What to expect
Spencer Plaza
The site of Spencer & Co., established in the 1860s, whose grand department store was among the earliest and largest shopping arcades in India before a 1983 fire destroyed the original Indo-Saracenic building. The present mall retains the historic Spencer's name and remains a Mount Road landmark. It is often cited as the first shopping mall in the country.
Practical guide
Plan Spencer Plaza
Who's going?Tailor Spencer Plaza to your trip
Typeheritage
Nearest baseAnna Salai
DistrictChennai
Best timeOctober to March is the cooler, drier…
Time neededAbout an hour
EntryFree
Places to visit2→Spencer Plaza is planned from Anna Salai, one of the travel bases in Chennai district. Use Anna Salai for stays, food and local transport, then plan this place as a focused stop.
Getting there
How to visit
- Base yourself in Anna Salai or nearby in Chennai, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel.
- If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
Distance by road
- Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram)55 km
- Kanchipuram72 km
- Puducherry150 km
- Vellore135 km
- Tirupati135 km
Road km to Chennai; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.
Weather in Spencer PlazaSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Spencer Plaza
Sunrise5:58 am
Sunset6:21 pm
Golden hour best light5:21 pm–6:21 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:21 pm–6:46 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 279°
Moon tonight🌖 Waning gibbous · 83%
South-west monsoon. June to September is the south-west monsoon in Tamil Nadu. Expect heavy showers, mostly in bursts rather than all day — carry rain cover, allow extra time for getting around, and note that ferries and open-air sites are the first things affected.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Spencer Plaza
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Spencer Plaza — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
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Verified places are being added. The category filters will fill in as approved stays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and nature listings go live.
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Top experiences around Anna Salai
One more place around Anna Salai worth a day of its own.
heritageRajaji Hall
1.8 km · 22 min walk
Originally the Banqueting Hall, it was built in 1802 within the Government Estate to commemorate the British victory over Tipu Sultan at Seringapatam. Designed in imposing Neoclassical style with towering Ionic columns, it later hosted state functions and lyings-in-state of Tamil Nadu leaders. It is named after C. Rajagopalachari, independent India's last Governor-General.
Roampedia is commission-free — own or know a stay, eatery, guide or shop near Spencer Plaza? List it and it appears here once verified.
Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Spencer Plaza — at a glance
Timings10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Best timeYear-round
Entry: Free
Getting here
How to reach Spencer Plaza
On Anna Salai (Mount Road), near Thousand Lights metro station.
Getting around Spencer Plaza
We have not assessed physical access at this place yet. Across India, step-free routes, handrails and accessible toilets are the exception rather than the rule, and pavements are often interrupted — if step-free access matters to you, contact the site or a local operator before committing to the trip.
If you need help at Spencer Plaza
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Spencer Plaza
On the map
Where Spencer Plaza is
Good to know
Spencer Plaza — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Spencer Plaza?
October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.
What are the entry fee and timings at Spencer Plaza?
Entry: Free. Timings: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM.
How do I reach Spencer Plaza?
Base yourself in Anna Salai or nearby in Chennai, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel. If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
How much time do I need for Spencer Plaza?
About an hour.
What else is near Spencer Plaza?
Nearby you can pair Thousand Lights Mosque (560 m), Semmozhi Poonga (820 m), St. George's Cathedral (1.2 km), Connemara Public Library (1.3 km).
Read before you go
Spencer Plaza guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Spencer Plaza itself yet. These cover Anna Salai, the town it sits in, and the wider district.
Tamil Nadu-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Tamil Nadu.
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The Peahen Who Worshipped Shiva: The Legend of Mylapore
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The Armenians of Madras: A Vanished Community and Its Church
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Itinerary
Chennai in 2 Days: A Practical Itinerary
7 min read · Read →
Itinerary
Day Trips from Chennai: 8 Best Places to Visit in a Day
8 min read · Read →
Image credits
- Spencer Plaza:Rameshng, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0