Are there any good Historical Museums in Johannesburg?

Question

Are there any good Historical Museums in Johannesburg?

Answer 1

Odie is right.

Answer 2

You do not mention what type of history you are interested in. I have no doubt that Odie is somewhat right but that showing of history in the best light is not limited to recent history or to South Africa. Below are a number of historical museums in a variety of areas of life.

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The Witwatersrand School of Medicine has a particularly interesting one called the Adler Museum of Medicine. While it deals with the subject generally, it also has a lot of interesting info on the South African input, which has been substantial especially in the area of heart surgery as anyone who remembers and/or has benefited by what Dr. Christiaan Barnard started can attest to.

http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/10...

James Hall Transport Museum - if your interest lies in public transport this will be a place that interests you. Admission is free - or it was when I was there a few years ago. It has every conceivable type of land transport. I liked the Cape Cart and I found the trams interesting - but that's probably because I can remember when my home city of Montreal had trams. Interesting to compare.

http://www.wheretostay.co.za/information...

South African National Museum of Military History

Men can change - or try to change - the causes and effects of war but the war paraphernalia usually stays as it was and you can see how it was here.

http://www.militarymuseum.co.za/main.htm

AECI Dynamite Factory Museum the history of Dynamite and it's uses in time of war as well as those many constructive uses it has in times of peace.

http://www.gauteng.com/content.php?page=...

Constitution Hill

A history of South Africa. History is written by the conquering heroes and as such it sometimes changes and is always biased. What I learned about Canadian history in the 50's bears very little resemblance to what the kids are learning today. What I learned was not wrong in it's facts so much as it was biased in it's presentation or lack of mention all together. I have not been to Constitution Hill so I can make no personal judgements but I am guessing what happened with Canadian history also is evident here. Perhaps when thing level off in South Africa, this will become more evenly discussed also.

http://www.sa-venues.com/attractionsga/c...

There are a number of other museums - a number of them associated with one or another field of science. Go here to check them out.

http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/24...

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

There is the South African National Museum of Military History and the Apartheid Museum.

The military one is a great place to research relatives or others who were in the military or even to find out if they were in the military.

Answer 4

In short... No

All the new Museums in Johannesburg are so politically correct that they are inaccurate. So far the only unbiased exhibit I have seen is the District 6 museum in Cape town. The rest are a incomplete guilt trips. They are SO biased that anyone that has a hint of intelligence feels insulted by the exhibits.

Give me all the facts and I will make up my own opinion don't try and force your opinion on me.

Answer 5

I enjoyed touring the Origins Museum on the campus of Witwatersrand in Jo-burg.  So that is a possibility, too.