National Museums of Kenya

National Museums of Kenya (NMK) is the state institution responsible for museums, monuments and heritage management across Kenya, headquartered at the Museum Hill complex in Nairobi. NMK manages a network of museums and heritage sites nationwide and conducts research, conservation and public education.

The Nairobi site combines the National Museum with the adjacent Snake Park and botanical outdoor spaces, offering natural history, archaeology, ethnography and live-reptile displays in one campus. Exhibits include Kenya’s paleontological record, human evolution material and cultural collections representing the country’s ethnic groups.

Beyond Nairobi, NMK runs regional museums and major heritage sites across Kenya, making it a national network rather than a single-location institution.

The headquarters and main museum complex are located in central Nairobi on Museum Hill, accessible from the city’s central districts.

• Institutional scope: National Museums of Kenya operates a nationwide network of sites; the Nairobi Museum complex on Museum Hill is the organisation's headquarters and most-visited campus.

What to See #

• Nairobi National Museum: Nairobi National Museum - the main city museum on Museum Hill with galleries covering natural history, ethnography, archaeology and an extensive paleontology section.
• Snake Park: Snake Park - adjacent to the main museum and housing a live collection of snakes and other reptiles, serving both exhibition and educational roles.
• Museum Hill outdoor spaces: Botanical gardens and an outdoor sculpture area that form part of the Museum Hill complex, used for public events and informal visits.