Workers' Museum
Rahima Moosa St., Newtown, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2000
Set in a converted migrant workers’ compound, Johannesburg’s Workers’ Museum memorializes the oppressive conditions in which African migrants labored for much of the 20th century. The permanent exhibition includes punishment rooms, displays of photos and personal stories, and dormitories lined with icy concrete bunks.
The basics
The museum is free to enter, and guided tours are available free of charge on request. It’s not a common stop on Johannesburg city tours, but a few walking tours do stop by, and a guide can help put workers’ lives into the context of South Africa’s bitter history. Besides the main complex, the Workers’ Museum showcases some refurbished cottages, built for white employees, whose pristine interiors contrast with the squalor that Black workers endured. These house a selection of works by local artists.
Things to know before you go
The Workers’ Museum will fascinate history buffs and anyone with an interest in racial and social justice.
This is a small museum, and most travelers will be done in less than an hour.
There’s no café on-site, but Newtown is a vibrant area with plenty of food options.
How to get there
The Workers’ Museum sits in Newtown, central Johannesburg, just off Mary Fitzgerald Square. It’s less than a 1-mile (1.5-kilometer) walk from Johannesburg Park Station; catching the C3 or T2 bus to Chancellor House will shave a little time off the trip. There’s also parking at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre nearby, or you can take a metered taxi or rideshare with Uber or Bolt.
When to get there
The Workers’ Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from morning to early evening. It’s rarely busy, so you can come at any time.
Discovering Newtown’s museums
There are two other great museums within a 5-minute walk of the Workers’ Museum. Set in a converted power station, the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre is a great choice for families, with highlights including an interactive Weird But True! exhibit. Museum Africa is Johannesburg’s top history and culture museum, covering everything from geology to music.
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