Heritage Month is a chance to look beyond Cape Town’s beaches, mountains and food scene and spend some time with the stories that have shaped the city.
From a former grain silo filled with contemporary African art to a hospital where medical history was made, Cape Town’s museums reveal very different sides of the city. Some are thought-provoking, some are unexpectedly fascinating and others make particularly good family outings.
If you want to experience more of Cape Town’s history and culture this September, put these museums on your list.
Start with South Africa’s natural history
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Iziko South African Museum
A visit to the Iziko South African Museum is an opportunity to travel through millions of years of South African history without leaving the Company’s Garden.
The museum’s collections delve into the natural world, archaeology and human history, with displays ranging from fossils and ancient artefacts to marine specimens and exhibits exploring human evolution.
Its location also makes it easy to combine with other attractions in central Cape Town. Spend the morning exploring the museum before heading into the Company’s Garden or continuing towards the city’s other cultural sites.
Location: 25 Queen Victoria Street, Gardens
See Africa through contemporary art
Zeitz MOCAA/By: Rich Townsend/iStock Editorial
Zeitz MOCAA
Cape Town’s heritage isn’t confined to centuries-old objects. At Zeitz MOCAA, the focus is on contemporary African creativity and the conversations taking place across the continent and its diaspora.
The museum occupies the historic grain silo complex at the V&A Waterfront, making the building part of the attraction. Inside, galleries showcase contemporary works spanning different countries, artists and perspectives.
It is a good choice if you want your Heritage Month outing to look at Africa’s present and future as much as its past.
Location: Silo District, V&A Waterfront
Walk into the memories of District Six
Image by Gallo Images/Jacques Stander
District Six Museum
To understand Cape Town’s more recent history, the District Six Museum offers an intimate place to begin.
The museum centres the experiences of people who lived in District Six before apartheid-era forced removals transformed the neighbourhood. Personal stories and historical material help visitors understand the community that existed there and the consequences of its destruction.
It is less about ticking off exhibits and more about listening to the memories attached to a place that remains an important part of Cape Town’s identity.
Location: 25A Buitenkant Street, Cape Town CBD
Revisit a world-changing medical milestone
The old hospital building in Cape Town where the first human heart transplant was done by Dr Barnard/Tiiu Sild, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Heart of Cape Town Museum
Cape Town made medical history in December 1967 when Dr Christiaan Barnard and his team performed the world’s first successful human heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital.
The Heart of Cape Town Museum preserves the story of that extraordinary moment, giving visitors an insight into the medical team, the operation and the hospital environment in which it happened.
For visitors interested in science, medicine or unusual chapters of Cape Town’s history, it offers a very different museum experience from the city’s art and heritage collections.
Location: Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory
Discover South Africa’s diamond story
Cape Town Diamond Museum/Geraldshields11/Wikimedia Commons
Cape Town Diamond Museum
South Africa’s history and economy have long been intertwined with diamonds, and the Cape Town Diamond Museum offers a compact introduction to that story.
Located at the V&A Waterfront, the museum traces the journey of a diamond from its origins underground through mining and the processes involved in turning rough stones into polished gems.
Displays also feature replicas of some of the world’s best-known diamonds, including the Cullinan.
It is an easy addition to a Waterfront itinerary if you want to squeeze a little history into a day of sightseeing.
Location: The Clock Tower, V&A Waterfront
Make Heritage Month a reason to explore
Cape Town’s museums demonstrate just how many layers there are to the city. One visit can take you from prehistoric fossils to contemporary African art, while another can introduce you to the personal stories behind apartheid-era removals or a medical breakthrough that made international headlines.
This Heritage Month, swap a familiar Cape Town outing for a museum visit – you might come away knowing a very different side of the Mother City.
Source: IOL, used as the original source for the museum selection.
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