Livingstone Museum

Established in 1934, the Livingstone Museum in Livingstone, Zambia, is the country’s oldest and largest museum, offering extensive collections in archaeology, ethnography, natural history, and history, including significant David Livingstone memorabilia.

Planning your visit

The Livingstone Museum is Zambia's oldest and largest, founded in 1934, and its collections cover archaeology, ethnography, natural history and national history across several galleries.

The David Livingstone material is the best known: original letters, journals, maps and personal effects belonging to the missionary and explorer who reached the falls in 1855 and named them for Queen Victoria. The archaeology section is more significant scientifically, covering the deep human history of the region — this is an area with Stone Age occupation stretching back hundreds of thousands of years.

The ethnography galleries cover Zambian peoples, ritual objects, masks and material culture, and the history section addresses the colonial period as Northern Rhodesia and independence in 1964.

Livingstone is the base for Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, and the museum provides context most visitors skip in favour of the falls, rafting and game drives. Allow ninety minutes. Bookable options include museum tours with airport transfer. Current availability is listed below.