Town Hall Museum

Town Hall Museum is a heritage museum housed in a neo-Gothic building constructed between 1872 and 1876 by British engineer Charles Mant in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Originally serving as the town hall and later the diwan's residence, it was converted into a museum in 1949 to preserve artifacts from Brahmapuri excavations. The museum features seven galleries displaying Satavahana and Shilahara period relics, including a bronze Poseidon statue, ancient weaponry, sculptures, and paintings by local artists.

Visitors can explore seven dedicated galleries containing archaeological finds from the Satavahana and Shilahara periods, including a notable bronze statue of the Greek god Poseidon, Roman medallions, and 18th-century cannons. The museum also exhibits ivory and sandalwood carvings, terracotta musical instruments, metal artifacts, and paintings by renowned Kolhapur artists like Baburao Painter. The heritage building is surrounded by 7-8 acres of gardens featuring a 1904 glasshouse and a marble statue of Shivaji Maharaj installed in 1927.

Built during 1872-76 by British engineer Charles Mant with royal treasury funding, the structure served as the municipal town hall and later housed the diwan of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj. The museum was established in 1949 to house artifacts from excavations at Brahmapuri Hills conducted by Dr. H.D. Sankalia and Dr. M.G. Dikshit, revealing evidence of ancient Kolhapur's trade relations with Rome through Satavahana-era findings.

The museum preserves Kolhapur's artistic heritage through works by celebrated local painters such as Baburao Painter, Ravindra Mestry, and Abalal Rahiman. It serves as a repository for the region's material culture, showcasing craftsmanship in ivory, sandalwood, and metalwork alongside archaeological evidence of the city's historical importance as a center of Indo-Roman trade and Maratha administration.