The clearest account of apartheid anywhere, told through film, photographs and personal stories on a one-way route from the segregated entrance to the birth of democracy. The place to start any trip to Johannesburg.
The Apartheid Museum is the clearest account of apartheid anywhere, and the right place to begin a trip to Johannesburg. It tells the story of how a system of racial segregation was built, enforced and finally dismantled, through film, photographs, documents and the testimony of the people who lived it.
The point is made the moment you arrive. Your ticket assigns you at random to a ‘white’ or ‘non-white’ entrance, and you go in through separate gates, a small taste of the classification that ran every life under apartheid. From there a one-way route leads through the race laws, the pass system, the forced removals and the resistance, into the states of emergency and the long road to the vote. The Nelson Mandela exhibition and the Desmond Tutu ‘Truth to Power’ exhibition carry it through to democracy and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
It asks a lot of you. Allow two to three hours, take the included audio tour, and pace yourself, because the material is heavy and meant to be. The museum advises against children under 11. It sits in Ormonde, next to Gold Reef City, an easy Uber from the northern suburbs, and it pairs naturally with Constitution Hill and a guided morning in Soweto, which together complete the story.
One route through the story, from the segregated turnstile to democracy. Allow two to three hours.
Your ticket assigns you at random to a 'white' or 'non-white' entrance, and you walk in through separate gates, the point made before you read a word. The route then runs in order through the race laws, the pass system, forced removals, resistance and the states of emergency, in film, photographs and recovered objects.
Alongside the permanent route, the Nelson Mandela exhibition follows his life from activist to prisoner to president, and the Desmond Tutu 'Truth to Power' exhibition tells the story of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Together they carry the account through to the democracy of 1994 and after.
The museum frames the rest of a South Africa trip. See it on your first day in Joburg, before Soweto and Constitution Hill, and the rest reads differently.
The route is long and there's a lot to take in. The museum suggests two hours as a minimum, and three is closer to comfortable.
An audio guide is included in the international ticket and adds the voices and context the panels can't. Pick one up at the entrance.
The content is heavy and emotionally demanding. There are benches along the way and a café and gardens at the end if you need to stop.
Some of the material is graphic, and the museum advises against children under 11. It suits older children and teenagers studying the history.
Constitution Hill and a guided morning in Soweto complete the picture, the prison cells and the township alongside the museum's account.
Visit with a guide or as part of a city day through our trusted partners, at the same price as booking direct.
A full guided day that pairs the museum with Soweto, Vilakazi Street and the Hector Pieterson memorial, the history in one trip.
Book on GetYourGuide →A half-day in Soweto with someone who grew up there, the everyday side of the history the museum sets out.
See Soweto tours →The City Sightseeing red bus stops at the museum, an easy way to reach it and link it with the rest of the city.
See bus tickets →Hotels in Sandton and Rosebank, the safe northern suburbs most visitors use as a base.
Find a stay →We may earn a commission when you book through our partner links — at no extra cost to you.
The Apartheid Museum is where Johannesburg's story begins. See the rest of what the city holds.
