From stately, gracious institutions to modern, high-tech buildings, South Africa’s historical museums offer a comprehensive account of events that have shaped our country. more

The National Cultural History Museum, also known as the African Window, has the most extensive collection of cultural records in South Africa. This Pretoria cultural history museum houses a massive collection of records, much of which is exhibited. more

The Anglo-Boer War Museum marks a major landmark in South African history, a war between the Boers and the British, with other population groups that could not escape being pulled into the fray. It had consequences for both the British and the fledgling nation, with an especially heavy toll paid by women and children. more

The forestry museum in Sabie, in the Mpumalanga province, records the history of South Africa’s timber industry in many interesting ways. It also maps the relationship between people and trees, the ecological value of forests and sustainable methods of running a timber industry. Above all, it’s a fun way to learn about wood. more

The attractions of the Dr Ngaka Modiri Molema Region defy imagination; from the historic and cultural city of Mafikeng to the old-world atmosphere of towns like Groot Marico, an abundance of game reserves and to top it all, underground scuba diving! more

Hearing the precise details of how a ship went down along the Agulhas coast back in the 18th Century is a chilling experience. The Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum is home to striking visual displays and a fascinating collection of shipwreck artifacts. more

It is no surprise that the Nelson Mandela National Museum has been dedicated to the life of the famed statesman Nelson Mandela, whose reconciliatory policies after the fall of apartheid, stand as a towering example to the world at large. Appropriately, this 3-part museum commemorates the landmarks of his youth. more

Oudtshoorn was once the world centre of the ostrich-feather trade, which made some people millionaires. The CP Nel Museum, housed in the former Oudtshoorn Boys’ High School building, recreates the boom days that swept this Little Karoo town – and its totemic flightless bird – to world prominence. more

When you follow the traces of Nelson Mandela through the Eastern Cape, your first stop is the Mandela Museum in Mthatha, a world-class display that outlines the lives and characters of the anti-apartheid struggle – with Nelson Mandela as the central character. From there, it’s off to his home village of Qunu. more

The Richmond Horse Museum is dedicated to man and mount in this hard, dry Northern Cape district. The museum holds invaluable stores of equine memories and trivia as well as clothing and gun collections donated by local families. more

The Battle of Magersfontein, just outside the Northern Cape town of Kimberley, took place during the second Anglo-Boer War on 11 December 1899. The Boers scored a decisive victory in what became known as Britain’s 'Black Week'. Visitors claim to hear a phantom Highland piper on moonlit nights. more

The Transvaal Museum of Natural History, a national museum, is part of the Northern Flagship Institution. Founded in 1892, this museum in Pretoria is the premier natural history repository in South Africa. Among its important exhibits are various fossils, the evolution of life on earth and birds of southern Africa. more

The Anglo-Boer War Museum and adjoining National Women’s Memorial focuses on the inevitable consequence of the clash between the imperialism of Britain and the nationalism of the Boers. The museum in Bloemfontein shows how the conflict had enormous implications for the future of the country. more

More than 300 South African historical museums are spread across the country. There are several national historical museums found in the country's major cities and many smaller, but no less fascinating, museums located in smaller towns. more