Nairobi National Museum: Exploring Kenya’s History, Wildlife and Culture

We have a habit of visiting museums whenever we travel. There is something about walking through a museum that helps you understand a place beyond the usual tourist attractions. Also, we love them because we are bunch of nerds (and we love being nerds). So naturally, when we were in Nairobi, we had to visit the Nairobi National Museum.

The museum is massive. And when I say massive, I mean its humongous. We thought we would probably spend an hour walking around before heading off to the Museum of Illusions. Instead, we kept moving from one section to another, constantly finding something new to look at.

Nairobi National Museum

The Nairobi National Museum covers so many different areas. You can learn about Kenya’s wildlife, birds, fossils, animal bones, human evolution, history and culture all under one roof. One minute you are looking at different animal displays, and the next you are standing in front of ancient fossils or learning about how humans evolved over time. It was actually quite fascinating seeing how much information is packed into one space.

There are also sections focused on Kenya’s history, culture and development, giving you a better understanding of the country beyond what you usually see when travelling. The curators have also added significant information through their placards that make a self tour very easy and rewarding. The animal displays and skeleton collections were definitely some of our favourites. Even if you are not someone who normally enjoys museums, these sections are quite interesting, especially if you are visiting with children.

There is also a tuck shop/kiosk on the outside where you can grab something to eat or drink after your tour. It is located in a very busy area, so make sure to plan your trip well.

What we loved about the Nairobi National Museum was how much it showed us about Kenya beyond the city life that we had been exposed to. The museum gave us a glimpse into the many other stories that have shaped the country. We recommend allocating about 2-3 hours to experience all the different sections of the Museum.

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