National Museum of Ghana

About this place

The National Museum of Ghana in Accra is the largest and oldest of the six museums under the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, established in 1957. It holds about 10,000 or more objects of archaeology, ethnography and fine art, and it is a good place to understand the country's history before heading out to its regions. The collection goes back to the anthropology museum at Achimota College, founded by Charles Thurstan Shaw. It opened on 5 March 1957, just before Independence Day and as part of the celebrations, with Princess Marina performing the ceremony and A.W. Lawrence as first director. It closed for restoration in 2015 and reopened in 2022. The Public Works Department built it with help from the British architects Denys Lasdun and Lindsay Drake. The building is topped by a low saucer-shaped aluminium dome, with windows set at saw-toothed angles. Inside, rooms show old farming tools and royal machetes from before the colonial era, with most objects of Akan origin. Outside is a sculpture garden under the trees with statues and old cannons, offering a shady break. The museum lies about 2 km from Independence Arch in a straight line and is easily reached by taxi. Check opening times and holidays. Photography is often restricted in some rooms, so ask on entry. Allow one to two hours, and it pairs well with a later trip to the coastal forts to see the whole story.