Tollinton Market Building

"Tollinton Market, located on Mall Road in Lahore to the east of the Lahore Museum, holds an important place in the city’s historical landscape. Originally built in 1864, it was designed as Punjab’s first major exhibition hall to showcase the region’s arts, crafts, and agricultural products. This structure, once a prominent postcard-worthy landmark, provides valuable insights into the urban development of Lahore.

The hall initially housed Punjab’s museum collection, featuring rare artifacts, artworks, and unique cultural pieces. Following the collection’s relocation, the building was transferred to the Lahore Municipal Committee. In the 1920s, the renowned municipal engineer Rai Bahadur Sir Ganga Ram remodeled it into a market, transforming it into what is now known as Tollinton Market.

For decades, Tollinton Market served as a bustling marketplace, with small shops offering groceries, vegetables, meat, and other essentials. By the 1960s, the market included various popular stalls, such as a large grocery and vegetable store, a newspaper kiosk, a Singer sewing machine showroom, and a few meat shops. In 2006, the building was carefully renovated and repurposed as a Heritage Museum, celebrating its historical and architectural legacy. Today, it stands as an essential cultural landmark, although it remains closed on Mondays.

This restoration has been highly appreciated by conservationists who view Tollinton Market as an invaluable piece of Lahore’s urban history."

Salman Qamar

"Tollinton Market is located on the Mall Road to the east of the Lahore Museum. It was built to house the first important exhibition of Punjab's arts and crafts. This building, which once presented a picture post card view, is of great significance in tracing the urban history of Lahore. It was in this exhibition hall, now famous as Tollinton Market, that the first major exhibition (1864) of the produce and products of the province was held. It later housed the Punjab's museum collection consisting of objet d'art, arts and crafts and rare finds. After the transfer of the museum collection, the building was handed over to Lahore Municipal Committee. In the 1920s the building was remodelled as a market by the famous municipality engineer, Rai Bahadur Sir Ganga Ram, and became known as Tollinton Market. For decades, it served as a market, accommodating small stalls stocking a variety of daily provisions. Its recent rehabilitation and restoration have been welcomed by conservationists."

Muhammad Shoaib

"Built in 1864, it was Punjab Exhibition Hall.1894. It was commercialised as a set of shops.In 1920, Sir Ganga Ram remodelled it to current style and named it Tollington Market.I remember, in 1960s, there used to be a large grocery- cum- vegetable store, a newspaper shop, Singer machines showroom and shops of meat .In 2006, it was renovated and converted into a Heritage Museum. Closed on Monday."

Khalid Omar