Places marked in RED are close by!

Freshford House Museum
This house was built in 1897 by architect John Edward Harrison and depicts the charming lifestyle of the late 1800s in Bloemfontein. It has been restored and furnished by the National Museum.

Old Presidency
This Neo Cape This interesting building dating from the 1800s was previously the official residence of the presidents of the former Republic of the Orange Free State.

Oliewenhuis Art Gallery
This Neo Cape Dutch manor was originally erected to house the governors-general of the province and later the State Presidents of South Africa during their visits to Bloemfontein. In 1985 this building was transformed into an art museum where impressive exhibits are on display daily.

Bloemfontein Orchid House
This greenhouse is one of the most modern of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It houses a large collection of plants.

Botanical Garden
This peaceful and well-maintained botanical garden is the only one of its kind in the Free State.

Franklin Game Reserve
Situated on Naval Hill in the Bloemfontein inner city, this reserve offers a glimpse of several species of game and an expansive view of the city and surrounding countryside.

Fourth Raadsaal
In the 1800s the Fourth Raadsaal, an impressive and well-designed classical structure, housed the legislature of the former Republic of the Orange Free State. The building is presently home to the Free State Provincial Legislature.

National Museum
The National Museum accommodates one of the most extensive collections of fossils and archaeological artefacts in South Africa, for example the Florisbad skull – highly significant to archaeologists who concentrate on the study of pre-historic man. Exhibitions also include a realistically created street scene from the early 1900s.

Twin-spire Church
This building is the only twin-spire Dutch Reformed Church in Southern Africa. The building was completed in 1880 on the site of a much smaller church where the famous Rev Andrew Murray had been a minister. Here the last three presidents of the former Republic of the Orange Free State took oath of office.

Appeal Court
The Appeal Court was completed in 1929 and serves as the highest court in South Africa. The stinkwood-panelled courtroom is probably the most magnificent in the country, while the judges’ library adds dignity to the already outstanding building. Bloemfontein has been South Africa’s judicial capital since 1910.

Sand Du Plessis Theatre
Completed in 1985 at a cost of over R60 million, this is one of the most impressive theatres in South Africa. Works of art form part of the décor in the theatre.

National Afrikaans Literature Museum
This building originally accommodated the government structures of the Republic of the Orange Free State in the 1800s and is reminiscent of the old Cape-Dutch architecture in the area. The National Afrikaans Literature Museum, with the largest collection of Afrikaans literature and manuscripts, as well as artefacts belonging to well-known Afrikaans writers, is housed in this building.

Supreme Court
The Supreme Court, opposite the Fire Station in President Brand Street, is the seat of the provincial court of law. The magnificent interior merits a visit. Civil, as well as criminal cases, from all over the Free State are heard here. It was built in 1909 at a cost of £ 60 000.

Fire Station Museum
The largest fire brigade museum in South Africa displays 15 vintage fire engines, fire fighting and ambulance equipment, old photographs and uniforms.

King’s Park Arts and Craft Market
Artists and crafters from all over the country sell their handmade products at stalls at the Arts and Crafts Market in the gardens of Kings Park on the first Saturday of every month. This market also offers a large variety of traditional African crafts.

The Farmers Market in Langenhoven Park is open every Saturday morning. It is a market where hawkers, artists and small-scale farmers can sell their wares. This includes fresh produce, meat, traditional snacks, curios, and hand-made merchandise – almost anything imaginable.

These tours provide a glimpse of important locations and venues that represent decisive moments in MANGAUNG’s and even South Africa’s history, for example a visit to Batho where the ANC was founded in 1912 and Mapikela House where Thomas Mapikela, a founder member of the ANC resided. Some of these tours include the opportunity to experience the vibrant township night life in a variety of jazz clubs and taverns where visitors can taste traditional African home-brewed beer.

State President Swart Park
The facilities at this park form the focal point for sports activities in MANGAUNG. This includes a rugby stadium (where soccer matches are also played), as well as a cricket stadium, athletics stadium and tennis courts.

King’s Park
Bloemfontein is fondly known as the “City of roses” and more than 4 000 rose trees have been planted in the rose garden at King’s Park, which was opened in 1925 by the Prince of Wales, Eduard VIII.

Lebohang Building
This building, with an extraordinary stained glass and concrete panel especially visible at night, houses offices of the Free State Provincial Government.

Provincial Government Building
Previously known as the CR Swart Building, this magnificent high rise structure houses departments of the Free State Provincial Government and the head office of the Performing Arts Council of the Free State (PACOFS).

City Hall
The City Hall is one of the many impressive sandstone buildings designed by Sir Gordon Leith. It is located in President Brand Street, which has been declared a national conservation area in its entirety.

Bloemfontein Public Library
This library houses an interesting collection of Africana and a unique collection of drama texts.

First Raadsaal
This humble, thatched-roof building with a dung floor was erected in 1849. Since then it has served as a church, conference chamber, parliament house and school for the inhabitants of Bloemfontein and the Free State. Documentation relating to the origin of Bloemfontein can be seen in this museum. The Wagon Museum behind the First Raadsaal is also well worth a visit.

Anglican Cathedral
This cathedral is regarded as the spiritual heart of Bloemfontein’s Anglican community and the city’s founder, Major Henry Douglas Warden, laid its foundation stone in 1850.

Maphikela House
Thomas Maphikela was one of the founder members of the ANC in Bloemfontein in 1912. His double-storey house, where important ANC meetings were held, has been declared a National Monument.

Queen’s Fort Military Museum
The Old Fort was erected in 1848 and originally housed the Artillery Unit of the Free State. The museum depicts all major military conflicts in the Free State from 1820, as well as the struggle against apartheid.

National Women’s Memorial and Anglo Boer War Museum
This monument, created by Anton van Wouw, is a celebrated piece of South African sculpture. The 36,5m sandstone shrine is impressive in its simplicity and is dedicated to the memory of the women and children who died in the Anglo Boer War (1899-1902). The museum on the same site exhibits an impressive collection of artefacts related to this war.

Choet Visser Rugby Museum
The Rugby Museum houses one of the largest private collections of rugby memorabilia in the world. Contact the Tourist Centre at 051 405 8489 / 90 for contact details to arrange a visit.

Special Service Battalion Museum
This special battalion was established during the Great Depression in the 1930s in order to “save the youth from a loss of self-confidence and the risk of moral and physical degeneration” caused by prolonged unemployment at the time. Articles in this military museum date back to the year 1933.

SA Armour Museum
This museum displays a wide range of armoured military vehicles and artillery. It consists of an indoor and outdoor area and a reference library.

Greyvenstein Vintage Cars, Motorcycles and Motormobilia Museum
This unique private museum established by Waldie Greyvenstein depicts the history of motor vehicles over the past 100 years. Contact the Tourist Centre at 051 405 8489 / 8490 for contact details to arrange a visit.

Civic Theatre
Located close to the Sand du Plessis complex, this theatre regularly stages a wide variety of quality productions.

Wynand Mouton Theatre
Mainly student productions are presented at this well-equipped theatre located on the campus of the University of the Free State.

Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery
This gallery is situated at the Sasol Library on the campus of the University of the Free State and exhibits not only student art, but also works by other well-known artists.

Mmabana Cultural Centre
This centre in Thaba Nchu exhibits and sells works by local artists.

Setshebelo Centre
Formerly known as Ramkraal, this centre is housed in an old prison. It serves as an education centre for arts, crafts and culture where local entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply their craft.

Botshabelo Art And Craft Centre
A variety of African arts and crafts are on sale at this centre.

Maria Moroka Game Reserve
This reserve is situated at the foot of the Thaba Nchu Mountain. A large variety of indigenous game and bird species can be viewed.

Rustfontein Dam Nature Reserve
At this facility various angling, water sports, bird watching, game viewing and camping opportunities are on offer.

Fragrance Garden for the Blind
This garden, catering especially for the needs of visually impaired people, is situated at the foot of Naval Hill.

Bloemfontein Zoo
In this zoo interesting collections of birds and animals are well displayed in almost natural surroundings. This zoo has the largest collection of apes in South Africa.

Soetdoring Nature Reserve and Predator Park
This reserve is only 45km from Bloemfontein and is an ideal place to enjoy a family picnic or angle on the banks of the Modder River. The reserve also houses a predator park with lions and Cape wild dogs, giving visitors the opportunity to see the feeding rituals of these wild animals.