For more than a century, the Uganda National Museum and our regional sites have preserved, studied and shared the nation's story — from the fossils of the Rift Valley to the ceremonial drums of ancient kingdoms.
As the national museum of Uganda, we are custodians of over 200,000 artefacts, specimens and archival records spanning paleontology, archaeology, ethnography, natural history and the art and science of Uganda's people. Our work is research, conservation and public education — preserving what came before, documenting what is, and making it available to the generations that follow.
From a single-room collection in Captain Lugard's fort to East Africa's leading research museum — the Uganda Museum has survived colonial shifts, political upheaval and the lootings of war to become what it is today.
Sir Harry Johnston, Special Commissioner of the British Protectorate of Uganda, issues a circular to all district heads ordering the collection of ethnographic objects from across the country. The objects are sent to Entebbe, then the capital.
The Protectorate Headquarters move to Kampala, and the first Uganda Museum opens in the Greek Temple building within Captain Fredrick Lugard's Fort at Old Kampala — a single room displaying the growing collection.
Academics from Makerere University College, colonial officials and literate Ugandans form the Uganda Society to advance research in anthropology, archaeology and paleontology. From this year forward, the Museum and Society work in partnership.
Margaret Trowell, Head of Fine Art at Makerere, and ethnomusicologist K.P. Wachsmann expand the collections dramatically. By 1942 the single room at Old Kampala can no longer hold them, and the Museum transfers to Makerere's School of Fine Art.
An Ordinance of Council transforms the Uganda Museum into a Semi-Autonomous Body with a Board of Trustees. Trowell, Wachsmann and the Uganda Society begin raising funds for a permanent home.
The permanent museum building at Kira Road — today's National Museum — is completed and opens in 1954. Locals call it Enyumba y'Amayembe (the House of Fetishes) because of the ritualistic objects in the collection. This name helps protect it during the lootings of 1971, 1979 and 1986.
Education, Science and Industry wings are added to the building — funded by the Uganda Society and a grant from the Ford Foundation — in time for Uganda's independence. The Museum consists of galleries for Ethnography, History, Archaeology, Natural History, Musical Instruments, Stone Age and Temporary Exhibitions.
Government abolishes the Board of Trustees and merges the Uganda Museum with the Inspectorate of Monuments to form the Department of Antiquities and Museums, headed by a Chief Conservator. Regional museums at Kabale and Soroti are brought under the same structure.
The Department of Museums and Monuments operates under successive iterations of government ministries: Culture and Community Development; Culture, Youth and Sports; Tourism, Trade and Industry; and currently the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities. Five museums now operate across Uganda — the National Museum in Kampala plus regional sites at Kabale, Soroti, Moroto and Fort Portal.
Safeguard Uganda's cultural and natural heritage — from fragile manuscripts and ceremonial textiles to fossils, rock art and archaeological sites — through professional conservation treatment, controlled storage and documentation.
Conduct original research in paleontology, archaeology, ethnography, natural history and museology. Publish findings, collaborate with universities and international institutions, and maintain comprehensive archives.
Present Uganda's cultural and natural heritage through exhibitions, public programmes, school visits, virtual galleries and community engagement — making the collections accessible to all.
Monitor and protect gazetted monuments and cultural sites across Uganda under the Museums and Monuments Act 2023, working with communities, local governments and law enforcement.
Five museum sites across Uganda, each with a distinct focus reflecting the heritage of its region.
The flagship institution. Galleries cover Ethnography, Archaeology, Natural History, Paleontology, Musical Instruments and Temporary Exhibitions. Houses the largest research collection in the country and the national archive.
Learn more →Focuses on the Bakiga and other highland peoples. Collections include agricultural tools, basketry, royal regalia and documentation of terraced farming traditions unique to the region.
Learn more →Documents the Iteso and neighboring communities. Collections feature traditional homestead reconstructions, granaries, pottery, and material culture of the Teso sub-region.
Learn more →Dedicated to the pastoralist cultures of Karamoja. Collections include ceremonial attire, weapons, beadwork, and paleontological specimens from nearby fossil sites.
Learn more →Interprets the kingdoms of Tooro and Bunyoro. Collections cover royal regalia, oral traditions, and the region's connection to the crater lakes and Rwenzori Mountains.
Learn more →The Uganda National Museum is open daily. Admission is UGX 10,000 for adults, UGX 5,000 for students, and free for children under 12. Regional museums have separate hours — see individual pages for details.
