May 18 was International Museum Day. Leading museums in the city showcased a packed day of programming, inviting children and grown-ups to drop by to celebrate the day with fun interactions and activities. Dare we say, but it was more or less on predictable lines where they do their best to engage and educate Mumbaikars about the treasures that exist within the city. A curated feature in The Guide section of mid-day (edition dated May 18, 2026) also reminded [I hope!] readers of the city’s lesser-known museums — from the Monetary Museum at the Reserve Bank of India in Fort, to the taxidermy section tucked in the green environs of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, to the recently-opened FD Alpaiwalla Museum in Khareghat Colony, the world’s only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to the Parsis and Iranian Zoroastrians. In fact, it was during our visit to the Alpaiwalla Museum, when it reopened in March 2025 that stakeholders had voiced their keenness to create a planned trail, where visitors — especially schoolchildren — could visit this museum and then head to Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya nearby, for a doubly immersive experience. We thought the idea was a masterstroke.

The now-shut Ballard Bunder Gatehouse Museum was a treasure trove of Mumbai’s maritime history. PIC/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS