Cape Town is well known for its deep-rooted history that shines through in culture, art, attractions and day-to-day life. Going in search of this history naturally leads one to a museum – but which museums in Cape Town are worth visiting? We’ve put together a list of the three most fascinating museums we could find.
District Six Museum
Established in 1994, the year of South Africa’s first free, democratic elections, the District Six museum captures the pain felt by a colourful, vibrant community due to the apartheid government’s forced removals and demolitions. Using images, artefacts, and information evokes the painful feelings of the time. The D6 museum’s struggle for land and the subsequent process of restoration and healing have been so significant, that the museum was declared a National Heritage Site in 2006.
The museum is open from 9 am to 4 pm, Monday – Saturday.
The cost of entry is R45 (adults, self-guided), R60 (adults, with an ex-resident/guide)
R5 (both guided and self-guided tours, SA and African learners, ages 7–17 years)
R15 (self-guided tour for local university students and international learners, ages 7–17 years) R30 (guided tour for local university students and international learners, ages 7–17 years)
Free to ex-residents of District Six and other forced removal areas, and SA pensioners. Furthermore, the D6 Homecoming Centre houses temporary exhibitions and is located close by, next to the Fugard Theatre.
Contact: 021 466 7200, [email protected] or [email protected]
Iziko South African Museum
Founded in 1825, Iziko is South Africa’s oldest museum. It hosts and exhibits over 1.5 million specimens collected over its almost 200 years of existence (so plan a whole day around your visit). Expect to see ancient fossils and stone tools, rock and meteorite samples, lifelike recreations of our country’s indigenous people, as well as marine and wild animal displays and features. One of the museum’s main attractions is its giant 20.5-metre blue whale skeleton – you can’t miss it.
The museum is open Monday through Sunday, 9 am – 5 pm.
It costs R30 (adults)
R15 (children 6-17)
R5 (children 5 and under)
R15 (SA students and pensioners)
SA senior citizens and students enter free on Fridays.
Zeitz MOCAA
Said to be the Mother City’s very own Tate Modern, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa opened in 2017 at the illustrious V&A Waterfront. The museum reclaims the space once held by a 57m tall grain silo (once the tallest building in sub-Saharan Africa. The 9-storey building was renovated and adapted by renowned British architect Thomas Heatherwick, and houses 6 000 square metres of exhibition space within 100 galleries, as well as a restaurant area and a charming Sculpture Garden. The museum features impressive exhibitions, so much so that it was named as one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Destinations of 2018.
The museum is open from Monday – Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm. The closing time extends to 9 pm on the first Friday of each month,
The cost is:
Free (year-round to under 18s)
R190 (adult single-day entry)
R270 (annual membership)
Free (African citizens only) Wednesdays from 10 am – 1 pm
Half-price (first Friday of the month) 4 pm– 9 pm
History Doesn’t Stop Here
Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive. South Africa’s history can’t be enveloped in just three museums. Cape Town is home to dozens of museums, all themed around interesting and fascinating points of history. We implore you to experience as many as you can. However, these three are exciting examples, all found within 15 minutes of the O’Two Hotel.
