Hout Bay Museum

Hout Bay Museum

“To understand the past is to appreciate the present”

The Hout Bay Museum was established in the wake of the successful Cultural Arts Festival held in the Bay in 1975. The museum showcases the Bay’s fascinating past, especially the history of the indigenous inhabitants and the shipwrecks along its shores. The project was driven by the then Department of Nature, supported by the local Ratepayers Association and Divisional Council. The museum opened on 5 April 1979 with exhibits portray the people or Hout Bay and activities such as forestry, agriculture, mining, tourism and the fishing industry.

The Museum Hall plays an integral role in the community providing a venue for meetings, social events and extra classes such as ballet and modern dancing. The old Thomas Library houses the Environ-Education Centre for school outings for primary school learners.

The precinct is shared with the Dennis Goldberg Legacy Foundation’s House of Hope. The House of Hope aims to touch and impact the lives of young people through the personal history of the late Dennis Goldberg, one of the Rivonia trialists.