Uganda National Museum
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Established in 1908, the Uganda National Museum in Kampala displays ethnological, natural-historical, and traditional life collections, including archaeological and paleontological artifacts.
Planning your visit
The Uganda Museum, founded in 1908, is the oldest museum in East Africa, and its collections cover archaeology, palaeontology, ethnography and natural history across the country's many kingdoms and peoples.
Its traditional musical instrument collection is the standout, and unusually visitors can often play them — drums, xylophones, harps, lyres and horns from across the region, demonstrated by staff.
Ethnographic displays cover the Baganda, Acholi, Karamojong and others, with dwellings reconstructed in the grounds, alongside hunting and agricultural equipment and ritual objects.
The presentation is dated and funding has been intermittent; the museum has survived repeated proposals to demolish it for redevelopment, which is worth knowing as context for its condition.
Admission is inexpensive and it sits on Kira Road in Kampala.
Allow ninety minutes. Bookable options include city tours with the museum. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Uganda National Museum?
Uganda National Museum is in Kampala, Uganda. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Uganda National Museum?
Allow ninety minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Is Uganda National Museum free to enter?
Yes, general admission to Uganda National Museum is free. Guided tours and special exhibitions may still be charged separately.
Do I need to book Uganda National Museum in advance?
Guided tours run to a fixed schedule and small group sizes, so they are usually booked ahead.