Nairobi National Museum is located at the Museum Hill, approximately 15 minutes matatu drive from the Nairobi city centre. You can also take a taxi from downtown, if you like. You will pay 20 shillings for a matatu or about 350 shillings if you’re getting a taxi.
The museum has three major sections: the main lobby, the room with stuffed animals and the birds hallway. The main lobby is really nice. In the middle of the room you can see 43 different types of traditional pots, one for each of the tribes officially recognized in Kenya. They are pretty impressive
when gathered in the same place. Do not miss the butterfly map that can be found in the same room. It depicts the entire map of Kenya and is made of butterflies, on both sides. Take a really good picture of it! Also look at Sambu, the cloak made from the skins of the Sykes’ monkeys and decorated with pieces of white and black colobus skins. Another pretty famous thing in this room is Siwa, the ceremonial side blown horn, one of the most distinctive signs of regality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Among Swahili people the horn has always represented peace and unity. It looks pretty impressive!
The room with stuffed animals would surprise the regular visitor. That is if you did not visit the similar rooms at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. If you did, then it will not be that impressive anymore. Ironically, it would look like a cheap copy of the one in New York, even if the one in NYC is the most recent one. I think the one in NYC is nicer just because the animals are in a much better shape. There is one thing you will not see in NYC that’s unique to the Nairobi National Museum: the skeleton and the ivory of one of the most famous elephants in Kenya, Ahmed, who used to have his private guardians on Homo Kenyatta’s orders. I’ve never seen more beautiful ivory horns in my whole life as a matter of fact.
The birds hallway is also somewhat worth visiting. What shocked me were the different types of eagles to be found there. They are so… hypnotic when seen so close. If you’re really interested in Kenyan birdlife this is your place.
The museum is open daily (including public holidays) from 0930hrs - 1800hrs.
The Nairobi National Museum has the most expensive entry fee in the city: 800 Kenyan Shillings. If you’re interested in what I’ve told you above, do it. However, it’s not really breathtaking and, again, it’s pretty expensive. If you want to see something extraordinary, typical to the Kenyan culture, and a very nice account of the colonial and postcolonial history of Kenya, in pictures, go to the National Archives. You cannot take pictures inside but the memories you get after visiting this place are priceless. Entry to the archives: 200 Kenyan Shillings. The archives are really close to the Hilton hotel in Nairobi.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Lovely article. Nice pics as well. Very good for someone wo wants to travel ti Nairobi. Keep up te good work!
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:26 am
Homo Kenyatta? nuuuuu! Careful its Jomo Kenyatta. Otherwise, good article - would have liked a more extensive exploration.