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University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, Africa

Life Sciences Museum and Biodiversity Centre

Museum or Collection Type:
Natural History & Natural Science
Institutional Type:
Museum
Subject: 
Biology, Zoology

Address:
University of the Witwatersrand, Life Sciences Museum and Biodiversity Centre, P O Wits 2050, South Africa

Opening Hours:
8.30 am to 4.30 pm weekdays

Contact:
Caroline Crump, Zoology Curator of the Museum; Rene Reddy, Herbarium Manager
caroline.crump@wits.ac.za
Renee.Reddy@wits.ac.za
Phone: +27-(0)11 717-6464

Additional information:
The new museum is conveniently situated close to the Biophy Library, lecture theaters and teaching labs. Displays and exhibitions can occupy the open areas of Oppenheimer Life Sciences Building as well as the museum proper, and the gardens and outdoor areas near the museum are used for live displays.

Links:
Life Sciences Museum and Biodiversity Centre
University of the Witwatersrand

Description:
The Life Sciences Museum and Biodiversity Centre is the only natural history museum in Johannesburg, which is unusual since all the other major cities in South Africa have large public natural history museums. It has retained a unique character as the display specimens are exhibited in finely crafted teak cabinets which allow the viewer to engage directly with scores of objects at close range. Items can be selected and arranged to illustrate themes such as feeding in vertebrates or features of molluscs. This "hands on" feature has always proved popular with school groups.

The display area is open to all members of the public and access to the reference collections and guided tours are by appointment. The museum is situated opposite the Biophy Library on the lower ground floor of the Oppenheimer Life Sciences on the East Campus.

[Text from the Web site]


 




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