National Museum Bloemfontein

About National Museum Bloemfontein

The National Museum in the judicial capital of South Africa, known as the city of roses, has as its motto - Curator Hereditatis - which means that it regards itself as the custodian of our heritage, which it is in quite a big way.

Did you know? Notable for its large collection of fossils, cultural historical exhibits and archaeological displays, including the Florisbad skull which was discovered in the 1930s at the Florisbad Spring some 50 km north of Bloemfontein.

The National Museum in Bloemfontein has been in existence since 1877, when it began collecting and displaying rarities from around the world. Today the museum focuses on natural history and cultural history sciences, as well as art, and it has established some important collections.

The National Museum, on Aliwal Street in the centre of Bloemfontein, has some alluring attractions that include life-size fibreglass elephants, the only complete skeleton of Euskelosaurus, one of the earliest known dinosaurs, a working beehive, live snakes and other reptiles in the their Herpetology Hall, and an extensive history of Bloemfontein / Mangaung. Most of their visitors are children, and it’s not surprising given the attractions.

The palaeontology / anthropology and archaeology section is probably one of the more interesting areas of the museum - it takes us back to what our world must have been like millions of years ago. The museum has an extensive collection of fossils and archaeological material that includes the Florisbad Skull, one of the largest known dinosaurs.

There is an ethnological section too, with fascinating displays on the Bushmen, and a replica of a Victorian Bloemfontein street scene. Even the museum’s restaurant is Victorian-style, whilst the shop offers a range of curios and gifts from which to choose.