Top 7 History Museums in Johannesburg, Gauteng

The community always stood as one and ubuntu was alive and real. Wozobona Cultural House is dedicated to the memory of those times and honours all the heroes of that time. The complete tour includes a township meal, a tour detailing the life during the struggle and wonderful true stories from that time. Have a look at the museum display and listen to the soothing and unique music of the time.

The JHGC, in partnership with the City of Johannesburg, moved into its iconic new building of memory, education and lessons for humanity in mid-2016 and officially opened to the public in March 2019, with the completion of its Permanent Exhibition. The Centre explores the history of the Holocaust and genocide in the 20th century.

This tragic museum, opened in 2002, honors the Sowetan schoolchildren slain in a police massacre in 1976.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation houses the last office of President Nelson Mandela which forms part of an exhibition documenting his life. The Exhibition entitled the Life and Times of Nelson Mandela includes a short video documenting his life and a range of artefacts and documents from his private archive.The jackal kaross that he wore during his 1962 court appearance is a special feature and is on loan from Winnie Madikizela- Mandela The temporary exhibition space is occupied by various exhibitions throughout the year.The exhibitions responds to contemporary issues.

Nowhere can the story of South Africa's turbulent past and its extraordinary transition to democracy be told as it is at Constitution Hill. Constitution Hill is a national heritage site situated in the Johannesburg CBD and is home to the Constitutional Court of South Africa- the highest court in the country on constitutional matters. Once a place of injustice and brutality, where South Africa's leading political activists, including Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, were detained, the site has been transformed into a place of solidarity and democracy, home to the Women's Gaol museum, Number Four Museum, and Old Fort Museum. Apart from its engaging and gripping exhibitions, Constitution Hill is also open to the public for guided tours and has become an important platform for Heritage, Education, and Tourism related programmes. The vast variety of programmes hosted at Constitution Hill enable us to embrace current issues, celebrate days of national significance, address matters of public interest and create a forum for public debate. With its rich history and character Constitution Hill boasts of ideal platforms to educate and learn about South Africa's story. ConHill, as it is famously known, also offers a variety of multi-purpose venues, suitable for conferencing, performances, a large array of events and for public activities and programmes.

Africa is where our ancestors evolved into human beings; it’s only fitting then that the bustling metropolis of Johannesburg, South Africa, is where the Origins Centre Museum has been established. Conceptualised by a team of academics and designers from Wits University, the museum aims to provide visitors with a unique experience of Africa’s rich, complex heritage. The Museum boasts an extensive collection of rock art from the Wits Rock Art Research Institute (RARI), affording visitors the opportunity to view the earliest images made by humans, found in South Africa. Combining cutting-edge technology with the creative vision of some of South Africa’s foremost artists, the museum’s exhibits take visitors on an extraordinary voyage of discovery, which begins with the origins of humankind in Africa, and then moves through the development of art, symbolism, and technology on the continent. The Origins Centre Museum restores the African continent to its rightful place in history – at the very beginning of mankind’s journey to humanity. We are also home to a vast array of palaeoanthropological, archaeological and genetic materials charting the origins of humankind. These include ancient tools, artefacts of spiritual significance to early humans and examples of the region’s striking rock art. Visitors to our museum can expect to take follow an 80 000-year path in search of the art and culture that has inspired human innovation, as well as delve into the fascinating beliefs of the ancient San, experiencing ritual such as hunting and the trance dance. Audio guides come with the price of admission and are available in six languages – Zulu, Sotho, English, Afrikaans, French and German.

Located in the busy Newtown Cultural Precinct, this multi-media museum includes an audio/visual display of Nelson Mandela’s treason trial.