Ghana’s museums offer numerous opportunities to learn about the country’s intriguing past, from pre-colonial times to the present. Learn about the Ashanti people’s culture, explore original Ghanaian artwork, and learn more about Accra. Here are some of the most interesting places to see.
Ghana is known for its rich and exquisite cultural diversity, with dozens of ethnic groups coexisting peacefully with differing ideas and dispositions. Being the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to win independence, the country is also a cornerstone of African history.
The diversity of active cultures to see and learn about can be stunning, but it can also be challenging to do so, especially in Accra, Ghana’s cosmopolitan metropolis. Visiting some of Ghana’s biggest museums is a great way to get started on a cultural tour of the country.
In this article Mrpocu.com will list top Museums in Ghana to visit. From the most popular student museums to some of the cultural museums.
Ghana Travel Restrictions
Ghana is open to most travelers again. I mean travelers from all over the world. However, you do need proof of your COVID-19 vaccination(s) or a negative test result before being allowed entry.
Many hotels, attractions, and private tours are open with new health & safety protocols in place, and you still have to follow certain guidelines. They are all good for our safety.
Read the ultimate travel guide to Ghana to help you plan your trip.
Top Museums In Ghana
1.Manhyia Palace Museum
Contact: +2330322023680
Location: Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana
The Manhyia Palace Museum was built to document and convey the Ashanti’s storied history as one of the most powerful West African empires in history. The museum, which is located in Kumasi, Ghana’s second-largest and most populated city, houses a number of rare items dating back to the Ashanti empire’s heyday. Visitors can also learn about the empire’s beginnings through a variety of video exhibits.
Overall, this is a fantastic site to immerse yourself in the Ashanti empire’s vast repository of knowledge.
2.W.E.B Du Bois Museum
Contact: 030776502
Location: Circular Road, Contonments, Accra
Ghana’s historical relevance extends beyond pan-Africanism and the leaders who inspired it across the continent; it also includes the African diaspora. William Edward Burghardt “W.E.B.” Du Bois, an African-American academic and pan-Africanist, travelled to Ghana in the 1950s at the request of Dr Kwame Nkrumah to help construct the new nation.
His exhibit at the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre commemorates the interaction between Africans in the diaspora and those in the homeland. His writings, speeches, photographs, and other publications, as well as those of other major personalities like as Marcus Garvey and George Padmore, will be available to visitors.
3.Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
Contact: +233233671610
Location: High St, Accra, Ghana
Ghana gained independence from the British in 1957, becoming the first sovereign state in the sub-region to take control of its affairs, resources, and development. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the country’s first prime minister and president, was a key figure in the war for independence. The museum is the most popular among museums in Ghana
This museum was constructed to honour his legacy and keep his mortal remains, books, artefacts, and other objects related to his life after his death. Visitors are also guided through the history of the pan-African fight, learning firsthand about his and other African leaders’ accomplishments, such as Patrice Lumumba and Julius Nyerere.
It remains a popular tourist attraction for visitors interested in learning more about Ghana’s role in crafting post-colonial history.
4.The National Museum
Contact: +233302221633
Location: 2 Barnes Road, Adabraka, Accra
The National Museum in Accra is the place to go if you want a more thorough view of Ghana’s historical and present history. The National Museum of Ghana was founded in 1957 and is the ultimate storehouse of knowledge about the people of Ghana’s numerous cultural components, such as their languages, chieftaincy systems, meals, attire, and handicraft.
Ethnography, Archaeology, and Arts are the three main areas of the museum. El Anatsui and Ablade Glover are two well-known Ghanaian modern artists whose work may be found in the Arts section. You can also spend time in the magnificent sculpture garden of the museum.
5.Museum of Science And Technology
Contact: +233302223963
Location: Bernes Road, Accra
The National Museum is only a few metres away from the Museum of Science and Technology. It houses artefacts that depict Ghana’s scientific progress from pre-colonial periods to the current day. Visitors can see anything from prehistoric handaxes and other simple farm equipment to complex machinery like as helicopters and bamboo bicycles, all of which were designed and produced by Ghanaians. It is one of the top Museums in Ghana
The museum also hosts the final exhibition for Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s School of Fine Art’s graduating students, which features some of the finest modern fine arts and performing arts.
6.Artists Alliance Gallery
Contact: + 233-245-251-404
Location: La 348, Accra, Ghana
Artists Alliance Gallery, a three-story tower overlooking the sea and presenting traditional crafts and contemporary arts, provides an overview of the Ghanaian art scene. Modern paintings with satirical aspects are displayed alongside Ashanti drums, carved masks, and other traditional items—all for sale, so bring plenty of cash.
7.Gallery 1957
Contact: +233 303967575
Location: Gallery 1957, I, II and III Accra. Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast & Galleria Mall
PMB 66 — Ministries
Gamel Abdul Nasser Avenue
Ridge — Accra
Marwan Zakhem founded Gallery 1957 on Ghana’s Independence Day in 2016, and it has now grown to three gallery spaces in Accra, focusing on international interactions between contemporary West African art practises and the rest of the globe. The London location of Gallery 1957 opened in October 2020, providing a new platform for Gallery 1957 artists working in Africa and the diaspora to show their work. The museums is the most popular among the museums in Ghana to African diaspora.
Gallery 1957 bridges the gap between local and worldwide audiences by presenting a programme of exhibitions, installations, and performances by the region’s most important artists. Beyond its roster of different artists and exhibitions, the artist residency programme and global gallery collaborations have welcomed numerous international artists and arts professionals to Ghana, encouraging them to interact more with the country’s vibrant contemporary art scene.
The activity of Gallery 1957 extends beyond the gallery walls through a public programme that includes fairs, seminars, off-site projects, site-specific installation commissions, as well as the publication of publications and catalogues, all of which support cultural efforts in Ghana and beyond.
8.Ghana Armed Forces Museum
Contact: 0322023103
Location: Stewart Ave, Kumasi
Kumasi Fort – Ghana Armed Forces Museum, a historic Uaddara barracks with a large collection of weapons, photos, and medals, provides an overview of the region’s military history. The museum, which is housed in an 1820 fortification erected by an Ashanti ruler to replicate European coastal fortresses, houses historic battle drums, small calibre weapons, armoured cars, and aircraft, among other things. Learn about the Ashanti resistance against the British in 1900, the country’s role in World War II, and the 1966 coup d’etat. After that, go to the British military cemetery next to the fort, where some of the tombs date from the Anglo-Ashanti War.
9.Okomfo Anokye Sword Site
Contact: 0277473288
Location: Stewart Ave, Kumasi
The Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is housed in the ‘immovable’ Sword thrust into the ground by Okomfo Anokye. According to legend, the sword was put into the ground about 300 years ago. The Okomfo is said to have said that no one would be able to remove the sword, and it has remained despite attempts. The Ashanti state is thought to be doomed if the sword is ever brought out of the earth. It might be small among all the museums in Ghana but it has a story to tell.
10.Prempeh II Museum
Contact: +233 (0)20 672 9184
Location: National Cultural Centre
The individualised tour included with admission offers a fascinating introduction to Ashanti culture and history, despite the museum’s limited size. Artefacts linked to Ashanti monarch Prempeh II are on exhibit, including the king’s military costume, ceremonial clothes, jewellery, protective amulets, personal bathing and dining equipment, furniture, royal insignia, and some beautiful brass weights for weighing gold. It features a courtyard in front and walls ornamented with traditional carved symbols, and it was built to look like an Ashanti chief’s house.
A rare photograph of the renowned Golden Stool is among the museum’s interesting photographs. In addition, the museum houses a replica of the golden stool that was given to the British in 1900.