Museums

Enter the portal of the Museum and you that this is no silent zone or store house of the past. This is lively active place where visitors understand what they see. In the heart of the city centre since 1940 the museum is not only an edifice that preserves cultural wealth for prosperity. Educationally rich a place of recreation and an art gallery for current day Tanzanian fine arts it is thronged by large groups of people daily.

The Museum houses four permanent exhibitions:

• Exhibition on Human Evolution: including the famous skull of Zinjanthropus discovered by Dr. Leakey in 1959. Other exhibits are the Hominid skull from various sites suggesting the possible evolutionary path of man, stone tools from Olduvai Gorge, Peninj and Isimila sites, the Laetoli footprints of 3.6 million years ago, bones of large animals and hominid fossils.

• Exhibition on History of Tanzania: includes the lion, a gift given to Mwalimu J.K.Nyerere on his retirement from the presidential seat. Also on display is pottery, Chinese porcelain, coins and beads excavated from Kilwa Kisiwani , (a famous Afro Islamic town on the coast), local Iron Age pottery, trade items of Arabic and European origins, and objects pertaining to the coming of Christianity and Colonialism, the slave trade, the German period, the British period and the struggle for independence. An interesting addition to the collection by the Free Masonry is chairs used during their meeting in the Masonic Hall.

• Exhibition on Biology: This section has on show the Mythical Mammals Dugong. Devoted to the biodiversity and conservation of the environment, the highlight is on the diverse life forms in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Traditional transport and fishing vessels and gear also form part of this section.

• Exhibition on Ethnography: on the divers cultures of Tanzania. Showcased are selected household items, figurines used as teaching aids during initiations ceremonies, beaded leather and decorated tree barks clothes, agricultural and pastoral implements, Makonde masks, Traditional weapon’s traps, Traditional healing and ceremonial objects. An educational section on AIDS has been recently introduced.

Other services:

§ A well stocked library

§ The museum hall and grounds are available for exhibition, educational meeting, wedding reception ceremonies etc

§ The restaurant serves a variety of food and soft drinks

§ Assistance is offered to secondary school projects

§ Guide services to Dar es Salaam city and Bagamoyo

§ The museum is open to researchers

Timings: Open daily from 9.30am – 6pm

Entrance fee:

(Citizens) Adult – Tshs 300, Children – Tshs 100

(Non- citizens) Adult – USD 3, Children USD 1

History of Dar-es-salaam