James Hall Museum of Transport, Johannesburg

James Hall Museum of Transport, Johannesburg

Based in Rosettenville Johannesburg, opposite the Rand Stadium, the James Hall Museum of Transport is an incredible collection of over 400 years’ worth of various modes of land transport that range from steam driven vehicles, trains, trams and trolley buses, to animal drawn carriages, early bicycles and cars of every hue and shape (or just about) known to man.

The James Hall Museum of Transport is huge. It not only contains a number of rare and important vehicles, but is also an incredible view of the country’s history from the perspective of transport that ranges from farm carts, through the first taxis used in the townships to modern day. The museum is divided into various forms of power - animal power, steam power, pedal power - that makes homing in on one’s favourite aspect of transport easy. The animal power section is more than a little exciting and includes a fine example of a horse-drawn mail carriage, various forms of Cape carts, and the rickshaw - so much a part of Durban’s history but which was originally imported by Japanese immigrants in the 1890s and used throughout major cities in South Africa.

The courtyard houses a number of steam vehicles, some of them still in working order, that is equally exciting and deserves a wander through if only to realise that there are far more steam powered vehicles than the good old steam train! The James Hall Museum has a notable selection of surviving bicycles and motorcycles on display, including the penny farthing. But the main body of this display belongs to a remarkable collection of vintage, post-vintage, pre-war and post-war vehicles.