Maropeng Visitor Centre

Cradle of Humankind


Page created : 19th March 2012
Page updated : 20th April 2025


Explore the REAL Johannesburg

The entrance to the Tumulus building at Maropeng

” Maropeng is educational and great fun “

” Maropeng has top quality exhibits . . . had an interesting and entertaining guide “

” . . . fun and educational for children and a lot for adults to think about “

MAROPENG VISITOR CENTRE

11 kms north-west of Sterkfontein Caves, the Maropeng Visitor Centre delves deeper into our human origins with a focus on our evolution and heritage.

Recognised as one of only twelve sites worldwide by the Smithsonian Institution for its role in advancing public understanding of human evolution, Maropeng features a state-of-the-art exhibition designed to appeal to visitors of all ages.

The experience begins before entering the main Tumulus building.
Open-air displays and small excavation sites alongside the path, showcase artefacts from an Early Stone Age settlement.
Among the discoveries are stone tools such as cleavers and handaxes, shaped by early hunter-gatherer communities from local rock—a tangible link to the adaptive ingenuity of our prehistoric predecessors.

There are a number of displays that intrigue children, even before entering the museum at Maropeng

INFORMATION CORRECT
September 2024

MAROPENG VISITOR CENTRE IS WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY

MAROPENG VISITOR CENTRE OPENING TIMES :
Every day : 09h00 – 16h00 (9.00am – 4.00pm)
Last boat ride at 15h00 (3.00pm)

MAROPENG VISITOR CENTRE ENTRANCE FEE :
General: R125
Pensioners: R100
Children under 6: Free

Tickets can be bought online via www.webticket.co.za

MAROPENG VISITOR CENTRE ADDRESS :
On the D400, near Magaliesberg Village
Between the R24 (Magaliesberg) and the R563 (Hekpoort) Roads
8,7 kms from Sterkfontein Caves

MAROPENG VISITOR CENTRE GPS Co-ordinates (hddd.ddddd)
S25.97885 E027.66441

MAROPENG VISITOR CENTRE CONTACT :
Landline : +27 (0)14 577-9000
E-mail : info@maropeng.co.za

MAROPENG BOUTIQUE HOTEL CONTACT :
Landline : +27 (0)14 577-9100
E-mail : hotelreception@maropeng.co.za

A family taking photos outside the Tumulus museum building at Maropeng
The walkway leading from the carpark, past the restaurant to the ticket office at Maropeng

. . . DISPLAYS ARE VERY INTERACTIVE!

It’s once you’re inside that the fun begins!

A boat ride through time – starting with the present and going back to the formation of our planet earth, followed by the Vortex Tunnel, replicating a Black hole, with its warnings of possible “dizziness, nausea, unbalance and unsteadiness…”, that get you to the start of the museum displays!

The displays are bright, colourful and very interactive, resulting in a hands-on learning experience.

They deal with the formation of the earth, our physiological development from early man and our cultural evolution to where we are today.

On the negative side, the message the exhibits portray is not unique, and some tend to be a bit confusing due to insufficient explanation.

Guides, who are available, are probably essential to you enjoying the experience.

One of the displays in Maropeng showing the various Australopithecus species that have been found in Sterkfontein Caves
The story of evolution of man continues at this display in Maropeng
A display in Maropeng explaining the evolution of man from early hominids to today's modern man

MAROPENG RESTAURANTS

Maropeng has two restaurants – the Market Place restaurant, in the area where you buy your tickets, that serves good light meals and snacks, and the formal Tumulus Restaurant, on the first floor of the Tumulus building, overlooking the Magaliesberg.
I’ve only had a Sunday lunch buffet, which was very good.

KIDDIES CAVE

An interesting little side show after exiting the museum, is the Kiddies Cave.
It’s a small, man made hide away for the little ones to explore, that is dark enough to be adventurous.

The kiddies cave at Maropeng allows the kids to explore their 'own' cave, in a safe environment

PAST EXHIBITS

‘ALMOST HUMAN’ – THE HOMO NALEDI EXHIBITION’

This exhibit has ended and the fossils returned to Wits University for further scientific research.
I’ve left this here due to interest in its scientific value.

Rick Hunter and Steven Tucker, two recreational cavers, discovered fossils, of a yet to be identified hominid, in September 2013 in the Rising Star Cave system, in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site

The new species, named Homo Naledi, was announced to the world at a press conference in September 2015

A mock-up of the laboratory that scientists used whilst deciphering the findings of Homo naledi in 2013
A number of fossilised remains of Homo naledi that were found in the Rising Star Cave System in the Cradle of Humankind
UNDERGROUND ASTRONAUTS

People, fitting certain criteria – due to the nature of the work as well as confined conditions, were needed to excavate the bones.

Palaeoanthropologist Lee Berger, from the University of the Witwatersrand, put an ad. on his Facebook page on 6th October 2013, and the 6 female scientists who were chosen, were given the name ‘Underground Astronauts’
Even on their flight to Johannesburg, they had no idea what they were coming to, as the expedition was shrouded in secrecy.

Their ‘fate’ was to excavate the bones of Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, and were given the name because of the danger in entering a shaft, that narrowed to a 175 mm (7 in) opening, to get to the cave, 10 metres (36 ft) below.

The remains of a child and a partial skeleton of an adult male, named Neo by scientists, were found in a second chamber, called Lesedi.

Access to the Lesedi chamber was almost as difficult as reaching the Dinaledi chamber.

The 'Underground Astronauts' were six petite and slim scientists who were used to excavated the bones of Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber in the Cradle of Humankind.

‘THE LONG MARCH TO FREEDOM’ – EXHIBITION

This was a temporary exhibition, and is no longer on show. The page has been retained for reference purposes!
The Long March to Freedom exhibition was held at Maropeng for nearly a year, but has now moved to a new venue. The exhibition features 100 life-size bronze statues of people who played a role in South Africa’s fight for democracy, including famous figures like Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Adelaide Tambo.

The statues represent individuals from the early 1700s up until Freedom Day in April 1994, each one symbolizing the march toward democracy.

The Long March to Freedom at Maropeng - King Maqoma (1798-1873) Xhosa Military Commander
The Long March to Freedom at Maropeng - Chief Kgamanyane Pilane (c1820-1871) Chief of the Bakgatla-Baga-Kgafela 1848-1871
The Long March to Freedom at Maropeng - Sol Plaatjie (1876-1932) 1st Secretary-General of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC)(1912-1917)
The Long March to Freedom at Maropeng - Chief Albert Luthuli (1989-1967) President of the African National Congress (ANC) (1952-1967)
The Long March to Freedom at Maropeng - Walter Rabusana (1858-1936) Co-Founder and Vice-President of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC)
The hyperlink to view the Sterkfontein Caves page
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