The museum contains the Leakey family discoveries at Tanzania's Olduvai Gorge and at Koobi Fora in northern Kenya, including the complete 1.6-million-year-old skeleton of Homo erectus. The wildlife displays haven't been updated for years, but you may want to view the range of weapons, ornaments and headdresses of various Kenyan tribes—a good introduction to the country and its peoples. Also on view are beautiful watercolors by Joy Adamson, displays about Kenya's modern history, an extensive ornithological collection and contemporary art from across eastern Africa.
Within the museum grounds is a snake park with live African snakes (puff adders, black and green mambas, and other reptiles). There's a free bird walk every Wednesday, leaving at 8:30 am from the museum parking lot, returning at about 12:30 pm. There are also craft shops there, and the museum shop sells a range of interesting books on animals and plants. Daily 9:30 am-6 pm. 800 KSh (plus an additional 200 KSh to get into the snake park). Museum Hill Road (off Chiromo Road), Nairobi. Phone 374-2131, 374-2133 or 374-2134. http://www.museums.or.ke.
