International Dolls Museum is a large collection of dolls in Delhi, India. It was setup by K. Shankar Pillai, a political cartoonist.

The location

The museum is located in the Children’s Book Trust building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi. It occupies a floor area of 5184.5 square feet on the first floor. A separate entrance with a winding staircase leads up to a foyer.

Layout

Inside, the Museum is divided into two equal halves. The two sections have over 160 glass cases, 1000 foot long, mounted on the walls. One section has exhibits from Europe, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Common Wealth of Independent States and the other from Asian countries, the Middle East, Africa and India.

Besides, dolls representing various countries, there is also a special display of over 150 kinds of authentic Indian costume dolls. These were made at the Dolls Workshop attached to the Museum. Business Hours
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. without any lunch break. The ticket counter closes at 5.30 p.m.

Set up by the renowned political cartoonist, K. Shankar Pillai (1902-1989), Shankar’s International Dolls Museum has one of the largest collection of costume dolls anywhere in the world.
Indian dolls made at the workshop are exchanged for gifts received from abroad as well as sold to collectors and museums in India and abroad.
The Museum’s collection of costume dolls was inspired by a gift of a single doll, which Shankar received from the Hungarian Ambassador in the early fifties, to be given away as a prize in the Shankar’s International Children’s Competition.

Shankar's International Dolls Museum
Nehru House, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg
Delhi
Northern & Central Region
Tel: 3316970
Dolls from all over the world.
Timings: 1000-1800 hrs. Closed on Mondays.