Shankar's International Dolls Museum Delhi: Timings and Guide

Shankar's International Dolls Museum is one of Delhi's most delightful and unusual attractions, a treasure house of thousands of beautiful dolls from around the world, gathered under one roof in the heart of the city. A joy for children and families and a fascinating window into the costumes, crafts and cultures of the globe, it is a charming, colourful and refreshingly different place to visit, well off the usual monument trail. This guide from Delhi Agra Tour Packages covers what it is, its history, the collection, the timings and entry, how to reach it and what to see, ideally as part of a Delhi day on a Golden Triangle tour.

I was born in Delhi and in more than 11 years guiding the Golden Triangle for Experience My India I have brought many families to this charming museum and the children always leave smiling. Here is the clear, practical guide.

Shankar's Dolls Museum at a glance

What is Shankar's International Dolls Museum?

Shankar's International Dolls Museum is a famous and much-loved museum in central Delhi, home to one of the largest and most beautiful collections of dolls anywhere in the world. Housed in the Nehru House building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, in the ITO area, it displays thousands of dolls from across the globe, each in its traditional costume, arranged with care in gleaming glass cases across two large galleries.

With over 6,000 dolls from around 85 countries, gathered from every corner of the world, the museum is a colourful, joyful celebration of the diversity of human cultures, dress and craft, all under one roof. Each doll wears the traditional or regional costume of its homeland, so that walking the galleries is like taking a journey around the world, from the folk dress of Europe to the ceremonial finery of India.

It is especially loved by children and families, who are enchanted by the sheer number and variety of the dolls, but it fascinates visitors of all ages, doll lovers, artists, students of costume and culture and anyone simply curious about the world. Beautifully curated, lovingly maintained and quietly wonderful, it is one of Delhi's most charming and family-friendly attractions and a welcome, unexpected contrast to the city's forts and tombs.

The history and founder of the museum

The museum has a lovely story behind it. It was founded in 1965 by the celebrated Indian political cartoonist K. Shankar Pillai, known simply as Shankar, often called the father of Indian cartooning, who also founded the Children's Book Trust to nurture children's literature and creativity in India.

The collection is said to have begun when Shankar was gifted a beautiful doll while travelling, which sparked a lifelong passion for collecting dolls from around the world during his journeys and encouraging friends, diplomats and admirers to send him more. As the collection grew into the thousands, far too many to keep at home, he created the museum so that the dolls could be shared with the public and especially with children, whom he loved and championed throughout his life. Run today by the Children's Book Trust, the museum remains a labour of love and a wonderful gift to the city and its story of a single doll blossoming into one of the world's great doll collections is as charming as the dolls themselves.

The collection

The heart of the museum is its vast, beautiful and thoughtfully arranged collection, displayed in gleaming glass cases across two main sections:

• Dolls of the Western world: one section displays dolls from Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, in their traditional and regional costumes, from folk dress to national dress.

• Dolls of Asia, Africa and India: the other section is devoted to dolls from the Asian countries, Africa and India, including a wonderful array of Indian dolls in the costumes of different regions and communities.

• Scenes and themes: many dolls are arranged in charming scenes and tableaux, depicting dances, weddings, festivals, royal courts, daily life and folk traditions from around the world, each telling a little story.

• The Indian dolls: the Indian collection is a special highlight, showing the astonishing variety of the country's regional dress, its classical dances like Kathakali and Bharatanatyam, its brides and its ceremonies and a colourful portrait of India in miniature.

• The craftsmanship: the dolls themselves range from simple folk figures to exquisitely detailed and costumed pieces, a delight for anyone who appreciates fine handwork.

Wandering through the cases, from the costumes of distant lands to the many colourful faces of India, is a genuine delight for young and old alike and a vivid, memorable lesson in the cultures of the world.

Shankar's Dolls Museum timings

The museum keeps regular daily hours and is closed one day a week.

The most important thing to know is that the museum is closed on Mondays, so plan your visit for another day to avoid a wasted trip. On the other six days, Tuesday to Sunday, it is open from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, with the last entry a little before closing, so allow enough time, ideally an hour or two, to enjoy the large collection at a relaxed pace rather than rushing.

Shankar's Dolls Museum entry fee

The entry fee is very modest, making the museum an affordable family outing.

At such a low price, just a few rupees, it is one of the best-value attractions in all of Delhi and wonderfully affordable for a family day out. Fees can change over time, so carry a little cash and reconfirm the current charges before you go, though they are unlikely ever to be more than nominal.

What to see and do at the museum

There is a great deal to enjoy across the museum's two galleries:

• Explore the world of dolls: wander the cases of dolls from around the globe, marvel at the costumes, colours and craftsmanship of dozens of countries and spot familiar and unfamiliar cultures alike.

• Admire the Indian dolls: take in the rich variety of Indian dolls, in the dress of different states, castes and communities and the lively scenes of dances, weddings and ceremonies.

• Enjoy the scenes and tableaux: many dolls are set in delightful little scenes of weddings, festivals, courts and daily life, telling stories from around the world in miniature.

• A treat for children: the colour, variety and sheer number of the dolls make the museum especially magical for children, who love picking out their favourites.

• A cultural window: for adults, it is a fascinating and educational study of world costume, craft and culture, all gathered in one place and a reminder of how much the world's peoples share and how gloriously they differ.

• A cool, quiet break: as an indoor, air-conditioned museum, it is a peaceful and comfortable break from a busy day of Delhi sightseeing, whatever the weather.

It is easy to spend a happy hour or two here, wandering slowly from case to case and it makes a lovely, gentle change of pace from Delhi's grand monuments and busy markets, especially with children in tow or on a hot or rainy day.

Why visit Shankar's Dolls Museum?

Shankar's International Dolls Museum offers something quite different from Delhi's usual sights: a colourful, joyful, family-friendly experience celebrating the cultures, crafts and costumes of the whole world. It is a wonderful place to bring children, who are enchanted by the thousands of dolls and a surprisingly fascinating, charming stop for adults too, with its story of one man's passion and its window onto the world's cultures.

For visitors, it is a delightful and unexpected side of Delhi, a peaceful, air-conditioned haven of colour and craft in the busy city centre and a chance to see the world's diversity in miniature, all for a few rupees. Affordable, central and utterly charming, it is one of the capital's most underrated attractions, a lovely change of pace from the forts and tombs and it features among the offbeat gems in our hidden places to visit in Delhi guide.

How to reach Shankar's Dolls Museum

The museum is in the Nehru House building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, in the ITO area of central Delhi and it is easy to reach:

• By metro: the nearest station is ITO, on the Violet Line, a short walk or auto ride from the museum, so the metro is the easiest way to arrive.

• By road: autos, ride-hailing cabs and buses reach the ITO area easily from across the city, given its central location.

• On foot: from the ITO metro station, the museum is a short, easy walk along Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.

Its central ITO location makes it simple to include in a day of central Delhi sightseeing, close to India Gate and the government district and easy to combine with other nearby attractions in a single, well-planned outing.

When is the best time to visit?

The best time to visit Shankar's Dolls Museum is October to March, when Delhi's weather is pleasant for getting around the city, though as an indoor, air-conditioned museum it is a comfortable and welcome retreat at any time of year, including the fierce heat of the summer months and the rains of the monsoon, when an indoor attraction is especially appealing.

Within the day, a mid-morning or afternoon visit works well, allowing plenty of time to enjoy the collection before the 5:30 PM closing. Remember that the museum is closed on Mondays and weekends and school holidays can be busier with families and children, so a weekday visit outside holiday times is the calmest if you prefer fewer crowds. Allow an hour or two for an unhurried look around both galleries.

What is near Shankar's Dolls Museum?

The museum's central ITO location makes it easy to pair with several nearby attractions:

•  India Gate and central Delhi: the great war memorial and the wider central Delhi, with its grand monuments, gardens and government buildings, are close by, an easy addition to a day.

• Pragati Maidan and the crafts museum: the vast Pragati Maidan exhibition grounds and the wonderful National Crafts Museum, with its living crafts and folk art, are nearby, more excellent options for families and culture lovers looking to fill a day.

• The city centre: the museum fits neatly into a central Delhi day of sightseeing, alongside spots like the atmospheric ancient stepwell in our Agrasen ki Baoli Delhi guide and the green calm of our Garden of Five Senses Delhi guide.

Our things to do in Delhi guide covers the wider city's highlights and our places to eat in Delhi guide the best food spots, to round out your day.

Travel tips for Shankar's Dolls Museum

• Do not visit on a Monday, when the museum is closed all day.

• Take the metro to ITO station, then a short walk along Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.

• Carry a little cash for the modest entry fee.

• Allow an hour or two to enjoy the large collection at a relaxed pace.

• It is a wonderful, air-conditioned option for families and children in any weather.

• Combine it with the nearby India Gate, Pragati Maidan and central Delhi sights.

Want Shankar's Dolls Museum and the best of central Delhi planned into a smooth, family-friendly day? Message us on WhatsApp and Experience My India will build it for you.

Plan your trip with us

Delhi has wonderful surprises beyond its famous monuments and we love weaving them into a well-paced day, the headline sights, the hidden gems and family-friendly stops like this, with a licensed guide and the transport sorted, so your day flows and everyone, young and old, enjoys the city.

Tell us your dates and group size and we will price it honestly around your standard rather than a fixed figure and we will happily build in child-friendly stops like this alongside the grand sights so the whole family enjoys the day. Explore the capital with our New Delhi tour or make a full day of it with our Delhi day tour. We can build it all within our wider Delhi Agra Tour Packages.

Related guides

• Nearby places to visit in Delhi: the best getaways from the city.

• Old Delhi tour: the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk.

• Golden Triangle tours: the classic Delhi, Agra and Jaipur circuit.

• Sunrise Taj tour: the Taj Mahal at its most beautiful.

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