Chavonnes Battery Museum
Chavonnes Battery Museum
Chavonnes Battery Museum
4.5
This location was reported permanently closed
About
Relive the early history of Cape Town through fascinating artifacts, detailed displays, exhibits and information boards. Step below sea level to the sand of the original Cape Town shoreline and explore the Archaeological ruins of this Dutch East India Company fortification that has been buried for 140 years. Explore a robust schedule International Photo Exhibitions.
Duration: < 1 hour
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4.5
114 reviews
Excellent
55
Very good
40
Average
16
Poor
3
Terrible
0
Nicnac13
10 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Hidden beneath the glitz and glitter that is now the V&A Waterfront are the remains of the original harbour defences - discovered during the extensive development and building. The marvellous new museum that has been built over and around these remains, explaining and showing them off, is really worth a visit. It is fascinating to see the rocks, walls and sand that used to be exposed to the sea. Free Wi-Fi and free tea and coffee too! Can't recommend this place too highly. Pair it with a visit to the castle, and you will understand Cape Town's history and development.
Written 6 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BestRegards FromFar
Cape Town Central, South Africa670 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
We decided to tour the V&A with this Historical Guided Walking Tour. Even though we had been to the V&A before, we learnt a lot about its interesting history. Matthew passionately guided us along the waterfront explaining about how the V&A slowly took shape to what it looks like today. Hearing the stories about what it used to be like added a total different dimension to this now booming part of Cape Town. The guided tour picks up on the moment that the Chavonnes Battery got destroyed in order to create the Alfred Basin. Touring the museum in a guided tour prior to the Waterfront tour, gave us a perfect wrap up of history. From the early settlers to the building of the Chavonnes Battery, to its excavation. We highly recommend taking both tours. You will see the Waterfront through different eyes and learn some great historical facts!
Written 29 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wendyanddavid536
Solihull, UK2,123 contributions
Nov 2019
We went on a historical walk of the V & A Waterfront organised by, and starting from, the Chavonnes Battery Museum. We were the only two people on the tour, so were able to really ask a lot of questions to our excellent young guide Matthew. Interesting and informative, it enabled us to see the Waterfront in a new light.
Written 15 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CapeCoddess
Mashpee, MA46 contributions
Oct 2019
Excellent addition to learning about the fascinating history of Cape Town. It is a quick history of the fortification around the city. It is very close to where you board the boat for Robben Island.
Written 8 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YVR_guestservices
Vancouver59 contributions
Jan 2018
I worked at a smaller museum for ten years and I believe in museums that take one small sliver of history - whether one type of artifact, one event, or one place - and then expand from there to teach you about worlds you never knew existed. Chavonnes Battery is just that kind of museum.
We had already spent most of the day in Cape Town and wanted just one more thing to round the day out, and so we found our way to Chavonnes Battery.
We were greeted most warmly by one of the most charming and friendly museum personnel I have ever come across - her enthusiasm for the museum and its story shone through and prepared us well.
Besides a pretty impressive exhibit of the winners in an undersea photography competition, Chavonnes Battery takes you beneath 19th century Cape Town to its beginnings in the 17th century. You’ll see the actual remains of the fort once buried and almost forgotten but there is a truly wonderful amount of material explaining its history and its significance in the city’s story. Cannon and model enthusiasts will be especially well rewarded!
Being in a location that’s probably easy to overlook we found the museum blissfully uncrowded and the entrance fee amazingly reasonable given the quality of the collections and exhibitions.
We had already spent most of the day in Cape Town and wanted just one more thing to round the day out, and so we found our way to Chavonnes Battery.
We were greeted most warmly by one of the most charming and friendly museum personnel I have ever come across - her enthusiasm for the museum and its story shone through and prepared us well.
Besides a pretty impressive exhibit of the winners in an undersea photography competition, Chavonnes Battery takes you beneath 19th century Cape Town to its beginnings in the 17th century. You’ll see the actual remains of the fort once buried and almost forgotten but there is a truly wonderful amount of material explaining its history and its significance in the city’s story. Cannon and model enthusiasts will be especially well rewarded!
Being in a location that’s probably easy to overlook we found the museum blissfully uncrowded and the entrance fee amazingly reasonable given the quality of the collections and exhibitions.
Written 8 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mattjohnston23
Alton, UK97 contributions
July 2017 • Couples
Interesting museum showing what was discovered underground during the building work. Not a huge amount to see although there was a nice art exhibition going on when we visited. Good place for a rainy day.
Written 7 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
trevor3453
39 contributions
Jan 2015 • Solo
You have to check this place out. It's a terrific little museum with much more than just military history. The museum tells the story of Cape Town's development for the past five centuries. It has a great art exhibit of pictures, sculptures, and videos from a young South African artist.
On top of all this, the museum's executive is a sweet woman named Dale with a big heart. She employs youth from around Cape Town and helps them get training and certification in hospitality. I had a delightful conversation with her.
On top of all this, the museum's executive is a sweet woman named Dale with a big heart. She employs youth from around Cape Town and helps them get training and certification in hospitality. I had a delightful conversation with her.
Written 25 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
janwyl
Cape Town Central, South Africa34 contributions
Jan 2015 • Friends
The Museum of Contemporary Art in Africa(MOCAA) has partnered with Chavonnes Battery to stage exhibitions that are relevant to this space and that is what attracted us. What we got was that and a whole lot more. Informative, thought-provoking and thoughtfully set-out this is of an international standard and a credit to Cape Town. Well worth a visit. The Waterfront really is a landmark with development that continues to improve. Fully anticipating the undergoing silo transformation into MOCAA's permanent home will be the cherry on the cake.
Written 15 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FrancoPieterse
1 contribution
I Must say, full of valuable information. A must visit!! Definitely one if the best museums I have visited so in a long time!!
Written 14 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elvira
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan1 contribution
May 2020
I'm looking for a Museum in Cape town where the first mailbox is located. the stone under which sailors left letters to Europe at the Cape of Good Hope
Written 17 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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