Apartheid Museum
- Address: Northern Parkway and Gold Reef Road, Ormonde, Johannesburg
- Hours: Open 10am - 5pm, Closed Mondays
- Admission: Adults: R50. Guided tours are an extra R5 per person.
ATTRACTION Keywords:
Must-Do Experience,
Museum
The injustice, cruelty and day-to-day absurdities of white minority rule are impressively detailed in Johannesburg’s Apartheid Museum. “Apartheid”, meaning “separateness” in Afrikaans, was officially in operation from 1948 to 1994, though segregation had been a cornerstone of South African politics since the birth of the Union in 1910.
Apartheid turned South Africa into a pariah state, shunned by much of the international community and almost torn apart by internal tensions, including the infamous Sharpeville riots of 1960. This excellent museum tells that story through photos, documents and film footage, as well as interactive features which bring the reality of racial classification alive.
South Africa’s belated emancipation following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 is celebrated by the seven pillars of the constitution you will see in the courtyard: democracy, equality, reconciliation, diversity, responsibility, respect and freedom.
Latest Reviews
Review by TKG, January 2013
Doing what: Johannesburg Super Saver: Soweto Sightseeing Tour plus Johannesburg Sightseeing Tour
Truly excellent. The guide was superb. Liliesleaf was truly moving and educational - glad this was substituted for the Apartheid museum. A stop at Mandela's house and at the Hector Peterson memorial would have been nice.
Review by Thierry G, April 2012
Doing what: Johannesburg Super Saver: Soweto Sightseeing Tour plus Johannesburg Sightseeing Tour
A must do for the history, for the myth of Soweto and for South Africa! A very well laid out museum which canot be bypassed if visiting South Africa.
Review by Cheryl W, USA, August 2011
Doing what: Johannesburg Super Saver: Soweto Sightseeing Tour plus Johannesburg Sightseeing Tour
Phineas was our tour guide and was incredibly generous in sharing his personal and professional perspective on the history of the township and its people. He also made a few side stops for us. Your perspective on life will be changed by a visit to the Apartheid Museum; I had a wonderful and unique appreciation for the meal my husband and I, black Americans, enjoyed at an upscale restaurant in Sandton that evening.
Practical Info
The Apartheid Museum is in Johannesburg’s south, and can be reached from the center of the city along the Villiers Graaff Motorway.
