South Africa's museums
South Africa has a rich social and cultural history reaching back to some of the earliest human settlements in the world.
More than 300 museums all over the country reflect this heritage in a range of places - from elegant 18th century homes to caves in majestic mountain ranges, cultural villages in rural settings to state-of-the-art buildings in major cities.
Visitors can find exhibits both conventional and eccentric, on every conceivable topic from beer to beadwork, from fashion to food.
New additions are those reflecting the apartheid era, and commemorating those who fought and died in the cause of establishing a democratic country.
The flagships of these cultural sites are the country's national museums - the National Cultural History Museum and the Transvaal Museum of Natural History in Pretoria, the South African National Museum of Military History in Johannesburg, the National Museum and the Anglo-Boer War Museum in Bloemfontein, the South African
Cultural History Museum in Cape Town and the newest addition - the Robben Island Museum.
What follows is a taste of what is available in each of South Africa's nine provinces. For more detailed information about the major museums, go to Museums Online SA.
|