Of Chows and Dhows

The Nairobi National Museum

The Nairobi National Museum is a must-visit for anyone interested in Kenyan history, heritage, and art. I haven’t been since it was reopened back in 2008 and I have to say I was quite impressed. Overall the museum is beautifully curated and each showcase has a detailed description. I especially loved the archaeology section.  The museum is pretty big, I was there for an hour and I did not visit every section. You should give yourself enough time to see everything if you are looking for more of a learning experience.

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One thing you will notice is the sculptures and the landscaping all around the museum. They were all so beautiful I couldn’t help but take tons of pictures.

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The Nairobi National Museum has an art gallery and it shows temporary art exhibitions. It also hosts plenty of events, if interested you can keep an eye on their Facebook page for more information.

The Snake Park:

The park is much smaller than I imagined so fifteen minutes maximum is enough to see everything. At the park, you get to see different species of fish, snakes, tortoises, and crocodiles.

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The Nairobi National Museum’s Rates

Category	Citizens	East African Residents	Non-Residents
Nairobi National Museum:
Adults	200	600	1,200
Children below 16yrs	100	400	600
Snake Park:
Adults	200	400	1,200
Children below 16yrs	100	200	600
Nairobi National Museum and Snake Park Package:
Adults	300	600	1,500
Children below 16yrs	150	300	1,000

If you are looking for an escape from the busy city, you can opt to take a walk or have a picnic in the museum’s botanical gardens without getting into the museum or park. There is also a coffee shop and a souvenir crafts shop on site.

Tips:

• If possible visit the museum on weekdays early in the morning or in the evening. Mid-mornings and afternoons are packed. I went at 4 pm and it was rather empty. Note that the museum opens at 8:30 am and closes at 5:30 pm.
• It’s cheaper to pay to see both the museum and the snake park at Kshs. 300 rather than paying to see each at Kshs 200.
• You can get a guide to take you around the museum and the snake park if you are interested in knowing a little bit more about the showcases but a guide is not necessary. If you do decide to go with a guide make sure you ask whether or not they will charge you to avoid any surprises.
• Taking a walk in the botanical gardens is free.

Catch up on the Nairobi series here .

Until next time, Bye.