Museum sights in Johannesburg
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Apartheid Museum
The Apartheid Museum, which illustrates the rise and fall of South Africa’s era of segregation and oppression, is an absolute must-see. With plenty of attention to detail and an unsparing emphasis on the inhuman philosophy of apartheid – visitors are handed a card stating their race when they arrive and are required to enter the exhibit through their allotted gate – this remains one of South Africa’s most evocative museums. The museum uses film, text, audio and live accounts to provide a chilling insight into the architecture and implementation of the apartheid system, as well as inspiring accounts of the struggle towards democracy, and is invaluable in understanding the…
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Museum Africa
This museum is housed in the impressive old Bree St fruit market, next to the Market Theatre complex. The thoughtful curatorship features exhibitions on the Treason Trials of 1956-61, the development of South African music and the history of housing in the city. The satirical ‘Cartoons in Context’ are worth a look, as is the Sophiatown display, which contains a mock up of a shebeen (unlicensed bar).
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C
Hector Pieterson Memorial
North of Vilakazi St is Soweto's showcase, Hector Pieterson Sq. Named after the 13-year-old who was shot dead in the run-up to the Soweto uprising , the square now features the poignant Hector Pieterson Memorial and the excellent Hector Pieterson Museum, which offers an insight into Sowetan life and the history of the independence struggle. From the square, a line of shrubs leads up Moema St to the site where he was shot outside the school.
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D
Origins Centre
Braamfontein’s big hitter is the new Origins Centre, which explores the African origins of humankind through interactive exhibits. There are some particularly beautiful displays on the cultural history of the San tribe and you can also even ask for a DNA test to trace your ancestral heritage. A second phase of the museum is dedicated to prehistoric life and South Africa’s fossil wealth.
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South African National Museum of Military History
If you’re fascinated by guns, tanks and aircraft, you can see artefacts and implements of destruction from the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War through to WWII at the South African National Museum of Military History, one of Jo’burg’s most popular museums. The museum is at the eastern end of the grounds of the zoo.
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F
Drum Café
South of the cultural precinct, you will find the refurbished Bus Factory, which includes several outlets selling art and crafts from around Southern Africa as well as homewares, jewellery and other products by young designers. The on-site Drum Café has a free drum museum and stages regular drumming events.
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Workers’ Museum
In the restored Electricity Department’s compound you’ll find the Workers’ Museum. It was built in 1910 for 300-plus municipal workers and has been declared a national monument. There is a Workers’ Library, a resource centre and a display of the living conditions of migrant workers.
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Constitution Hill
Inspiring Constitution Hill is one of the city’s most important attractions. It sits at the edge of Hillbrow, and with any luck the court and surrounding developments will help reverse the suburb’s fortunes.
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Sci-Bono Discovery Centre
In the Electric Workshop building, you’ll find the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre. This kid-friendly centre includes a science museum and is a hands-on, interactive learning experience.
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Bernberg Fashion Museum
Women’s fashions from the last couple of centuries are on display at the Bernberg Fashion Museum.
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Hector Pieterson Museum
This powerful museum illuminates the role of Sowetan life in the history of the independence struggle. It follows the tragic incidents of 16 June 1976, when a peaceful student protest against the introduction of Afrikaans as a language of instruction was violently quelled by police. In the resulting chaos police opened fire and a 13-year-old boy, Hector Pieterson, was shot dead. The ensuing hours and days saw students fight running battles with the security forces in what would become known as the Soweto uprising. On the first day alone, close to 200 teenage protesters were killed.
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Mandela House Museum
Nelson Mandela lived with his first wife, Evelyn, and later with his second wife, Winnie, in this house, just off Vilakazi St. The museum, which was renovated in 2009, includes interactive exhibits on the history of the house and some interesting family photos. Just down Vilakazi St, by Sakhumzi Restaurant, is the home of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
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