The foundation stone of the Nainital Government House, modeled after Buckingham Palace, was laid on April 27, 1897, and the building was completed in March 1900. It was occupied by Sir Antony Mac Donnell in that year, and was inhabited after him by Sir James La Touche, Sir John Hewett, Sir James Meston, Sir Harcourt Butler and Sir William Morris. The design was prepared originally by Mr. Stevens, a Bombay architect and by Mr. F.O. Oertel, Executive Engineer; but Mr. H.S. Wildeblood, who supervised its construction, designed many of the details, Sir Antony Mac Donnell himself took keen interest in the building.

The architecture has been professionally described as of “the early domestic Gothic style”. The front aspect is dominated by six castellated turrets which were later benefited by the removal of the steep pinnacles which formerly crowned them. The general effect is one of solidity and dignity without exuberance. The back view of the house, which most nearly suggests an English country house, is, perhaps, its most successful aspect. The material used was, in the main, a local stone, a dark grey marble, mixed in the interior cross walls with local dolomite limestone. While Naloina freestone was used freely in the exterior, a limited use was also made of Agra red sandstone.

Teak was used freely for the main stairway, the paneling of the dining-room, all the doors and window and some of the principal floors. Elsewhere, shisham, satin wood, cypress and sal were used to some extent; and the local pine wood was employed for trussors, joints and the less important floors. The glass, tiles, brass fittings and iron pipes came from England. Agra masons did the ashlar stone work and carpenters from Punjab did the wood work. Messrs Lazarus and Co. of Calcutta and Messrs Maple and Co. of London did most of the furnishing. The house stands upon a plateau at an altitude of 1932.37 metres above sea-level with rising ground behind it.

The Golf Course From the level of the lower lawn, well graded paths traverse the outlying portion of the grounds where the golf course lies. It is an 18 hole golf course with 18 different tees. Golfing was started in 1926 with the efforts of Lord Malcolm Hailey, the then Governor of the United Provinces. The golf course was designed and constructed by the British Army Engineers. A culmination of masterpiece designing, the ground was studded with hards and covered by vibrant forests which can still be witnessed. The course is spread over an area of 50 acres amidst a hilly landscape with a typical flavour of the British penchant for sylvan surroundings.

It is one of the most challenging courses in the world where one can enjoy the ethereal beauty of the course with the changing seasons. For draining out the water from the golf course, an undergrounfd tunnel 137.1 m. in length has been constructed in the lowest bopwl of the cours, a marvel of engineering skill. According to local folklore, the tunnel had served as the hideout of Sultana Daku, the Robin Hood of India, in bygone days.
In 1994, the Golf course was opened for the public. The Golf course has since been developed to a great extent due to the efforts of Shri Moti Lal Vora and Shri Romesh Bhandari, the then Governors of Uttaranchal. This is currently one of the best maintained courses in the country and the pride of Uttaranchal and is hosting many Golf Championships.

Visiting Raj Bhawan - Subjected to pleasure of His Excellency, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited, also conduct tours to Raj Bhawan.