Iziko South African Museum

The Iziko South African Museum at 25 Queen Victoria Street, beside the Company's Garden in central Cape Town, is the oldest museum in South Africa, founded in 1825. It is the country's national museum of natural history and holds extensive collections covering zoology, palaeontology, geology and the archaeology of southern Africa. Visitors move through a series of halls that include the Whale Well, where the skeletons of whales hang from the ceiling and tower over the gallery, the Fossil Gallery with dinosaur casts and ancient reptile fossils from the Karoo, and halls of African mammals, birds and insects in older-style displays. The Rock Art Gallery showcases San rock paintings and engravings, and the Ancient Africa and Origins galleries explore human evolution and early cultures. The museum also contains the Iziko Planetarium, with shows about the southern night sky, which is a good option for families and a rainy-day activity. A visit takes about one and a half to two hours, with more time for the planetarium. Weekday mornings are quieter, while school holidays and wet weekends bring family crowds. The best photo opportunities are in the Whale Well, and flash is generally discouraged in the galleries. The museum is a short walk from the Company's Garden, the Slave Lodge, the National Gallery and Greenmarket Square, so it fits neatly into a day of walking the historic centre. A small shop and cafe are on site, and visitors can buy combination tickets or check free days. The museum has an older feel in some halls, as many displays date from the twentieth century, but ongoing updates and temporary exhibitions keep it fresh. The Planetarium requires a separate ticket and has set show times, so checking the schedule in advance is useful.