Quaid-e-Azam House Museum, also called Flagstaff House, is the Karachi home where Muhammad Ali Jinnah lived from 1944 until his death in 1948. The official Sindh antiquities listing gives opening hours of 9 am to 5 pm, closed on Wednesdays, with a ticket of PKR 20 for adults, PKR 10 for children aged 6 to 12 and PKR 300 for foreigners. Some other listings give different hours and prices, so it is worth a phone call before you go.
It is a short, calm visit, about an hour, and one of the few museums in the city where the house itself is the exhibit. This guide covers the ticket, the timings, what you see inside and how to fit it into a day around Saddar.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Address | Junction of Shahrah-e-Faisal and Fatima Jinnah Road, Staff Lines, Karachi Cantonment |
| Timings | 9 am to 5 pm, closed Wednesday (official listing; some sites show shorter hours) |
| Tickets | Adults PKR 20, children 6 to 12 PKR 10, foreigners PKR 300 (Sindh antiquities listing) |
| Student groups | Free for study and research, per the same listing |
| Phone | 021-99212126 (Sindh antiquities) |
| Time needed | About one hour |
Timings, and why to check first
The Department of Antiquities and Archaeology of the Sindh government lists the museum as open 9 am to 5 pm and closed on Wednesday. Tripadvisor and travel sites show a variety of other timings, including a lunch gap and an earlier close, and different ticket prices as well.
The safe approach is to plan to arrive before noon and call the museum on 021-99212126 the day before, especially around public holidays, Muharram and Eid, when government museums often change their hours. Ticket prices have been revised before, so treat the figures here as a guide and pay what the booking office at the gate asks. Foreign visitors pay a much higher rate than Pakistanis.
The house and its history
The building is a yellow sandstone house designed by the architect Moses Somake and built in the 1880s. Jinnah bought it in 1943 and moved in the following year. Fatima Jinnah lived in the house after his death, until 1964. The government took it over in 1985 and turned it into a museum devoted to his personal life.
It stands on a large plot in the Cantonment area, on a corner that is hard to miss from the road. The house is a National Monument.
What you see inside
The museum keeps the rooms of a family home rather than a gallery. According to recent visitor reviews, you walk through rooms such as the drawing room, the dining room, a sitting lounge, the bedrooms, the breakfast area and the kitchen. They contain furniture, personal belongings and photographs, and the interiors have been kept as they were arranged in his time.
There is also a garden around the house, which visitors describe as pleasant but in need of upkeep. Entry is through the main gate, where the booking office and a bookshop are found.
Expect to read labels and look, not to interact. There are no rides, no audio-visual show that we can verify, and no café, so this is a visit for people who like history and quiet.
Photography
Rules are stricter inside than outside. Reviews report photography is fine in the garden and on the exterior, but not inside the rooms, in order to protect the objects. Staff at the door will tell you the current rule, and rules can change, so ask before taking your phone out.
How to get there
The museum is on Shahrah-e-Faisal at the Fatima Jinnah Road junction, close to Karachi's main hotels around Avari Towers and Hotel Mehran, and close to Saddar. A taxi or ride-hailing car is the easiest way, and Shahrah-e-Faisal is heavy with traffic at rush hour, so allow extra time. For buses and other options see our note on Karachi public transport.
There are places to eat within a few minutes: Burns Road's food street is close, and our guide to Burns Road explains what to order.
Combining it with other places
A good half-day of Karachi history could run like this:
- Start at Quaid-e-Azam House when it opens.
- Move on to Frere Hall and the nearby Mohatta Palace, both colonial-era buildings with their own opening hours and closed days.
- Have lunch on Burns Road or in Saddar.
- Visit the Mazar-e-Quaid later in the day.
Remember that many Karachi museums close on different days, so check each one. Our Karachi heritage walk and our experiences page show other ways to put a day together.
Who should go
The museum suits people interested in Pakistan's founding, families with school-age children studying the Pakistan Movement, and photographers of colonial architecture. It is also a good stop for visitors from other cities on a first day in Karachi.
It will not suit very young children or anyone wanting a lively attraction. There is limited to see beyond the rooms and garden, and an hour is usually enough. If your day is short, choose between this house and the Mazar-e-Quaid according to what you want: a home, or a national monument.
Frequently asked questions
What are Quaid-e-Azam House Museum timings?
The Sindh antiquities listing says 9 am to 5 pm, closed on Wednesday. Other sites show different hours, so call 021-99212126 before you set out.
What is the ticket price?
The official listing gives PKR 20 for adults, PKR 10 for children aged 6 to 12 and PKR 300 for foreigners. Other sources give different figures, and prices may have changed.
Is photography allowed inside?
Visitors report that it is allowed in the garden and outside, but not inside the rooms. Ask staff at the entrance.
Who built Flagstaff House?
It was designed by Moses Somake in the 1880s. Jinnah bought it in 1943, and it became a museum in 1985.
How long does the visit take?
About an hour, including the garden.
Is Quaid-e-Azam House the same as the Mazar-e-Quaid?
No. The house is where he lived, in the Cantonment area. The Mazar-e-Quaid is his mausoleum, in a separate part of the city.
