Himeville Museum

About Himeville Museum

The little town of Himeville is nestled in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal, with the magnificent Drakensberg Mountain Range behind it to make for a breath-taking backdrop of unimaginable proportions. The Himeville Museum is an important part of acknowledging the beauty and heritage of this entire area.

Located in the Main Road, this museum may be small, but it houses an impressive collection of exhibits, making it one of the top rural museums in South Africa. It was constructed in 1899 as a prison and has, since then, been part of the character and history of this town. It was only in 1972 that it was abandoned as a prison. Four years later, it was turned into a museum and, in 1978, it was recognised as a National Monument.

Exhibits on display include fossils and artefacts from the Stone Age, which reveal important information about prehistoric Africa and the world that once was. Thousands of years ago, this area was home to indigenous tribes of San folk, who were hunter-gatherers that lived off the land. These ones left rock art, as well as living implements that reveal much about their ancient way of life. Some of these can also be seen at Himeville Museum.

The Boer War and the two World Wars are important exhibits; testifying to times in which man lived and died for countries around the globe. Other significant features of the Himeville Museum include wildlife, the earliest post office and telephone exchange, a prison cell, farming tools, an old schoolroom and the last laager ever to be constructed in this country.

This well-maintained museum is a hub of activity, and is supported by knowledgeable, committed staff members that can answer visitors’ questions and provide incredible facts about yesteryear.