Sa'dabad Palace Museum

Address: Sa’dabad Palace complex, Tehran, Iran

Sa’dabad Palace is a large royal complex in northern Tehran that served as a royal residence for Qajar and Pahlavi rulers and now functions as a complex of museums. The site encompasses extensive parkland and multiple palace buildings.

The complex contains a series of palace buildings, historic rooms and museum displays open to the public, presenting decorative arts, historic state rooms and exhibitions relating to Iran’s 19th and 20th century monarchy. The grounds include formal gardens and paved avenues linking the palaces.

Originally developed by Qajar-era rulers and expanded by the Pahlavi dynasty in the 20th century, the complex was converted to public museum use after the 1979 Iranian Revolution and has been managed as a cultural heritage site since.

Located in northern Tehran at the foothills of the Alborz mountains, the complex sits in the Shemiran district and benefits from a cooler, elevated setting relative to central Tehran.

• Scale and use: The palace complex covers roughly 110 hectares and contains multiple palaces and museums that were the residence of successive Persian rulers and later the Pahlavi royal family.

Located in northern Tehran; accessible by taxi or local buses from the city centre. Confirm opening times with local tourist information as parts of the complex may have varying hours.

• The Sa'dabad complex is large; decide in advance which palaces or museums to visit and check which are open that day.
• Photography rules vary inside palace rooms - follow posted signs and staff instructions.
• Combine a palace visit with a walk through the surrounding gardens for shade and a quieter view of the pavilions.