Exploring Hyrax Hill Museum

Hyrax Hill Museum is located approximately 152km from Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, and approximately 400 meters from the famous Nairobi Nakuru highway. It was proclaimed a national monument in the year 1944. It is one of those beautiful museums housed in a bungalow giving it a cozy feel. The history of the site dates back to 1926 and there are several evidences of habitation in this museum.

There is much evidence of the presence of a pastoralist community inhabiting the area and they are all in the museum. Dr. Mary Leakey did the excavations. The other excavations were done by Rom J. Clerk and J.C. Onyango Abuje. It is one of the best museums to take children for a school field trip or a weekend getaway with your workmates or friends for team building. From the Hyrax museum, the beautiful breathtaking view of Lake Nakuru is easily noticed from the hilltop.

The entrance fee for the museum is 200 Kenyan shillings for adult citizens and 100 for children. The charges for non-residents are 1200 for adults and 600 for children below 16 years. There are several activities that one can do there including a nature trail, hiking, exploring the artifacts, and camping. This article is going to focus on the attractions of the Hyrax Museum.

Attractions of Hyrax Hill Museum

1. Bird watching

The Hyrax Hill Museum is close to Lake Nakuru national park which is home to over 400 species of birds. The Lake Nakuru view enables you to see flamingoes that are the most dominant bird in the lake from the museum. There is also a bird-watching group that will make things easier.

Read: List Of Best Places To Visit In Nakuru County

2. Exhibitions

There are close to 400 works of art to be showcased including statues, carved marks, traditional musical instruments, pottery, hunting objects, metal works, and bamboo among others. The items here were made between 1970-2000. There are live exhibitions as well such as tortoises and guinea fowls.

3. Archeological sites

The were several shreds of evidence of habitation that were noticed since 1926. There are early man skulls that belong to Australopithecus Bosei and Homo erectus, early man stone tools from the early stone age to the later stone age. There are ancient burial sites and stone bowls which are great evidence of habitation. There is also a map of Kenya showing where the prehistorical sites were located.

4. Natural history

Shows the current history and the state of Nakuru. There are several animals and birds such as rock hyrax, waterbuck, lesser flamingo, and spitting cobra. This is a good place to see both the current and older way of living and compare the two.

5. Cultural displays

There are several materials displayed to showcase the culture of the different people who settled in the Rift Valley at different times ie the Maasai, Turkana, Kikuyu, and the Luo. The items displayed include fishing, farming, and pastoralism.

6. The Hill Fort

This is a place that was believed to serve as a place for watching their enemies or allies and herds. This is a small area of leveled and clean rocks and the rough stone around it might have been surrounded by a fence to watch the enemy from a distance

Also Read: Lake Nakuru National Park; The Pride of County 032

Lake Nakuru National Park; The Pride of County 032

The Hyrax Hill Museum is great for lovers of history and anyone who wants to explore. It offers a conducive environment for a nature trail or hiking and a great opportunity to learn for people of whatever age. In case you are wondering where to go next, Hyrax Hill Museum is one of the best choices. The museum is also close to Lake Nakuru National Park which is a beautiful park with different bird species and animals therefore making it easier to combine the two.