City: KwaZulu-Natal
Top Things to do in KwaZulu-Natal
Top 10 Specialty Museums in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
KwaZulu-Natal (/kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl/; also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is located in the southeast of the country, enjoying a long shoreline beside the Indian Ocean and sharing borders with three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho. Its capital is Pietermaritzburg and its largest city is Durban. It is the 2nd most populous province in South Africa, with slightly fewer residents than Gauteng.
Restaurants in KwaZulu-Natal
1. Phansi Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 67 reviews
Reviewed By mandr268 - Westport, Ireland
we were privileged to be show around this amazing collection by Phumzile ( i wanted to take her home) she had a great way of tell a very moving story about so many of the items, there are so many things to see , i hope we will be able to return one day to soak up even more of it
2. Sharklife
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Established in 2005, Sharklife addresses the alarming exploitation of both shark populations and ocean fisheries in South African waters. We actively engage the urgent need for research and protection of many marine species. Come and learn more about these apex predators ,that have been around longer than the dinosaurs, and may other marine species too at our Sharklife Museum
3. Durban Holocaust and Genocide Centre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
The Durban Holocaust and Genocide Centre is a place of remembrance for the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust and for other victims of Nazism. The display includes sections on pseudoscience of ‘race’; the roots of antisemitism; and the institutionalized racism of Apartheid. There is also a beautiful Garden of Remembrance, gift shop and The Circle Cafe on site.
Reviewed By JHunter1977
A must see for anyone interested in learning more about a very dark time in human history. The displays are very well presented and located in a way you can browse through for a quick trip or parts where you can stop and read for a more indepth look. The walk through is well lit, clear and the information provided is concise. It would be a mistake to say the displays are easy on the eye considering the subject matter but everything is clear and in print large enough even for those with like myself with eyesight issues. The staff I met were friendly but not too intrusive giving one the freedom to browse and roam at your pleasure. The venue was clean and felt very safe. At the end of the walk through is a lovely memorial garden and a shop where I enjoyed a quick refreshment. Although the central focus of the exhibits were the awful events of the Holocaust, there were sections that dealt with genocide from other parts of the world. A good informative balance was struck between them in my opinion. If you have an hour or two to spare while visiting Durban and need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city I highly recommend this place. A place where you can stop and just dwell for a while on something profoundly important.
4. Talana Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 211 reviews
Reviewed By Mobile35942195053 - Bristol, United Kingdom
Secure parking, a small fee and generally good facilities. Excellent informative collection of art museum's/folk museum's set within acres of well kept grass lawns, shrub bed/flower beds. Interesting history of the local coal mining, glass industry and steam locomotive. Historical notes on Gandi, Mandela and the freedom movement but its the genuine artefacts, living/working quarters depicted through the ages. Great value for money, a fine 2 hour stop before heading for our safari at Nambiti. Friendly staff.
5. Pinetown Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
6. Comrades Marathon House
7. uMsunduzi Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 29 reviews
Cultural history museum, with displays celebrating the heritage of all the major cultural groups of KZN. The historical Voortrekker Complex was the original part of the museum, which celebrated its centenary in 2012. The museum also administers the Ncome Museum in Nqutu, northern KZN.
8. Ladysmith Siege Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 105 reviews
Reviewed By GeorJen2016 - Durban, South Africa
We were so pleasantly surprised by this museum. It is so well maintained and the exhibits are interesting and easily accessible. My husband is the Boer War fanatic, but even I found the displays to be informative and relevant. The museum has been updated to include exhibits detailing the roles played by Black and Indian South Africans, which had previously been sidelined. The gentleman on duty was efficient and friendly. Definitely worth a visit!
9. Luthuli Museum
10. Nelson Mandela Capture Site
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 685 reviews
Nelson Mandela was arrested on 5 August 1962 outside of Howick, KZN Natal, South Africa. He spent the next 27 years of his life in prison. The Nelson Mandela Capture Site commemorates this moment in history with a visitor centre and a world renowned sculpture. Operated by The Apartheid Museum.
Reviewed By Mobile35942195053 - Bristol, United Kingdom
If there is one important, historical place that one must visit in this area it is the newly opened, updated Nelson Mandela Capture Site museum. Plenty of safe parking, there are a few local, excellent craft shops to explore and then to the museum, a walk that brings a sense of apprehension... The constantly changing video/film screens will make your head turn as the origin footage feeds one with the facts, the truth about the path, the long walk to freedom, the sacrifice that Mr Mandela and many people like him had to make. I say, take your time to adjust to the screens, focus on one area, the information is clearer and you can absorb all of the footage and then get that sense of what we all are, humble human being's, the hate, the love, the sacrifice that this amazing man, Mr Mandala is and was. It was from his spirit that a new South Africa could be born, perhaps at times his sanity was tested to the ultimate limit but this story covers the complete fight against apartheid, a country at war and where 'die stem' had to be stood up too, and that the 'new voice' could be heard. So much humbling information, the Sharpville and even more poignant, Soweto massacre/murders, where as a boy coming home from school one day in England I sat and watched the reports coming out of South Africa of school children that had been shot at, killed and murdered even when they were running away. As a 8 year old boy I questioned my parents as to why the policemen were killing the children, my parents sadly had no answer... This is the original capture site, a man betrayed, a destiny yet to fulfil, thank you Mr Mandela for showing the world its consciousness... There is so much to view inside the museum, artefact's from that time in history, books, photos, the ID passes, newspaper's and of course the car itself. Take the long walk to freedom outside and as you walk towards the remarkable sculpture, the 27 metal rods in the ground, each one representing a year of Mr Mandela's imprisonment, this really is a piece of creative art at the highest level. Up close, the metal rods tell and show nothing but its as you get to a point walking towards the sculpture that the head and face of Mr Mandela appears- brilliantly created, a moving spiritual tribute... The countryside surrounding is tranquil, its a very hot day, every moment is to saviour here. We visited a very spiritual place at Culamoya Chimes, the beautiful lady there and her wonderful creations, indeed, an experience at the capture site when viewing the sculpture would be enhanced even further with one or several of these remarkable chime pieces- food for thought... A humbling experience and something I will never forget, lest we forget...
