Iziko South African Museum

The Iziko South African Museum stands at 25 Queen Victoria Street on the edge of the Company's Garden in central Cape Town, South Africa. It was founded in 1825, which makes it the oldest museum in the country, and it began as a collection of natural history specimens established under Governor Lord Charles Somerset. The present building, a Neo-classical structure, dates from 1897. It holds extensive collections in zoology, palaeontology, archaeology and ethnology. The galleries include the Whale Well, where skeletons of whales hang from the ceiling, the African mammals hall, the birds gallery, and the Karoo fossil collection, which includes early reptiles and mammal-like reptiles from the Karoo Basin, one of the world's richest fossil records. A major strength is the rock art and archaeology galleries, including the collections relating to the San people, with life casts, rock-art panels and the Linton Panel, a rock painting from the Eastern Cape. The Ancestors gallery, with human origins displays, and the Planetarium nearby add further depth. The curatorial approach combines chronological and thematic displays, ranging from the geology and evolution of life to the cultural history of southern Africa's peoples. Some displays reflect older museum practices, such as the life casts of San and Khoikhoi people made in the 19th century, and the museum has revised interpretation to address those colonial approaches. The building has been maintained and renovated in stages, while a number of galleries have been updated, and it remains one of the city's main attractions for families and school groups. It stands next to the Houses of Parliament, the National Gallery and the Slave Lodge, so it fits easily into a day around the Company's Garden.