Stephen McKenney - Museo Casa de África

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Museo Casa de África

Ticket price: 

There is no admission cost to enter the Museo Casa de África.


Hours: 

Monday: Closed

Tuesday-Saturday: 9:30 AM–5:00 PM

Sunday: 9:30 AM–2:00 PM


Website:

Museo Casa de África does not seem to have a website, though information is readily available on other websites around the internet. 


Description:

The Museo Casa de África is a museum, library, and study center dedicated to the African heritage of Afro-Cubans. It is located inside of an old colonial palace. Founded in 1986 by Fernando Ortiz, the museum houses over 2000 African art pieces from 27 different countries as well as a collection of items gifted to Fidel Castro as thanks for Cuba’s aid in fights for independence across Africa. The Casa was built as part of an initiative to shed light on the realities of slave life in colonial Cuba, as well as to remind Cuban citizens of their African roots. The Museo Casa de África houses a library and study center that are used by students and scholars of Afro-Cuban history both as a place to learn and as a place to present the findings of their research. It also acts as a hub for community projects related to African heritage. A yearly conference is held there to commemorate the founding of the museum and to discuss the field of Afro-American cultures. 


My Opinion:

The Museo Casa de África seems like a really fascinating place to visit. Although it is difficult to find information about the contents of the museum online, it sounds as though they have a large breadth of historical artifacts. My favorite part of every art museum is the wing that houses the historical items, so this is right up my alley. As a lover of political science and history, I would be especially interested in viewing the gifts given to Castro by the African revolutionary leaders. The hours are reasonable and it's free to enter, so I don’t see a reason not to check it out if you get the chance.

Images from inside the museum.

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