Must-see attractions in Johannesburg

  • Constitutional Court on Constitution Hill.

    Constitution Hill

    Johannesburg

    Do not leave Jo'burg without visiting Constitution Hill. One of South Africa's most important historical sites, the deeply moving and inspirational…

  • 28 OCT 2017: the District Six Museum, a museum in memory of apartheid, located in Cape Town.
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    Apartheid Museum

    Johannesburg

    The Apartheid Museum illustrates the rise and fall of South Africa’s era of segregation and oppression, and is an absolute must-see. It uses a broad…

  • Constitutional Court

    Johannesburg

    Inaugurated in 2004, with its design based on the African concept of 'justice under a tree', the Constitutional Court is a very real symbol of modern…

  • Liliesleaf Farm

    Johannesburg

    A highlight of Jo'burg's northern suburbs is Liliesleaf Farm. This was the secret headquarters of the ANC (African National Congress) from 1961 until a…

  • Ponte City building.

    Ponte City

    Johannesburg

    Nothing sums up the changing fortunes of inner-city Jo'burg better than Ponte City, which can be visited on tours with Dlala Nje. This 54-storey…

  • Nizamiye Mosque

    Johannesburg

    Built as a replica of the Ottoman Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey, the Nizamiye Mosque is a real find in the far-northern Jo'burg suburb of Midrand…

  • Spaza Art Gallery

    Johannesburg

    The home, sculpture garden and small 'matchbox' gallery of artist Andrew Lindsay is extraordinary. The garden is dominated by a mobile phone signal tower…

  • Anglo American Head Office

    Johannesburg

    This handsome building, taking up an entire block, has been the mining company's HQ in Africa since 1939. It has an impressive main entrance with delicate…

  • Lam Rim Buddhist Centre

    Johannesburg

    Located on the site of an old Afrikaans Dutch Reformed church in a hard hit neighborhood in Jo'burg's western suburbs, the Lam Rim Buddhist Centre is an…

  • Goodman Gallery

    Johannesburg

    One of Jo'burg's most prestigious private art galleries, Goodman shows the work of William Kentridge, Sam Nhlengethwa, and many more of South Africa's…

  • Wits Art Museum

    Johannesburg

    Completed in May 2012, this is one of the leading museums of African art on the continent. Although it has an extraordinary collection of 10,000 works –…

  • Newtown Pillars

    Johannesburg

    The massive concrete pillars holding up the M1 Highway in Newtown have become an outdoor art gallery, featuring ever-changing graffiti murals by some of…

  • Yukon House

    Johannesburg

    A Victorian mansion built between1906 and 1911, Yukon House was home to two Johannesburg mayors during the early 20th century. Today, owners Loretta and…

  • Gandhi Square

    Johannesburg

    in 2002 Van der Bijl Sq was revamped and renamed Gandhi Sq in honour of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi. Look out for the bronze statue representing him as a…

  • Rand Club

    Johannesburg

    Founded in 1887, this version of the illustrious (and once whites- and men-only) club dates from 1904. It's now open to all, and so long as you're not…

  • Chancellor House

    Johannesburg

    It was in this three-storey building that, in the 1950s, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo set up South Africa's first black-owned law firm. After a 2012…

  • Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newton.

    Mary Fitzgerald Square

    Johannesburg

    Named after South Africa’s first female trade unionist, this square is partly decorated with an array of heads, carved from old railway sleepers by…

  • Zoo Lake

    Johannesburg

    This busy park is a firm favourite with Jo'burgers from all walks of life. Lace up your trainers and join locals for a run on the paved paths or games on…

  • Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre

    Johannesburg

    Officially opened in 2018, the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre was founded to raise awareness about the evils of genocide, with a particular…

  • Sci-Bono Discovery Centre

    Johannesburg

    Testament to the remarkable reawakening of downtown Jo'burg, this well-organised science museum, full of interactive exhibitions, occupies a former power…

  • Ditsong National Museum of Military History

    Johannesburg

    If you’re fascinated by guns, tanks and aircraft, you can see artefacts and implements of destruction from the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War through to WWII at…

  • Victoria Yards

    Johannesburg

    These old brick buildings of what used to be a steam-powered laundry have been transformed recently into studios for artists and artisans. The site is…

  • Delta Park

    Johannesburg

    One of Jo'burg's largest public parks, Delta Park is ideal for long strolls and picnics. It is best known for its stunning explosion of pink and white…

  • Workers’ Museum

    Johannesburg

    This important museum is in the restored Electricity Department’s compound, which was built in 1910 for 300-plus municipal workers and has been declared a…

  • South Africa, Johannesburg, Origins Centre, Recently Opened Museum On The Campus Of Wits University,

    Origins Centre

    Johannesburg

    This stunning museum explores the African origins of humankind through interactive exhibits. The centre is brilliant for school-age children and holds the…

  • Arts on Main

    Johannesburg

    Occupying a former warehouse complex, the Arts on Main development is one of the key catalysts of the Maboneng precinct. The once-dilapidated building has…

  • L Ron Hubbard House

    Johannesburg

    Architecture and design buffs will not want to miss a chance to visit the home of L Ron Hubbard. The prolific pulp fiction author and founder of the…

  • Main St Pedestrian Mall

    Johannesburg

    Honouring Jo'burg's history of mining are a series of information panels, statues and artifacts lining the partly pedestrianised mall at the western end…

  • Thunder Walker

    Johannesburg

    Inside century-old Somerset House, a former bank office, Thunder Walker is a bar/restaurant/events venue with a historic twist. The building's interior is…

  • Alexandra Heritage Centre

    Johannesburg

    This architecturally striking museum – it's built on either side and on top of a busy street – in Alexandra, Jo’burg’s oldest township, finally opened in…

  • Johannesburg Art Gallery

    Johannesburg

    Fenced off from the southern end of sketchy Joubert Park is this elegant Lutyens-designed gallery dating from 1915. The JAG has one of the largest art…

  • CIRCA Gallery

    Johannesburg

    This striking spiral structure houses unusual sculptures, sketches and contemporary works by local artists and has wonderful views from its roof. It is…

  • Workhorse Bronze Foundry

    Johannesburg

    The Workhorse Bronze Foundry, based in a former factory in the gritty centre of downtown Jo'burg, is where many of South Africa's top sculptors create…

  • Museum Africa

    Johannesburg

    This museum, housed in the old Bree St fruit market, offers a wide range of exhibitions on historical themes, including the Treason Trials of 1956–61, the…

  • Walter and Albertina Sisulu Statue

    Johannesburg

    By Jo'burg artist Marina Walsh, this charming statue depicts larger-than-life versions of the Sisulus in their elder years, seated and facing each other…

  • Centre For The Less Good Idea

    Johannesburg

    Founded by renowned South African artist William Kentridge, the centre is an incubator and platform for experimental, collaborative and cross-disciplinary…

  • Shadow Boxing Sculpture

    Johannesburg

    Based on Bob Gasini's famous photo of Mandela shadow boxing in 1952, this 5m-tall painted steel sculpture by Jo'burg artist Marco Cianfanelli stands…

  • Top of Africa

    Johannesburg

    The Carlton Centre (223m) has been Africa's tallest building since 1973. The basement shelters a buzzing shopping mall. For awesome city vistas, head to…

  • Madiba Mural

    Johannesburg

    This 10-storey-tall mural by Capetonian street artist Freddy Sam (aka Ricky Lee Gordon) is inspired by the famous photo taken by Robert Gosani of Madiba…

  • Everard Read

    Johannesburg

    A key player in South Africa's art world, Everard Read is a superb gallery curating regularly changing exhibitions of contemporary works. As well as its…

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