The Oliewenhuis Art Museum

As the judicial capital of South Africa, Bloemfontein is one of the country's 3 capital cities, joined by Cape Town, the legislative capital and Pretoria, the administrative capital. Owing to its central location within South Africa too, it's no surprise that Bloemfontein is home to a number of important museums and historical sites that highlight both South Africa's past and vibrant diversity of culture.

Established in 1877, the National Museum in Bloemfontein is a combined natural, cultural, art and history museum that is also a Declared Cultural Institution. Managed by South Africa's Department of Arts and Culture, the National Museum is home to heritage-related and historical education resources, along with research, conservation and exhibition services.

As part of the National Museum, the Oliewenhuis Art Museum was officially opened in 1989, after the building underwent renovations and restorations, as they had served as a former home for the Governor General of South Africa.

A Neo-Dutch style mansion, the Oliewenhuis Art Museum is surrounded by 12 hectares of natural vegetation on Grant's Hill. This gives visitors to the museum easy access to a variety of walking trails and scenic picnic spots located within the grounds of the expansive gardens. Explorers will also find an array of cement and mosaic sculptures in the gardens, including the colourful African Carousel.

In line with its primary purpose to showcase and preserve important South African artworks, the first floor of the Oliewenhuis Art Museum houses its permanent collection. This ever-expanding collection is completely devoted to exhibiting work by South African artists, including Thomas Baines, Hendrik Pierneef, Willem Coetzer and more. Other gallery spaces at the museum host temporary exhibitions and a range of uniquely interesting artworks, including the Blind Alphabet, a piece created specifically with sight-impaired visitors in mind.

After a day spent exploring the gardens at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum and enjoying the variety of South African artwork on display, retreat to the museum's tea garden for a snack, before setting off back to your accommodation at the Windmill Casino and Entertainment Centre.