Durban City Hall, now the eThekwini City Hall, is a grand Edwardian neo-Baroque building with a coppered dome in the city centre on Pixley Ka Seme Street. The city commissioned it in 1903, and it was designed by Stanley Hudson as a replica of Belfast City Hall. Inside, the Durban Art Gallery occupies the second floor and is open to the public free of charge, with traditional and contemporary fine art, craft and historical photography of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal. The Durban History Museums site describes a rotating exhibition programme, so what hangs on the walls changes. The Natural Science Museum is also housed in the City Hall, with fossils, animals, birds, reptiles and insects, and entry to the hall, library, gallery and museum is free. Together they make a quick, quiet cultural stop in the middle of a day of markets and beaches, particularly useful on a hot afternoon.
What you will see
The gallery shows South African and international works, and the history museums' description highlights colonial-era streetscapes and the daily life of communities in photographs. Because the programme rotates, check the current exhibitions page before you go if you have a particular interest. The building itself is worth a look from the outside, with its dome, and from the front steps where the city square opens up.
Hours and practicalities
South African Tourism's description of the City Hall gives the gallery and museum as open Monday to Saturday from half past eight until a quarter to four, with the library on shorter hours. That page is undated, so confirm hours with the gallery before you go, and use the plan-a-visit page on the Durban History Museums site for current details. Entry is free, so there is no need to book.
Fitting it into a day
The City Hall is a short taxi ride from the beachfront and close to Victoria Street Market, so it works well in the same central-city outing. Allow an hour for the gallery and another for the museum. Go in the morning when the city is cooler and the galleries are quiet, and finish with lunch in the city centre or a visit to the Botanic Gardens. Keep valuables out of sight around the square and use a taxi to move between sights.
What to expect
The experience
A free, self-guided visit to a gallery with rotating exhibitions and a natural science museum inside one grand historic building.
Best time
Go in the morning when the city is cooler and the galleries are quiet.
How long
Allow an hour for the gallery and another for the museum.
Tips
Check the exhibitions page and hours before you go, arrive by taxi, keep valuables out of sight and combine it with Victoria Street Market.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Art lovers, history fans and anyone who wants a free, air-conditioned break from the heat.
- Families
- The Natural Science Museum, with fossils, animals and insects, is the draw for children.
- Couples
- Look at a changing exhibition, then walk the square and have coffee nearby.
- Pair with
- Victoria Street Market and the Botanic Gardens.
- Time needed
- One to two hours.
Good questions
Is the Durban Art Gallery free?+
Yes, the gallery is open to the public free of charge, and entry to the City Hall, library and museum is also free.
Where is the gallery?+
It is on the second floor of Durban City Hall, now called the eThekwini City Hall, on Pixley Ka Seme Street in the city centre.
What are the opening hours?+
An undated South African Tourism page gives Monday to Saturday from half past eight until a quarter to four. Confirm current hours on the Durban History Museums site before you go.
What is in the collection?+
Traditional and contemporary fine art, craft and historical photography of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal, shown in a rotating programme.
Is there anything else in the building?+
Yes, the Natural Science Museum, a public library and an auditorium are in the same building. The museum shows fossils, animals, birds, reptiles and insects.
