Nairobi National Museum
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Located in Nairobi, the Nairobi National Museum offers immersive exhibitions on Kenya’s rich cultural, historical, and natural heritage, including human evolution and art.
Planning your visit
The Nairobi National Museum covers Kenya on four fronts at once — human evolution, natural history, cultural heritage and contemporary art — which makes it a sensible first stop for understanding the country before heading elsewhere. Founded in 1930, its palaeontology holdings are internationally significant, drawn from the Rift Valley excavations that made Kenya central to the study of human origins. The adjacent Snake Park, with live reptiles, is a separate attraction on the same grounds and is included in many visits.
Bookable options are almost all guided half-day tours that bundle the museum with nearby sites, since Nairobi's traffic makes efficient routing worth paying for. The most common pairing is the museum with the Snake Park; others add the Giraffe Centre, the Bomas of Kenya cultural village, the Karen Blixen Museum, or the Maasai Market for crafts. Some include a botanical walk on the museum grounds, city tours taking in the KICC tower, or guided visits to Kibera. See current options below.
Before you book
Where is Nairobi National Museum?
Nairobi National Museum is in Nairobi, Kenya. The map on this page marks its exact location.
Do I need to book Nairobi National Museum in advance?
Guided tours run to a fixed schedule and small group sizes, so they are usually booked ahead.
