of the reasons why he started a Camera museum in the city. Passion is too incapable a word to explain what camera means to him. Proof of his passion? He has gathered over 2000 cameras from across the globe. A 35-mm cinematography projector welcomes you at the door, and then you walk into a world of cameras and witness their evolution — from the oldest camera series called Novelty, which was made 200 years ago, to the latest DSLRs, from cameras made of cardboard and wood to the metallic models of today. If you’re planning to visit the museum, we suggest you give him a call first!

Where: Farid Manzil, Next to Maruti Service Station, Above Sony Service Centre, Kondhwa Budruk

When: 10 am to 7 pm
Contact: 9371268290

Keshavrao Jagtap Museum

Opened in 2016 in the premises of Erandwane fire station, Keshavrao Jagtap Museum is Maharashtra’s one-of-a-kind museum dedicated to the Fire Department. The two-storey fire and rescue museum is inspired by London’s Fire Brigade Museum. It houses collectables such as the vintage Rolls-Royce Dennis fire brigade that was used in 1961 Panshet Dam rescue operations, dusty helmets dating back to 1930’s and other types of rescue equipment.
Where: 5, Shankarao Joshi Road, Pandurang Colony, Erandwane
When: Open 24 hours
Price: Free entry
Contact: 020 25468373

Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum

One of the best known and most visited museums in Pune, Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is based on the collection of the late Dr D G Kelkar and houses more than 20,000 artefacts of which 2,500 are on display. The three-storey building houses various sculptures dating back to the 14th century. The museum has an impressive display of antiques like utensils, writing tools, musical instruments and wooden objects. On the ground floor, there’s a display of the household vessels which date all the way back from 18th and 19th century from Kerala, Gujarat and Maharashtra. There is also a music gallery and a recreation of Mastani Mahal. This one is sight for sore eyes!
Where: 1377-78, Natu Baug, Off Bajirao Road, Mandai, Shukrawar Peth
When: 9 am to 6 pm
Price: Rs 15
Contact: 02024474466

Joshi's Museum Of Miniature Railways

If trains bring out the Sheldon Cooper in you, the miniature railway museum is definitely the stuff of your dreams. Showcasing working models of trains, (double-deckers, electric trains, trams and more) heading from station to station through cross signals, stations, tunnels, lakes, amusement parks, and even a circus, the museum is a result of 40 years of hard work by railway enthusiast and engineer, BS Joshi. So, if you live in or around Kothrud and have been Googling ‘museums near me’ in an effort to find something to do, your search comes to an end here! You’re not going to find many museums like this one in the country, so head over right away for a fun-filled experience. Keep in mind, however, that the train show is only conducted if there are more than four visitors, so you might want to round up some companions.

Where: 17/1 B/2 G.A. Kulkarni Road, Next to Sangam Press, Kothrud

When: 10 am to 5 pm (2 pm till 5 pm on Thursdays and 5 pm to 8 pm on Saturdays and Sundays)
Price: Rs 80
Contact: 020 25435378

Blades of Glory

India is a country that treats cricket as a religion, so this 4,000 sq ft museum won’t come as a surprise to many. One of the best museums in Pune for die-hard cricket lovers to visit, it houses rare cricket memorabilia, such as personally autographed cricket-related items by the who’s who of the game. These items include bats signed by each of the 11 World Cup-winning teams. There is also personal cricket gear signed by greats, including Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, Mark Waugh, Allan Border, Kevin Pietersen, Sourav Ganguly, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, to name a few.
Where: Third Floor, Govind Gaurav Apartment C, Swanand Society Lane 1, Sahakar Nagar 2
When: 10.30 am to 7 pm
Price: Rs 50
Contact: 91 9822454567

Tribal Museum

Located next to the Government VVIP Rest House, Tribal Museum is a part of the Tribal Research & Training Institute. The small museum exhibits art and handicrafts by a number of tribes (primordial and existing) from Maharashtra, especially Sahyadri and Gondwana regions. On display are objects that were used by tribal communities, such as utensils, weapons, ornaments, clothes and weapons. They also have a good display of Warli artwork, handmade masks and other artefacts in the museum.
Where: 28, Queen’s Garden, Near Old Circuit House, Bund Garden Road
When: 10 am to 5 pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays
Price: Free
Contact: 020 26362772

Dajikaka Gadgil Museum

If you’re someone who is captivated by the beauty of jewellery and the art of making delicate pieces, this is one of the best museums in Pune to visit. All that glitters is indeed gold at the museum dedicated to Dajikaka Gadgil, a renowned goldsmith from Maharashtra. To celebrate his 100th birth anniversary last year, his progeny decided to pay homage to a museum highlighting his life, and some of his best works. The 3,000 sq ft space with ambient lights and sculptures renders space an art exhibition like feel. Apart from Dajikaka’s life-like sculpture, other interesting things to look at includes the jewellery designed by him apart from an audio-video presentation called the Journey Of Jewellery – a biopic on Dajikaka’s life and work.
Where: No. 147/19/20, Sholapur Road, Opposite Magarpatta South Gate l Hadapsar East
When: 10.30 am to 7 pm. Closed on Mondays
Price: Free
Contact: 020 26890611
Dajikaka Gadgil Museum Image Courtesy: Rashi Vachhani

National War Memorial Museum

Dedicated to cataloguing and shining light upon the valiant efforts of our soldiers to protect the country, the National War Memorial Museum near RSI is one of the best museums in Pune to visit if you’re interested in the army. Its exhibits celebrate the many tales of valour and sacrifices of our soldiers, both pre and post Independence, in the form of photographs, paintings, historical artefacts, and documents, and the best part is that entry here is completely free! The museum is spread out over three halls, all of them decked out with paintings depicting historic events from battles past. For more information on our present military setup, you can head to the main Southern Command Museum, where a pictorial showcase of everything from the genesis of the military structure of the presidency armies, pictures of all the war memorials across India, information plaques, and even machine guns and rifles are on display.

Interestingly, this is one of those rare museums where the outside is just as interesting as the inside! The building is surrounded by lush greenery in the form of perfectly-maintained lawns that make for pleasant viewing. Not just that, there is also a Munitions Gallery where you can spot scaled-down models of the Agni V, Nag, and Prithvi missiles as well as an array of bullets to check out. There is even a paintball range on the premises where you can try your hand at firing some guns, as well as a decent cafeteria and a well-stocked souvenir shop that are worth dropping into too. And finally, perhaps the most exciting of all, no less than seven tanks lined up outside, offering a stately salute as you walk out!

Where: Prince Of Wales Road, Ghorpadi Lines, Near RSI

When: 9.30 am to noon and 3 pm to 7 pm, Tuesday closed

Entry: Free

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