Jim Corbett Gurney House, Nainital - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 2 km from Tallital Bus Stand, Gurney House is a historic building located on Ayarpatta Hill in Nainital. This place was the residence of hunter-conservationist and writer Jim Corbett.

Gurney House is a charming 19th century British cottage. In 1871, Jim Corbett's mother, Mary Jane Corbett had bought this 1.7 acres of land. The cottage was constructed in 1881 with the dismantled material of their earlier house on Alma Hill. After the death of their mother in 1924, the home was inherited by Margaret Winifred Corbett, sister of Jim Corbett. Jim Corbett lived in the Gurney House along with his sister Maggie Corbett till 1947 before leaving permanently for Kenya. The house was sold to Mr. Sharada Prasad Varma. Currently the house is owned by his granddaughter, Nilanjana Dalmia.

The house is surrounded by a beautiful garden having trees of Angu, Rhododendron and Tilaunj or Kharsu. The cottage is a typical English country home with complete glass windows. There is a central gallery having dining room and drawing rooms on both sides and three bedrooms towards the right. The walls of bedrooms also have big windows for natural light and air. The roof is slanting as in most colonial houses but has a high conical form in the center.

The house has been converted into a museum now and is known as the Jim Corbett Museum. The museum contains Corbett's possessions, including his trophies, African drum, boat, fishing rod, books, and furniture.

Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM