Albany Natural Science Museum
40 Somerset street, Makhanda
The Albany Museum Complex, established in 1855 and South Africa's second oldest museum after the Iziko Museums in Cape Town, features a Natural Sciences building rebuilt in 1945 following a fire. Designed by East London architects Farrow and Stocks in the Cape Dutch Reform style, it incorporates structural elements from the original building, including the iron gates and railing along Somerset Street, dating back to the 1850s.
The oldest component of the complex is the Natural Sciences Museum, dedicated to the natural history of the Eastern Cape. Its exhibits cover earth sciences, archaeology, insects, birds, mammals, and plants, and feature a working Foucault pendulum, real meteorites, and a dinosaur reconstruction with footprints. The museum is also involved in research concerning freshwater fish, water quality, and management. Visitors can discover historical fishing gear in the Traditional Fishing Methods Gallery and learn about indigenous flora in the Xhosa Plants Exhibition.
The oldest component of the complex is the Natural Sciences Museum, dedicated to the natural history of the Eastern Cape. Its exhibits cover earth sciences, archaeology, insects, birds, mammals, and plants, and feature a working Foucault pendulum, real meteorites, and a dinosaur reconstruction with footprints. The museum is also involved in research concerning freshwater fish, water quality, and management. Visitors can discover historical fishing gear in the Traditional Fishing Methods Gallery and learn about indigenous flora in the Xhosa Plants Exhibition.
Location:
Albany Museum, Somerset street
Directions:
There is on street parking in Somerset street and High street close to the Drostdy Arch
Accessibility Info:
There is ramp access to the Museum to the left of the main entrance doors. There is limited lift access to the upper floors of the Museum. Visitors who require assistance should ask at the reception desk in the main foyer
