This is a list of all museums in Kenya. Museums in Kenya are managed by the National Museums of Kenya, a state corporation whose role is to collect, preserve, study, document and present Kenya’s past and present cultural and natural heritage.
Here is a list of museums in Kenya.
1. Nairobi National Museum
It is the flagship museum for the National Museums of Kenya, housing celebrated collections of Kenya’s history, nature, culture and contemporary art. The museum aims to interpret Kenya’s rich heritage and offers a one-stop for visitors to sample the country’s rich heritage both for education and leisure. It features an art gallery, temporary exhibitions, botanical gardens, nature trail, shopping and dining facilities.
2. Karen Blixen Museum
The museum is located about 10 kilometres from Nairobi CBD. It is surrounded by a tranquil garden and indigenous forest, with a spendid view of Ngong Hills. Guided tours are offered continuously in the museum as visitors have a glimpse of handicrafts, posters, postcards and other Kenyan souvenirs.
3. Hyrax Hill Museum
It is located within Nakuru town. It depicts the lifestyle of seasonal settlement by prehistoric people at least 3,000 years old. Attractions within the museum include a nature trail, picnic site, camping site, tortoise pit and picturesque view of Lake Nakuru.
4. Kisumu Museum
It is located in Kisumu Town along the Kisumu-Kericho Highway. It stores and disseminates information on cultural and scientific issues with an emphasis on Western Kenya.
5. Nyeri Museum
Nyeri Museum is housed in a national monument that was once used as a native law court. It depicts the early lifestyles of communities within the region and how they used to solve cases such as pregnancy, debtor cases, theft and murder.
6. Fort Jesus Museum
Fort Jesus is located on Mombasa Island. It became a museum in 1962 and is now an important historical landmark in the East African region. Attached to the museum are a number of sites and monuments of historical significance. The sites include Fort Tenan, Songhor, Thimlich Ohinga and Rusinga Islands.
7. Rabai Museum
It is situated on Mazeras-Kaloleni road. It was established to give formal and a perpetual reminder to monumental events during the advent of early missionaries.
8. Kariandusi Museum
Tourist attractions within the museum include a campsite, nature trail, archaeological site, museum exhibition hall, picnic site, monumental church building and the gorge.
9. Kitale Museum
It was the first of the inland museums to be developed in Kenya. The museum has a lot of ethnographical materials collected from surrounding ethnic groups. It practices environmental conservation and has a nature trail and agroforestry centre.
10. Malindi Museum
The museum houses temporary exhibitions and also doubles as an information centre where visitors are able to find more information on attractions and happenings in Malindi.
11. Kapenguria Museum
The museum was opened in 1993. It is located in Kapenguria town at the site where the six most influential leaders in the struggle for independence were detained. Displays in the museum include books and documents in a memorial library in honour of all heroes who participated in the struggle for independence.
12. Nairobi Gallery
It is located at the intersection of Kenyatta Avenue/Uhuru Highway in the heart of Nairobi City. It serves as a museum holding temporary art exhibitions.
13. Lamu Museum
Lamu Museum is located in the Lamu Archipelago on the North Coast. It is a world heritage site and one of the most beautiful and serene locations on the African continent. It features exhibits that represent the material culture of the various Coastal people.
14. Desert Museum
It is located on top of a hill with a backdrop of the picturesque Lake Turkana, in a small town known as Loiyangalani. The museum presents the unique culture and rich heritage of the communities living around Lake Turkana.
15. Gede Museum
The museum is an important archaeological site under the care of the National Museums of Kenya. It features an indigenous forest that is a sacred site for traditional rituals and sacrifices for the surrounding community.
16. Meru Museum
Meru Museum originated in 1974 as a joint effort by the Meru Municipal and County Councils, together with the National Museums of Kenya in creating an attractive and formative centre useful to the local people and visitors. Aspects of the cultural and diverse history of the Meru people are well illustrated by the numerous displays.
17. Kabarnet Museum
The museum opened its doors to the public in 1996. It has four main public galleries featuring the Rift Valley people, their culture, its environment, indigenous knowledge and science for education.
18. Narok Museum
It has exhibitions of pictures and artefacts to preserve the beauty and strength of the rich traditional culture of the Maasai and other speakers of the Maa language.
19. Wajir Museum
The Wajir Museum houses an exhibition that reflects the traditions and customs of communities living in the northern part of Kenya. It is part of the initiatives to open up Northern Kenya to the tourism industry forming a part of the tourist attractions that will offer distinctive products in the region.
20. Tambach Museum
The museum is located in Tambach, one of the oldest towns in Kenya. It was established to safeguard the Tambach heritage site and the culture of the Keiyo and Marakwet people.
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