It’s little wonder that the South African Museum and Planetarium in Cape Town is such a popular stop on the hop on-hop off bus route; both the museum and the planetarium are located under one roof. The South African Museum is the country’s oldest, having opened its doors in 1825 and with well over a million exhibits collected, displayed and rotated over the years, it’s reasonable to expect a world-class facility filled with the most interesting and rarest of items. And if you tire of the natural history and science stuff, you can pop down the hall to watch a celestial display at the planetarium.

Exhibits to look out for at the museum are the 4-storey whale well with complete whale skeletons suspended from the ceiling including that of a blue whale, nautical displays, a discovery room for children, life sized Megaladon jaws, mounted mammals and birds of the region, fossil dioramas and African dinosaurs.

The museum hosts regular exhibitions ranging from photographic art to traditional rituals and ornaments. A current exhibition at the entrance to the museum, shaped in a DNA strand, tells the story of the beginnings of the human race in a unique and interesting way.

Two pieces of meteorite are stationed outside the planetarium entrance to give the public an opportunity to touch and learn of their structure. Inside the plush arena there are reclining chairs to lie back and enjoy the show as an orator entertains with descriptions of the southern skies. Visitors are given a sky map to take home and identify the stars in the evenings. The planetarium is undergoing a major digital upgrade that will reflect the new galaxies and stars that are continually being discovered. The upgrade is due for completion early 2017.

The South African Museum and Planetarium is open 7 days a week between 10h00 and 17h00. Check the times for the planetarium shows on the Iziko museum website.