The Nairobi National Museum on Museum Hill is the best single introduction to Kenya’s natural history, culture and prehistory. Its Cradle of Humankind gallery holds one of the most important collections of early hominid fossils anywhere in the world, drawn from the Leakey family’s excavations in the Rift Valley and around Lake Turkana, including casts and originals that reshaped our understanding of human origins.
Elsewhere the Great Hall of Mammals, the birds gallery, the cultural collections and a substantial gallery of contemporary Kenyan art fill several hours comfortably. Outside stands the statue of Ahmed, the great tusked elephant of Marsabit placed under presidential protection in the 1970s. Botanical gardens and the adjoining Snake Park complete the site. Entrance fees, transfers, mineral water and a guide are included.
