Gurney House was built on the top of Aryapatta hill that is elevated at a height of 2292 mts above sea level and about 3.5 km from the main town of Nainital. It was the residence of the famous hunter, Jim Corbett, where he and his sister Maggie Corbett had stayed during their tenure in Nainital. Before leaving for Kenya on a permanent basis, they sold this place to Mr. S. P. Varma and Kalavati Varma, who were a prominent zamindari family in Bihar and their children however were studying in Nainital schools. This house was later given by Mr. S. P. Varma to his granddaughter, Nilanjana Dalmia.
This house has also been converted into a museum named 'Jim Corbett Museum' which houses the memorabilia of Jim Corbett, though a hunter but later became a conservationist of wildlife and has written many books on the importance of preserving wildlife especially Tigers and how it plays an important part in our eco friendly environment. The house is surrounded with a beautiful view of the town and is rich with Oak, Deodar, Pine Trees and Rhododendrons.
The museum also throws light on the life and works of Jim Corbett and is one of the most visited tourist attraction in Nainital.
