Many attractions in Cape Town offer visitors the chance to learn about the city’s history, as well as experience it.
There are many attractions in Cape Town that showcase the city’s rich natural and cultural roots, with many of these not only offering information about the city’s past and present, but also the opportunity to experience it. Here’s a look at some interactive experiences in and around the city.
Two Oceans Aquarium
Located near the southern tip of Africa, Cape Town is where the cold Atlantic meets the warm Indian Ocean and the Two Oceans Aquarium showcases the diverse marine life found in and around this unique coming together of habitats. Visitors to the aquarium can learn about the aquarium’s more than 3 000 animals, including sharks, turtles, penguins and jellyfish, through a host of interactive displays that are fun for the whole family.
Website: www.aquarium.co.za
Cape Town Planetarium
Looking up into the night sky, the Cape Town Planetarium is a celebration of the planets and constellations visible in the great Southern African sky. Throughout the year, the planetarium hosts workshops and exhibitions of different themes, but the highlight is undoubtedly the lights and sounds created by the planetarium’s star machine, which takes visitors on an audio-visual adventure through the stars and constellations. For the little ones, there are workshops where they’ll learn about the galaxy and the stars in a fun and interactive way.
Website: www.iziko.org.za/museums/planetarium
South African Naval Museum
Simon’s Town, located around 30 minutes from the city centre, is home to South Africa’s largest Naval base, making it the perfect location for the South African Naval Museum. Here visitors can see a collection of naval artefacts such as uniforms, torpedoes, sea mines, as well as models of ships and submarines of the South African Navy, past and present. One of the highlights of the museum is the life-size ship’s bridge and submarine operations and control room.
Website: www.simonstown.com/navalmuseum
South African Jewish Museum
Known for its high tech, interactive displays and occupying two buildings, the South African Jewish Museum is one of the most popular museums in the city and gives visitors an engaging insight into South African Jewish history, as well as an area dedicated to the Holocaust.
Website: www.sajewishmuseum.org.za
Springbok Experience Rugby Museum
Rugby is one of South Africa’s most beloved sports, with the passion for the game running deep in South Africans’ blood. Through numerous interactive exhibits, the Springbok Experience Rugby Museum details the sport’s history from its introduction in 1861 to the national team’s historic World Cup win in 1995, as well as the game’s role in the country’s tumultuous political past. The museum also features the popular ‘Springbok Trials Zone’, an interactive area where visitors can test their skills to see whether they have what it takes to make the Springbok rugby team.
Website: www.sarugby.co.za
Cape Town Diamond Museum
Diamonds have played a big part in putting South Africa’s mineral wealth on the world map. At the Cape Town Diamond Museum visitors can learn how diamonds are formed within the earths crust over billions of years, the workings of the country’s diamond industry, and see how diamonds are transformed from rough rocks to coveted jewels.
Website: www.capetowndiamondmuseum.org
