Located in the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg Children's Book Trust Building, Shankar's International Dolls Museum is a veritable children's dreamland. Shankar's Museum is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions; it was the famous cartoonist K. Shankar Pillai, who conceptualized the idea behind the museum. The repository is divided into two parts, and has over 160 shelves full of dolls from all over the world. At the time of its establishment, in 1965, the museum was inaugurated with just about 500 dolls; however, as of now, the number has shot up to a collection of 6500 dolls from over 85 countries, 500 of which are from India's various states themselves.

 

Spread over an area of 5000 square feet, the museum has two sections — one to show the dolls from Western nations, and the other to show dolls from India and Asia. This also features a laboratory area where visitors can learn the art of producing dolls. The dollhouse itself was modeled in various themes, including man on the moon, native Mexicans, kabuki dancer from Japan, etc. Shankar's Museum in all of India is the largest of its kind. Considered the best choice for day out for youngsters, tourists frequent the museum throughout the year.