District Six Museum Cape Town History, Entrance Fee, Prices, Parking, Hours, Location & Contact Details

The Hands Off District Six Conference of 1988 led to the formation of the District Six Museum Foundation in 1989. The Foundation worked towards the establishment of the Museum which was launched on 10 December 1994 with its inaugural exhibition called Streets: Retracing District Six.

Leading up to this, the Museum existed as a peripatetic movement between 1989 and 1994, building support for the work of memory through creating collecting points and storytelling opportunities in different parts of the city. The diaspora of District Sixers played an important role in shaping and contributing to the Museum’s exhibition and programme, and they continue to be pivotal to the ongoing work of memory and holistic restitution. Their desire to return and re-member is ever present in this work.

The Museum’s first physical location was in the historic Methodist Church building at 25A Buitenkant Street which to this day is the home to its permanent exhibition – Digging Deeper. Since the early 2000s, the Museum has expanded into the historic Sacks Futeran building one block away, at 15A Buitenkant Street, which has aptly been named ‘The District Six Museum Homecoming Centre.’ This address has become a popular venue for events such as conferences, seminars and book launches, and is also the place where most of the Museum’s programmes are held.

A large component of the Museum’s work takes place outside of its buildings: on the vacant site of District Six, within the returned community of families who have been successful land claimants, and in the various areas to which the displaced families have been forcibly removed.

Linking its work to the experiences of people from other sites of forced removals across the country has been an important thrust, and partnerships continue to be a source of strength and support. The Museum is a member of SAMA (the South African Museums Association) and of ICSOC (the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.)

District Six Museum Entrance Fees

Cape Town Pass Benefits: Free Guided Tour to District Six Museum

The Cape Town PassNormal Entry Price: Adult: R55.00 Child: R15.00

District Six Museum Opening Hours

09h00 – 16h00 Mondays – Saturdays

District Six Museum Contact Details, Location & Directions

GENERAL ENQUIRIES
Tel: +27(0)21 466 7200
Fax: +27(0)21 466 7210
Email: info@districtsix.co.za

PHYSICAL ADDRESS & DIRECTIONS
District Six Museum
25A Buitenkant Street
Cape Town
8001
GPS: -33d 55' 39.344305", 18d 25' 25.134516"

District Six Museum Homecoming Centre
15 Buitenkant Street
Cape Town
8001
GPS: -33d 55' 36.940707", 18d 25' 28.475475"

POSTAL ADDRESS
P O Box 10178
Caledon Square
Cape Town
7905
REGISTRATION DETAILS
NPO registration: 005-018 NPO
PBO registration: 930004816

VISITOR ENGAGEMENTS, VENUE HIRE
AND FILM SHOOT REQUESTS
reception@districtsix.co.za

EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
mandy@districtsix.co.za

ARCHIVES, RESEARCH
chrischene@districtsix.co.za

EXHIBITIONS
tina@districtsix.co.za

GENERAL INFORMATION
nicky@districtsix.co.za

FINANCE
finance@districtsix.co.za

Jewish Museum cape town Opening Hours, Entrance Fees, Parking, Restaurant, Shop & Netsuke

The South African Jewish Museum was officially opened by Nelson Mandela in December 2000. The brainchild of legendary South African philanthropist Mendel Kaplan, the museum has since established itself as one of the city’s must-see attractions.

While a relatively new institution, the South African Jewish Museum, like the community it depicts, has deep historic foundations. The museum has the distinction of being housed in South Africa’s very first synagogue (fittingly named the Old Shul), built in 1863. Formerly a dutiful record of the history of South African Jews in the Cape, in 1996 the decision was taken to refashion and reimagine the museum for a 21st Century audience.

A new state-of the art building was commissioned, and the scope of the museum expanded to encompass the full gamut of the history of Jews in South Africa – including the community’s historical roots in Lithuania and elsewhere, its instrumental role in the building of South Africa as we know it, as well as its noteworthy contributions to contemporary society. The Old Synagogue museum was transformed into a specialised general exhibit documenting Jews, Judaism and Judaica through the ages.

The new museum was conceived, founded and largely funded by visionary philanthropist, Mendel Kaplan (under the banner of the Kaplan Kushlick Foundation), who stood alongside Nelson Mandela and Helen Suzman at its grand opening in December 2000.

Boasting high-tech exhibits, interactive multi-media installations and walk-through, historically faithful recreations, the South African Jewish Museum remains the only custom-built museum established in Cape Town in the last 50 years.

The museum has established itself as a Cape Town landmark, attracting locals and foreigners, schools and cultural exchange groups, and young and old alike, through its doors.

South African Jewish Museum Netsuke

Netsuke is the Japanese name for miniature ceremonial carvings worn by the affluent merchant classes during the time of the Samurai.

Isaac Kaplan began collecting Netsuke in the 1960s, and developed the collection into one of the largest and most noted in the world.

The museum has on exhibition some 200 items from the impressive Isaac Kaplan collection. All are outstanding examples of Netsuke, dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Netsuke carved in ivory, staghorn and wood and ceremonial pipes and sword fittings created from precious metals trace the collector’s acquisitions over a thirty year period.

Touch screens enable the visitor to view the collection while accessing comprehensive information on the art of Netsuke. Audio guides are also available.

South African Jewish Museum Shop

DSC_6385The South African Jewish Museum Shop, situated inside the museum precinct, offers a wide range of Judaica, including ‘African Judaica.’

Our growing collection of beautiful Judaica caters to the local and international Jewish community, covering all aspects of Jewish life and holidays.

Rooted as we are in Africa, we have a remarkable collection of African Judaica, where local artists and crafts people have reinterpreted objects of Judaica in an African context, resulting in unique pieces of artistic merit.

We are in this respect supportive of job creation initiatives, both within the local Jewish community and the wider community, as well as small business initiatives and local crafters.

The shop also features a range of books that cover South African Jewish history, fiction, art, religion and cooking. There is a children’s section catering for the very young and teenagers, providing books on aspects of Judaism.

Gift certificates are available on request.

South African Jewish Museum Admission Prices

Adults     R75.00
SA Pensioners     R45.00
Students (Under 12 years)     FREE
Students (Over 12 years)     R45.00
Red Sightseeing Bus     50% Discount
Audio Guides     R20.00
Photo ID required

South African Jewish Museum Museum Hours

Sunday – Thursday 10am – 5pm
Friday 10am – 2pm
Closed Saturdays and Jewish Holidays

South African Jewish Museum Parking

Visit the SA Jewish Museum, 88 Hatfield Street, Gardens (parking on Cape Town High School grounds), City Bowl, Cape Town, South Africa

When
Opening times: Sunday to Thursday from 10h00 to 17h00 and Friday from 10h00 to 14h00.

South African Jewish Museum Contact Details

Telephone
+27 (0)21 465-1546

More information
See website

Overnight
Stay nearby in Cape Town Central, in Cape Town

Contact Us
27-21-465-1546

88 Hatfield Street
Gardens 8001
Cape Town
info@sajewishmuseum.co.za

Apartheid Museum Location, Address, Contact Details, History, Parking, Hours, Architecture & Photos

 The Apartheid Museum's Genesis

The Apartheid Museum opened in 2001 and is acknowledged as the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20th century South Africa, at the heart of which is the apartheid story.

In 1995 the South African government set up a process for the granting of casino licenses, establishing an agency to do this called the Gambling Board. The bid documents stipulated that bidders should demonstrate how they would attract tourism and thereby grow the economy and stimulate job creation.

A consortium, called Akani Egoli (Gold Reef City), put in a bid that included the commitment to building a museum. Their bid was successful, the Gold Reef City Casino was built and an adjacent piece of land given for the construction of a museum.

The cost of the construction of what became the Apartheid Museum - approximately 80 million rand - was paid for by Gold Reef City.

The museum is registered as a Section 21 company (incorporated not for gain) with an independent board of trustees, the chairman of which is Dr John Kani. The company is separate from Gold Reef City, which has leased the museum to the Section 21 company for the duration of the casino licence. The museum therefore relies on donations, contributions and sponsorships to sustain its growth.

The Apartheid Museum, the first of its kind, illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid.

An architectural consortium, comprising several leading architectural firms, conceptualised the design of the building on a seven-hectare stand. The museum is a superb example of design, space and landscape offering the international community a unique South African experience.

The exhibits have been assembled and organised by a multi-disciplinary team of curators, film-makers, historians and designers. They include provocative film footage, photographs, text panels and artefacts illustrating the events and human stories that are part of the epic saga, known as apartheid.

A series of 22 individual exhibition areas takes the visitor through a dramatic emotional journey that tells a story of a state-sanctioned system based on racial discrimination and the struggle of the majority to overthrow this tyranny.

For anyone wanting to understand and experience what apartheid South Africa was really like, a visit to the Apartheid Museum is fundamental.

The museum is a beacon of hope showing the world how South Africa is coming to terms with its oppressive past and working towards a future that all South Africans can call their own.

Apartheid Museum Architecture

Chris Kroese’s original sketch of the Apartheid Museum. Source: GAPP Architects and Urban Designers

“Where apartheid had its biggest bite was really on the mines,” explains Kroese, “we used a lot of mining materials and devices symbolically on this building, so it does speak to a large extent of the equipment of the mine. Also the fact that it’s underground has reference to the mine.”

We come to the top of the ramp and a view towards Johannesburg opens up. Our guide informs us that Gauteng is a Sotho word meaning “place of gold”. The museum’s external architecture is a symbolic representation of the city in front of us, a city that rose on the back of the Witwatersrand Gold Rush.

Pillars in the courtyard of the museum represent the seven core values of the South African Constitution; democracy, equality, reconciliation, diversity, responsibility, respect, freedom. Source: Commons

Apartheid Museum Parking

The Apartheid Museum is a 10-minute drive from downtown Johannesburg. Free parking is available at the adjacent theme park, Gold Reef City.

Directions
From M1 South
Take the Booysens Road offramp.
Cross over first traffic light in Kimberly Road
Turn right at the second traffic light into Alamein, which becomes Northern Parkway, pass under a bridge
At the next traffic light, turn right into Gold Reef Road through the gates.
The Apartheid Museum parking is on your left.

Apartheid Museum Hours & Prices

 We are open every day of the week from 9h00 to 17h00.

There are no guided tours available on a Monday.
Guided tours are only offered to 15 people or more.

Admission Fee
(Price increases below are applicable from 1 May 2018)

Adults: R100.00
Pensioners, university students and children: R85.00
School learners: R45.00
Teachers: R50.00

Apartheid Museum Contacts & Address

For more information, bookings and admission fees please contact:
Tel: +27-11-3094700
Fax: +27-11-3094726
Or email: info@apartheidmuseum.org

Physical Address:
Northern Parkway
& Gold Reef Road
Ormonde
Johannesburg

CHECK MORE THAN 50 APARTHEID MUSEUMS PHOTOS