The school was originally founded as the Rajkot English School in 1853 and later renamed Alfred High School in honor of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.
Gandhi's admission register entry, noting him as 'Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi', is preserved and remains a central highlight for visitors.
The museum uses kinetic sculptures and immersive 'light and sound' shows to narrate specific life events.
The restoration process involved removing layers of modern paint to reveal the original architectural materials and lime plaster.
The museum grounds include an open courtyard that served as the primary gathering space for students during the Victorian era.
The Mahatma Gandhi Museum, formerly known as the Alfred High School, is the institution where Mahatma Gandhi received his secondary education from 1880 to 1887. The building was transformed into an interactive, high-tech museum following a significant restoration project completed in 2018. It showcases Gandhi's life journey through 39 exhibition halls utilizing 3D projection mapping, touch screens, and audio-visual archives. The site occupies the original masonry structure that dates back to the British colonial era in the late 19th century. The museum displays personal artifacts, rare photographs, and digitized records of his time as a student in Rajkot. It serves as a historical repository of his formative years before he moved to London and later South Africa.
The restored colonial-era stone facade of the main building provides the most iconic architectural frame.
Spend time exploring the interactive kiosks to access digitized letters and personal journals.
Visit the archives section to view the original school records, which are displayed with high-resolution digital magnification.
Keep your visit pacing moderate to ensure you can digest the extensive multimedia presentations provided in each of the 39 rooms.
Do not attempt to photograph restricted artifacts or archival documents where flash photography is prohibited.
Closed on Mondays.
Maintain a quiet, respectful demeanor; remove footwear before entering specific preserved interior sections.