Watson Museum

About Watson Museum, Rajkot

Saurashtra's colonial history and regional antiquities

• Watson Museum sits inside Jubilee Garden in central Rajkot and ranks among the oldest civic museums in Gujarat.
• Established in 1888, the institute honors Colonel John Watson, a British political agent who documented the history of Kathiawar.
• The building itself exhibits Italianate colonial architecture with limestone carvings.
• The galleries display excavated pottery and stone seals from Harappan settlements like Rangpur, alongside 13th-century temple sculptures, copper plate inscriptions, and silver coins minted by regional princely states.
• A prominent marble statue of Queen Victoria anchors the central hall, surrounded by antique textiles, local beadwork, and armory from royal Saurashtra families.
• Winter months, specifically November through February, provide comfortable temperatures for touring the grounds.
• The museum operates from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, remaining closed on Wednesdays, select public holidays, and the second and fourth Saturday of each month.