Johannesburg Attractions – Museums and Galleries
If you are interested in African art, Johannesburg’s commercial galleries are the best in the country.
Johannesburg Art Gallery
Unfortunately, this does not yet hold true for the permanent collections on display at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in downtown Joubert Park. During the apartheid era, the acquisitions virtually ignored black talent. Today, however, all that is changing. Works by South African sculptors add shape and color to the gallery gardens, while the temporary exhibitions provide a showcase for up and coming local artists.
Gertrude Posel Gallery
There is an extensive collection of tribal art at the Gertrude Posel Gallery in Senate House at the University of the Witwatersrand, a 10-minute drive west of the city center. Here, you will see valuable examples of vanishing art forms such as masks, head dresses, drums and beadwork.
Everard Read Gallery
The Everard Read Gallery in Rosebank is the best commercial gallery in Johannesburg, covering a variety of work from abstract landscapes to wildlife paintings and tribal art.
Museum Africa
The innovative displays at Museum Africa in Newtown Precinct depict scenes from Johannesburg’s brief but turbulent 100-year history. You may find for example, a cluster of squatter shacks brought from Alexandra township and painstakingly reconstructed or displays focusing on the Rivonia Treason Trial, which sentenced Nelson Mandela to life imprisonment on Robben Island; or even a fearsome assortment of home-made weapons confiscated from a miner’s hostel.
Geological Museum
In the same building are the Geological Museum, displaying some of the country’s unique mineral wealth; Photographic Library and Museum, and the fascinating South African Rock Art Museum, giving an idea of the wide scope of styles and subjects which influenced the San rock artists. Guided tours and lectures are available at all these venues.
South African Transport Museum
Steam train enthusiasts will enjoy the South African Transport Museum which is situated on the old concourse of the main railway station in downtown De Villiers Street. This museum houses the best collection of vantage steam engines in the country, as well as ox wagons and vintage motor cars.
Johannesburg Planetarium
Located in the grounds of the University of the Witwatersrand, the Johannesburg Planetarium is a good place to view the southern skies from a fresh angle. Here, audio-visual shows and multimedia displays take visitors on an astrological journey to distant galaxies.
South African National Museum of Military History
This museum is situated near the zoo in the Herman Eekstein Park in Saxonwold. It has an exhibit of 12 aircraft and a military submarine, as well as armored flight vehicles, artillery, small arms and uniforms.