Transvaal Museum of Natural History
On one of the major streets in the centre of Tshwane, the capital city of South Africa, lies what is regarded as the country’s leading natural history museum, open every day of the week.
Founded in 1892, the Transvaal Museum of Natural History was originally buried away in a tiny room next to the clock tower on the top floor of Parliament House, a collection so small, it hardly justified the hiring of any permanent employees. But with the increasing number of donations of items made, fossils of plants and animals, and items of European origin - particularly those introduced by Boers and Voortrekkers - the collection rapidly expanded. Today the collection at the Transvaal Museum of Natural History is housed in a magnificent sandstone building, its entrance dominated by dinosaur skeletons, filled with cavernous display halls.
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National Cultural History Museum
Now known as the African Window, the National Cultural History Museum lies on Visagie Street, in the Old Mint, vacated for newer premises in Midrand. It is without doubt one of the most dynamic museums in Pretoria. It consistently displays new and exciting exhibitions alongside its rather appealing permanent exhibitions, which include an exploration of space through the ages, called ‘reach for the stars’, and a rock art exhibition, known as the ‘rainbow collection’.
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Freedom Park, Pretoria
When Nelson Mandela said in 1999 - “the day should not be far off, when we shall have a people’s shrine, a freedom park, where we shall honour with all the dignity they deserve, those who endured pain so we should experience the joy of freedom.” - he was describing the Freedom Park, which today stands on 52 hectares on Salvokop in Pretoria; a monument to democracy.
The Freedom Park opened its doors in December 2007. It is a space where South Africans and visitors to the country can reflect on the past, and is an inspiration for the future. It is regarded as one of the most ambitious heritage projects the government has invested in; an attempt to encapsulate the heart and soul of South Africa in a physical space. The park is established on the cornerstones of human dignity, rights and freedom and reflects the sacrificial achievements of the nation.
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South African State Theatre, Pretoria
The huge State Theatre complex in Church Street in Pretoria / Tshwane, with its five theatres and huge public square, opened in 1981 as a non-profit, government funded company famous for lavish productions that saw overseas opera singers and ballet dancers grace the huge main stage alongside a permanent opera ensemble and chorus, ballet company, dance company, drama company, and all the departments necessary to support a working theatre.
Today the State Theatre continues to host a variety of blockbuster shows and local talent, but not before a rather embarrassing ‘mothballing’ in 2000, due to a loss of millions of rands in an investment scam, and with it, the loss of hundreds of jobs. Theatres in the country, including the State Theatre, which re-opened its doors the following year, are now dependent on public funding and tend to suffer from a rather politically conservative approach to theatre that produces ‘safe’ and politically correct theatre in a bid to please the board, rather than the public.
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