Vishrambagwada lies on the Bajirao Road in the heart of the city. It was a built by the last Peshwa , Peshwa Bajirao II in 1807. This was a three storied luxurious mansion with beautiful wood carvings. The records inform that the cost of the construction was Rs. 2 lakh at that time. The total area of this mansion is almost 20,000 sq ft. After the fall of the Peshwas the British took over this complex and used the space for many other activities. They started a Sanskrit school here. Many other educational institutions of the later years were founded in the complex of this wada. In 1871 a major part of this building was destroyed in a fire. Later the Pune Municiapl Corporation (PMC) started many administrative offices in this complex. Some years back the PMC undertook the restoration project at the Vishrambagwada under the Heritage Corridor Scheme. Most of the work is over and today the complex houses a museum, an exhibition and a shop selling the specialty handmade artifacts and souvenirs for tourists. One of the exhibitions displays the growth of the city of Pune from a small settlement to a big metropolis with the details and photographs of various events in the history of Pune. The other exhibition consists of small models of the heritage buildings in Pune.
