Reinet House Museum in Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape

Reinet House Museum is situated in the town of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Reinet House, formerly a Dutch Reformed Church parsonage and now a national monument, was built in 1812 and became the home of a noted churchman and author, the Rev Andrew Murray. Before 1822, when Rev Murray took up residency, it was home to three previous Ministers of the Church. After Rev Murray’s death in 1866, his son Charles resided in the house until his death in 1904. By 1906 the house had become a boarding house for girls training to become teachers and later a residence for all Training College Students.

The house is now a museum containing weapons, clothes, furniture, wagons and an ingenious device to 'pip' raisins. In the garden of the museum grows the largest living grape vine in the world. Planted in 1870 it covers 124 sq metres, has a girth of 2,38 m at a height of 1,5 m and still bears fruit.

The four Museums, namely Reinet House, Old Library, Old Residency and Urquhart House are all governed by a Board of Trustees, and are subsidised by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture. The Military History Museum was recently added to this group of Museums which are all unique cultural gems and an integral part of the town, making Graaff-Reinet one of the most historically significant sites in South Africa. All these buildings are either in the same complex or in close proximity to each other and are all well worth a visit.

Things to do and see

• History of the Murray Family
• Guided & Educational Tours
• Period furniture & utensils
• Rykie Pretorius Clothing Collections
• Medical & Dentil Collection
• Laubscher Doll Collection
• Wagon & Transport Collection
• Blacksmith Collection
• Grape Vine planted in 1870
• Mill House with Water Wheel
• Withond Distillery
• Museum Shop

Admission

A nominal admission fee is charged. Please contact the Museum directly to confirm pricing.

Monday to Thursday, 08h00 - 16h00

Friday, 08h00 - 16h00

Weekends & Public Holidays, 09h00 - 13h00

Climate

Rainfall occurs mainly in the autumn months, with March seeing the highest levels. Winter nights can drop below freezing.

Summer months, November to March will have average temperatures of between 11˚C and 30˚C.

Winter months, May to August will have average temperatures of between 2˚C and 16˚C.

Transport

There are flights into Port Elizabeth International Airport, from all major cities in South Africa, on a daily basis. Car hire facilities are available and the airport is approximately 264 km from Graaf-Reinet.