Colesberg-Kemper Museum

About Colesberg-Kemper Museum

The charm-filled Colesberg-Kemper Museum celebrates this small town in the Northern Cape Province by effectively combining its historical import with its modern-day identity. This museum is not only about fossils and artefacts. It actually places an enormous focus on the everyday items used by the generations that have created the Colesberg of today, which is known for its Merino wool and for the world-class racehorses that hail from the region.

There is a commitment to interaction and memories, and those that visit are encouraged to share their stories and experiences, enriching the museum in their own small way. Items are never catalogued and hidden from sight. Rather, they are examined, celebrated and enjoyed. This actually reflects the warmth and hospitality so characteristic of the Northern Cape folk. The items are often not valuable in terms of their monetary worth. Rather, their value lies in their having been in the homes and hearts of generations past.

There are, of course, fossils and artefacts, some of which date back many millions of years. There are also remnants of the Anglo-Boer War, which tell the tales of the time when Southern Africa was being colonised and inhabited by European settlers. Most of the South African families can trace their roots back to these ones, making it particularly interesting to South Africans that visit the museum.

Being one of the oldest buildings in the area (originally established as the bank in 1861), the Colesberg-Kemper Museum boasts elegant Karoo architecture, which gives it the authentic edge that sometimes lacks in such facilities.

The Colesberg-Kemper Museum organises fabulous walking tours of the town, as well as of the surrounding farms and district. This gives tourists a very special, memorable experience of Colesberg and South Africa alike.