Fort

Getting there

By metro By far the most comfortable and fastest way of getting into Fort. The Aqua Line 3 connects the city's airport to the 1 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus 3 .

By train The Central and Harbour lines of the Mumbai Suburban Railway end at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Central Harbour (CSMT). Most tourist areas can be reached most easily from CSMT.

On foot Since the district is not very spread out, walking is a good option. This allows the opportunity of admiring the architecture, interacting with locals and tasting street food.

By car It is best to avoid getting your car here, especially on a weekday. While traffic discipline is better than almost anywhere else in India, the extraordinary amount of traffic and the near impossibility of finding parking close to your destination make this a bad option to take. Even if you drive down, it is a good idea to park your car at one of the paid parking areas run by the Municipal Corporation (look for "BMC" or "MCGM" on the streets) and then take other means of transport to your destination.

See

The area houses several colonial buildings which can be best explored on foot. Today the buildings serve as railway stations, office buildings, departmental stores, museums and libraries. The Interior of office buildings and libraries are usually out of reach of ordinary tourists but the museums do allow visitors. Although the colonial buildings are scattered all over the district, they can be classified under certain geographical areas, like Around Oval Maidan, Mumbai Harbour and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Chowk.

1 Dalal Street (दलाल पथ Dalāl Path). The historic financial heart of Mumbai, and home to the iconic Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Like New York's Wall Street, Dalal Street is a metonym for India's big business, stock market and the entire financial industry based in Mumbai. A narrow alley running between Mumbai Samachar Marg and Nagindas Master Rd, Dalal Street is named after the Marathi word for broker, as local brokers were trading informally under banyan trees near Horniman Circle in the 1850s. In 1875, they formed the Native Share and Stock Brokers’ Association, which is now the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). (updated Mar 2026) 2 Elphinstone College. Eliphinstone College is affiliated with Dr Homi Bhabha State University since 2019. The college was established in 1856 and was part of Mumbai University till 2019. The grand building housing the college came up in 1888. The building was designed by Trubshaw, and supervised by Khan Bahadur Muncherjee Murzban. It follows Gothic architecture and is a Grade I heritage building. (updated Jan 2023) 3 Esplanade Mansion (formerly Watson's Hotel), Library Marg, Mantralaya. It was once one of the most posh hotels in the area, now in a pathetic condition due to negligence. There's a popular myth that Jamsetji Tata was refused entry to the hotel and he went on to build the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel near the Gateway of India. However, there's no evidence behind this story, and it's mainly shared to highlight his success stori

Do

Cinemas 1 Capitol Cinema (opposite CSMT). A cinema built in 1879 by Kunvarji Paghtivala as a theatre. It was converted into a cinema by 1928. (updated Jun 2023)

Parks and clubs

2 Azad Maidan (आझाद मैदान Ājhād Maidān). A triangular urban open space in the heart of Mumbai. The Azad along with Cooperage Maidan, Cross Maidan and Oval Maidan once from the Esplanade, an open area that lay beyond the ramparts of the fort. After the demolition of the fort, several streets were constructed across the Esplanade, fragmenting it into several separate patches of green. Azad Maidan is known for its cricket pitches, protest meetings and political rallies. (updated Jun 2023) 3 Bombay Gymkhana, Fort. One of the premiere gentlemen's clubs in the city. It was originally a British-only club, designed by architect Claude Batley. The Gymkhana's Grounds offers its members various sporting facilities like rugby, football, cricket, swimming, tennis, badminton and squash and also has a fitness centre. (updated Jun 2023) 4 Oval Maidan (suburban: Churchgate Western ). A large urban open space in the heart of Mumbai. It covers an area of 22 acres (8.9 hectares) and is oval in shape and hence the name Oval Maidan. It is a recreational ground with cricket and football being the most popular sports. The ground is also used by morning and evening walkers. The park is maintained by the Oval-Cooperage Residents Association, and all sorts of functions, picnics and political rallies are banned in the park. The park has been fenced off and a jogging track added along the inner periphery. A paved lane cut through the diameter of the ground to facilitate a smoother thoroughfare. On the northern side of the Oval Maidan lies the Western Railway Office. The eastern side is flanked by the Old Secretariat Building, Rajabai Clock Tower of Mumbai University and the Bombay High Court. The eastern side of the Oval Maidan is lined with a series of Art Deco buildings. (updated Jun 2023)

Buy

Bookshops 1 Strand Book Stall, Sayed Abdullah Brevil Rd, Borabazar Precinct, Ballard Estate, ☏ +91 22661994, [email protected]. Daily? 10AM-8PM. Many books of all types, reliable bookseller. Warning: not to be confused with the (poor) Modern Book Stall, on Sir Pheroze Shah Mehta Road just nearby, with has very few books, mainly second-hand. (updated Apr 2017) 2 Mozeb Books, Podar Chambers, S.A. Brevli Rd, Fort, ☏ +91 22822660273, [email protected]. Wide choice of books on architecture, interior designing, and stained glass. Amazing place with qualified booksellers. Categories: architectural monographs, architectural rendering & competition, architectural theory, architecture, architecture & interiors of commercial spaces, design books and so on. Publishers from Actar to Wiley, including Arquitectos Mexicanos, Dover, El Croquis, Rizzoli, Shotenkenchiku Sha, Schiffer and many others. (updated Apr 2017) 3 Wayword & Wise, Strategic House, 44 Mint Rd, Fort, ☏ +91 2266349946, [email protected]. Very good bookseller; has new releases and classics. Literature, non-fiction, crime, gardening, arts and so on. Could be located in any English-speaking country. But offers a good choice of local literature. (updated Apr 2017) 4 Sterling Book House, 181, Dr. Dadabai Naoroji Rd, Fort (In front of D Sukhadwala Road), ☏ +91 22-22612521, [email protected]. Many scientific books in this little shop. All disciplines covered. Reliable vendors, the catalogue is displayed on the website, updated daily. (updated Apr 2017) 5 Computer Bookshop, Dr. Dadabai Naoroji Rd, Fort (close to the corner of D Sukhadwala Road). Reliable bookseller for computing. All aspects of computing are covered, many publishers here, Packt and O'Reilly being the prominent ones. (updated Apr 2017) 6 Kitab Khana, Somaiya Bhavan, Ground Floor, 45/47 Mahatma Gandhi Rd, Fort, ☏ +91 22 61702276, [email protected]. Very good bookshop