Kandt House Museum is one of the best museums in Kigali, Rwanda, managed by the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda.
Dedicated to Richard Kandt, the museum strives to show the evolution of life, describing flora and fauna of Rwandan Natural Parks.
Formerly known as a natural history museum, the museum has the best view of the three mountains and also has the best view of the old Kigali city.
Kandt House Museum is located in KN 90 St. in Kigali, around one kilometer from downtown.
The museum is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm (closed on 7th of April and from 11 am to 6 pm on the last Saturday of every month).
Entrance fee for non-residents is 6000 francs, roughly $8. For those with resident visas or passports, entrance fee is a little cheaper, 5000 francs, roughly $6.
At the moment the Museum introduces three main parts:
The first part presents Rwandan life in all of the aspects social, economic, and political, before the colonial period.
The north wing exhibits Rwanda’s biology. It is where visitors will find species ranging from charming colored birds to exotic reptiles. Besides, it exhibits many of Rwanda’s mammalian occupants, from small rodents to skulls of popular mountain gorillas.
The rear of the museum is dedicated to volcanism, but it lies in Germany. It is where visitors will get the chance to learn how volcanos in Rwanda’s northwest were created. However, you can learn some stuff from the diagrams and visual models that are displayed.
The second part, which is the biggest, the museum introduces the experience of Rwandan people during the colonial period, to be more specific it’s the period under the German rule.
Right after the Berlin Conference in 1884, the Germans ruled Rwanda until 1916. Afterwards, the Belgians took over under the League of Nations Mandate after World War I. Richard Kandt’s life and deeds in Rwanda are covered here.
The third part is where the history of Kigali appears, before, during and after colonial time. Kigali was made the capital upon independence in 1962.
The south wing of the museum is dedicated to Rwanda’s natural resources. There are numerous gems and minerals with maps explaining the distribution around the country
The Kandt House Museum also has another part where it has a temporary exhibition of live snakes and a baby crocodile, while visiting this part you can enjoy the amazing view of the surrounding scenery and the stunning view of Kigali.