National Museum of Ethiopia

The National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa is the country’s principal museum for archaeology, paleontology, and cultural history. It is best known for housing the 3.2-million-year-old partial hominin skeleton known as “Lucy.”

The museum’s galleries present fossil hominins and archaeological material, extensive ethnographic displays, and collections of Ethiopian art and religious manuscripts. Highlights include the paleoanthropology gallery with hominin remains and exhibits that explain human evolution, plus rooms dedicated to archaeological finds and traditional cultural objects.

The museum became the primary repository for major paleoanthropological finds from the Afar and Awash valleys after discoveries in the 1970s, and its collections expanded as fieldwork produced new material. Major specimens recovered by international and Ethiopian research teams are curated and studied there.

Located in Addis Ababa, the museum sits in the capital and serves as a national cultural institution and public research collection for Ethiopia’s archaeological and anthropological heritage.

• Lucy on display: The partial skeleton known as "Lucy" (Australopithecus afarensis), dated to about 3.2 million years old, is on public display in the museum's paleoanthropology gallery.
• Visitor rules: Photography and handling policies vary by gallery; visitors should confirm rules at the entrance and during special exhibitions.

What to See #

• Galleries: Houses fossil and archaeological collections arranged in dedicated galleries, with a paleontology hall for hominin remains and an ethnographic gallery for regional cultural artifacts.
• Ethnography and Art Collection: Contains displays of Ethiopian art, religious manuscripts, and royal and historical objects spanning several centuries, presented in permanent and rotating exhibits.
• Conservation and Research Areas: Includes laboratory and conservation spaces used for preparation and study of archaeological and paleontological finds.