Six Reasons To Visit The District Six Museum
Cape Town is well known for its District Six Museum which houses vast amounts of information on the history and memories of the past.
District Six was an area of Cape Town in the nineteen seventies that housed almost one tenth of the population of Cape Town.
In the year 1965 the apartheid government at the time stated that District Six was now a “white” area.
This resulted in more than sixty thousand people being forced to move and relocate to the Cape Flats.
Following this controversial clearance of the area history was made and all the sad memories and also the triumphs have been stored and captured within the museum and will live a legacy for all eternity. This museum is a heritage project and is dedicated to serving the people of Cape Town, the larger city of Cape Town as well as all parts of South Africa.
We have put together 6 main reasons why everyone should pay a visit to the District Six museum at least once in their lifetime.
Six reasons why District Six museum is worth your while.
1. Exciting guided tours are offered of the area which are conducted by a genuine ex-resident of the original District Six. In doing this, you are going to gain a real sense of what it was like for the people back in those days. Not only will you be taken back in time to one of the biggest historical events in Cape Town but you are also given the opportunity of being able to ask questions to raise sensitive issues you may have wondered about.
2. The museum caters for locals as well as foreigners which means there are no limitations. If you are in the area and have some time to kill, it is really recommended and likewise, if you are entertaining guests from abroad, it’s a great idea to plan it into the itinerary to help them to understand a little more about the rich South African history.
3. There is a wonderful little coffee shop which offers coffee and snacks; a great introduction to the traditional overly sweet koeksisters, which is must try for everyone. It is a wonderful way to sit down with a friend after your tour to process and digest the information you have taken in.
4. If you are looking for souvenirs to take home there is a dynamic bookshop which contains all sorts of souvenirs from District Six. It also contains educational books, stories of District Six and apartheid. This book shop contains a very specialized collection of over sixty thousand books.
5. You will be spending time at a venue which is entirely committed to sharing its stories of the forced removals and aiding in the reconstruction of the community. They operate from a stance of non-racism, non-sexism and anti-class discrimination but they strongly encourage the initiation of debates and discussions of your opinions.
6. There are some exciting exhibitions which have been carefully created in order to maximize your learning potential.
Its time to take some time out of your busy schedule and step back into history to support the organisation and learn a little more about the past.
Opening times:
09h00–14h00 Mondays (doors close at 13h30)
09h00 – 16h00 Tuesdays – Saturdays (Sundays are by appointment only)
25a Buitenkant Street, Cape Town.
Site tours of the District Six area
The museum offers a guided tour of the area. It is conducted by an ex resident either as a walking tour or in a vehicle. The site tours MUST be booked in advance. To book a tour please call the Museum on 021 466 7200.
Make a donation
Remember that The District Six Museum is an independent community based institution entirely dependent on raising its own funds. A contribution that you make would enhance the Museum’s ability to work with its communities and to improve the quality of its research, exhibitions and public programmes. If you would like to become involved in the Museum activities please call Nicky (PA to the director) at +27 (0)21-466 7200 or email her on nicky@districtsix.co.za. If you would like to make a donation their bank details are as follows:
DISTRICT SIX MUSEUM FOUNDATION
STANDARD BANK
AC/NO: 070293686
BRANCH CODE: 02-00-09-00
NPO REG: 005-018-NPO