Cape Town Museum
AVAILABLE: Online Exhibitions | Public Programmes | Walk-in Centre | OPEN ONLINE: Monday – Friday | MORE INFO: Museum Website | Facebook Page | Instagram Page
Introduction
Cape Town Museum is not your typical museum. It is a unique initiative that aims to gather, share and record the stories of the people living in Cape Town, as well as their ideas and visions for the future. The museum is a project of the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport and offers a collaborative and participatory platform that explores and presents Cape Town as a holistic cultural landscape and living museum.
About the Museum
The concept for Cape Town Museum has been in development through a consultative process that involved engaging with heritage activists, community organizations and heritage organizations through various platforms, including public workshops, social media, and focus groups. This process aimed to create a museum without walls, one that exists to gather, share and record the stories of the people of Cape Town.
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Currently the Cape Town Museum operates out of its Walk-in Centre at 148 Long Street, Cape Town. It further hosts various online exhibitions and also operates through activities with collaborative partner museums. See the museum’s published online exhibitions on its website, and visit it’s satalite museums which include: Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum, Simons Town Museum, Hout Bay Museum, SA Sendinggestig Museum, Cape Medical Museum, Wheat Industry Museum, Jan Danckaert Museum, SA Fisheries Museum, and Elands Bay Museum.
About the Walk-in Centre
One of the exciting developments for Cape Town Museum is the new Walk-in Centre located at 148 Long Street. This space was completed towards the end of 2023 and showcases rotating exhibitions about Cape Town and its people, as well as information about the work of the museum. The Walk-in Centre provides a unique space for organizations to showcase and share their work, including temporary spaces for exhibitions and collaborative projects. Currently it has a couple of wonderful exhibtions about the role of women and people in Cape Town, including a wonderful large scale map on the floor of the museum.
Interesting Facts
- The Cape Town Museum is a museum without walls, which means that it exists to gather, share and record the stories of the people of Cape Town.
- The museum also offers a unique platform for communication, debate and networking for stakeholders interested in cultural heritage and community development.
- The museum offers virtual exhibitions and online tours through its website.
- The Cape Town Museum developed an exhibition commemorating the history of slavery at Leeuwenhof Slave Quarters in Cape Town.
- Leeuwenhof is the official residence of the Premier of the Western Cape. Within the site of the Slave Quarters, there are now three interconnected exhibitions that pay tribute to the enslaved individuals who resided and worked at Leeuwenhof.
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery of the Cape Town Museum Walk-in Centre at 148 Long Street, Cape Town.
Physical Location
Location of the Cape Town Museum Walk-in Centre at 148 Long Street, Cape Town.
Conclusion
Cape Town Museum is an innovative and collaborative initiative that seeks to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Cape Town and its people. Through its various programs and partnerships, the museum provides a space for dialogue, exchange, and engagement, which can help to promote greater understanding and appreciation of Cape Town’s diverse cultural landscape. If you are interested in learning more about Cape Town’s history and its people, be sure to visit the Cape Town Museum’s website.
