Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Pretoria Sentraal, Pretoria, Gauteng

South Africa's leading Natural History Museum

The Ditsong National Museum of Natural History is South Africa's leading natural history museum and provides an unforgettable experience for the whole family. The museum was formerly called the Transvaal Museum but was originally founded as Die Staatsmuseum on 01 December 1892. It has since then acted as the custodian and documentation centre of South Africa's natural heritage.

The museum has an immense range of displays and exhibits that are of great educational and human interest including hominid fossils from the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and associated fauna, including Mrs Ples, the nickname attributed to a fossil skull believed to represent a distant relative of all humankind discovered by Paleontologist Dr Robert Broom in 1947.

An astonishing collection of 875 species of birds indigenous to South Africa can be found in the well-arranged Austin Roberts Bird Hall.

There is an information department that can be accessed through a library or digitally with a variety of informative books, posters and curios for sale in the shop

The Ditsong National Museum of Natural History is unique in that it is the only institute in South Africa that offers the local, national and international community the opportunity to view its collections including original fossil material usually denied the public.

Admittance

R25 for adults, R10 for children, students and pensioners. There are also special rates for group tours.

As prices may be subject to change, please check with the museum.

We are closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday